Martin HD 28V

Broseley_Bob

Views sought.  Anyone got one.  How do they compare to a D 28 reimagined?

crunchman

Do you mean HD28V?

If so, the biggest difference is the V neck profile and 1' 11/16" nut.  That gives it a very different feel.  I love that neck, but it might not be for everyone.

Cosmetically I prefer the look of Herringbone binding as well.

Brize

Fantastic sounding instrument and I prefer the narrower nut width. I can't get on with V necks, though, so moved mine on.

Broseley_Bob

Yes, I have amended the title.  

I understand they were more than the D and HD (Martin 2016 price list).   Are they a hight quality guitar?

crunchman

Broseley_Bob said:

Yes, I have amended the title.  

I understand they were more than the D and HD (Martin 2016 price list).   Are they a hight quality guitar?

It was part of the vintage series, and was above the Standard series.  It used to be the way to get the "forward shifted" pre-war style bracing before the reimagined version came out.  It sounded a lot better than the old Standard series with the post-war style bracing.  I think the old HD was the same bracing as the standard series, possibly scalloped.  The new version of that has forward shifted bracing as well.  The old version didn't sound nearly as good as the HD28V to my ears.  It just looked nice as it had herringbone binding.  I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong on the specs.

The bracing is on the HD28V is scalloped as far as I know.  That is still a difference as I don't think they do that on the reimagined.  I think the position of the bracing is more important though.

Like I said above, the biggest difference to the reimagined version is likely to be the feel, with the narrower nut width and V neck profile.  I wouldn't be buying a new Martin now because they are almost all 1 3/4" nut width.  The only one I'm aware of that is 1 11/16" is the Brooke Ligertwood signature, although that's an OOO body size.  I don't think they do a dreadnought body size with a 1 11/16" nut any more.

Broseley_Bob

Thanks that’s really helpful.   

Tannin

Crunchman is on the money, except for the detail that all HD-28s use scalloped bracing. the D-28 is the straight-braced one. (Oh, and in his weirdo preference for cramped little 43mm nuts. But each to his own.) 

crunchman

Tannin said:

Crunchman is on the money, except for the detail that all HD-28s use scalloped bracing. the D-28 is the straight-braced one. (Oh, and in his weirdo preference for cramped little 43mm nuts. But each to his own.) 

I have the shortest fingers I've ever seen on an adult man (except my dad).  Even on the narrower neck there are things I can't reach.  I can't get my thumb over the top to play an F or F# on the bottom E string.  It's a real pain not being able to play that F# on a D chord.

I like the V profile as well.

Tannin

^ Fair enough. I have always disliked the idea of a V profile but somehow (I think) without ever actually playing one - they are uncommon to rare in my part of the world, possibly elsewhere as well. Then I picked up a Furch with a V neck. Revelation! It was the most easily playable, effortlessly comfortable guitar I've ever met. In fact I bought it! 

I have medium-size hands but started on nylon guitars (50mm nut), then played mostly 12-strings for the next several decades (48mm or 50mm nuts). Anything smaller that that still feels cramped to me, though I have gradually become more-or-less used to the common 44mm and 44.5mm instruments. 

The thing is, guitar makers go to endless trouble making (largely cosmetic) model variations like sunbursts, dyes, fancy inlays, different pickguards with signatures on them, different back and sides timbers - all things which have small to zero effect on the practicalities of the instrument. 

But try to buy a guitar with a real and practical difference - easy enough to make and near-zero extra manufacturing cost - such as a wider or narrower neck, and nope. You are lucky if you get two choices. In most cases you get only one. Try buying a Maton or a Cole Clark with a 43mm nut. Nope. Or a 46mm or 44.5mm nut. Still nope. 44mm is all you get. Like it or lump it. Try buying a Guild, a Taylor, a Takamine, or a Martin with anything other than 43mm or 44.5mm. Nope. Worse, you get shafted with inflexibilities. I would rather like a Takamine New Yorker (their name for their various small body guitars) - but it is (almost) impossible to find one with a standard 44mm or 44.5mm nut. They all use 43mm, so I'm screwed. I can't play a nut that tight. Bigger Tak models mostly use 44.5mm, so with them, @crunchman, you are screwed.