Reviewing and Appraising a 1972 Martin D-28....How does it sound and how much is it worth? 

Bought my D-28, new in 1970 (serial # 264XXX). Earned my way through college giving lessons. In ‘74 top bulged. Probably left it in a hot car once too many. Sent it back to Martin and completely re-did the guitar as an HD-28. Replaced the top, changed to a small bridge plate, scalloped bracing, herring bone binding. Sent it back to me and stamped “Custom” above the serial #. No charge to me. Guitar remains in excellent condition, Always wondered if it would be of any significant greater value.

Loved the video, man! I look forward to every video you upload, always interesting, and you can see how passionate you are. Definitely inspires me, and I'm sure lots of other people too. Stay safe!

I will speak for myself, but would imagine that I have similar sentiments to others that come to see your content. Thank you for a great channel. Thank you for your expertise and sharing your knowledge. It shows. Thank you for not lauding your education over everyone like a club. Thank you for not trying to be anything other than exactly what you are. I wish I knew you personally.

Wonderful, honest, passionate review. Thanks!

I have a D-28 that is just a few numbers off this one. I purchased it new in 1972. (Serial number shows it was built in 71.) The bridge was in the wrong place and I played the guitar out of tune for many years. Finally sent the guitar to Bryan Kimsey. He put a new bridge in the proper location, took out the huge rosewood bridge plate and replace it with a smaller one, shaved the X braces a bit. Neck reset. My D-28 is now one of the finest sounding Martins I've ever played. Bryan took just enough off the X bracing to give it a much better sound.

That piece of wood just got something very special going on. What a guitar and absolutely great demo. Thank you! :)

Love Love Love my 72 D35.... I also play a 94 810 Taylor, so I getr the difference that Jay is experiencing... keep em both!

I have a '70 D-28 that is very similar to this one except I have the original blue case, too. It was purchased for club gigs by the original owner so it has a similar set of war wounds from being rode hard and put away wet in the early days. It has always sounded great, and plays especially well since Pat DiBurro gave it the full overhaul a few years ago - neck reset, crack repairs, new pick guard, bridge relocation, etc. He also replaced the whatever-they-were-made-of nut and saddle with bone. Like you, he recommended leaving the frets original and just crowned and polished them. Thanks for this review. Your valuation seems to match the market in the northeast US.

Enjoy your videos very informative thanks for posting

I love my 1969 D18. I bought new. Yes the head stick is very rounded. Vintage 60’s look. Sound is incredible.

Sounds heavenly! At 10:37 when you play up the dusty end you can hear the intonation is a hair off.

I've reset 18 necks from late 1800s-early 1900s, and a couple mandos. Only one guitar and one mando I actually had to pull the neck. I've never seen anyone else do this: I heat a moist dish towel under the neck that's strapped to the table, this puts moisture into the neck - specifically under the bent area; I pull the neck down to a backbow with clamps until I measure the right backbow (takes a day or two). Once released, I let it dry out, then simply oil the neck and re-string it. Voila - neck has proper backbow with nothing on the guitar pulled off/cut/re-glued etc. Keeps it all original. Of course many things to be careful of (especially glued joints and messing up neck finish). It's worked for me and I've made horrible guitars and mandos actually playable again! I wonder why luthiers go right to re-sets and don't simply bend the neck back to straight...

My 1984 D28 that I got via in-factory connections, still has the non-adjustable truss rod. Will never be separated from it.

I bought my D28 new in 1972. Still love it!

couple things I didn't hear mentioned are a) the 70's labour dispute where there was sabbotaging of the bridge position (which affects intonation) which I believe ended '71.. b) the blue thermoplastic cases twisting/warping. My '72 D-28 seems to be fine for the bridge position, but need to check again, but the thermoplastic case I stopped using (tho still have it) because it's started to deform and the clasps no longer completely line up... that said, I loved hearing your overview and I'm confident in holding onto mine (my father was the original owner and babied it so it's near mint) I've always noticed a difference in it versus newer acoustics I've had over the years..

Great review and love the tone response from the aforementioned 72' D-28. In my opinion, I think 70's Martins are great, regardless of Martin's spec change. However, like any vintage guitars they are a hit or miss. I managed to find a Great sounding D 12 28 from 1976 and it is by far the BEST sounding 12 string I have ever played (amongst the others). Cheers

I have an early 72 D-28 that I recently purchased from Elderly. It's beaten up but sounds and plays amazing. I played several models from the 40s to the 60s and wanted them to sound like the one I have. It has its quirks but the things it does well make it jump back in my hand all day long. It was $2,500 but had over $1,000 in wok done to it to get it where it plays like butter and rings like a bell all the way up the neck. I think it's my most emotive acoustic.

In October 2021 I played a 1972 D-28 at Emerald City Guitars in Seattle. It had just had a neck reset and was for sale at $2,750. I didn't give it a microscopic look like Jeremy did but it seemed cleaner than the one in the video. According to this video, looks like it was fairly priced. Maybe I should have bought it.

7:47 sounds really good!! If I was the owner I'd definitely keep it..

I have a ‘72 Martin 000 custom. Original case. Binding on headstock loose. Cool guitar purchased from television celebrity estate in 1994.

My brother and I bought two Martin D35s back in 1976. They are great guitars. My brother still had his when he passed away five years ago. Someone robbed my house and took my D35 in the mid 80s. That's life. Martin guitars had that yellowish tent on the front of them. Now they have an all white look on them. I like the yellowish tent much better. Awesome video thanks for sharing. Stay well and safe my friend. Btw, If Jay is a blue grass person why is he selling this guitar?

Beautiful playing I bought one today. Sounds incredible. thirty two hundred .

My 2018 HD28 has less than an 1/8” on the saddle. I would be happy. With an 1/8. Its the second new Martin I have owned with zero room for adjustment on the saddle. I called Martin and they were not interested, they said take it back to the dealer. I live in the uk and the dealer is us so I decided to sell in the end. The question is, how low does the saddle have to be before Martin will do a warranty neck reset

Love ur channel good job..Want to buy a guitar 🎸 from you for sure

Just joined your channel and FB page. We are twin sons of a different mother! LOL Loved this video. I own two Martins, a 1976 D-28 and a 1980 D-12-28, both of which I will never part with!

Great appraisal from a fair, articulate, & informed source. // Do you know what years the “blue case” was the norm ?

Sounds great!

Hi there, Jeremy! I haven't read all the comments, so, I'm not sure if anyone else addressed your comment of the Rosewood Bridgeplates on early 70's Martins. First off, they aren't "Little pieces of Brazilian Rosewood" that make up the revamped Bridgeplate. Compared to the 1-1/4" wide (Small) Maple Bridgeplate, the Rosewood Bridgeplates are nearly 3 times as wide, or over 3 inches wide; and clearly, enough hardwood glued to Sitka Spruce to really dampen the top's natural vibrations at the most crucial spot under the Bridge. Certainly, not "Little" by any means, especially compared to the older Smaller Maple plates. Plus, Martin made that change from Maple to Rosewood circa 1966-67, when they were still using Brazilian for the back and sides. Then, they may have used Brazilian for the larger 3" Bridgeplate? But, by 1971 (I know, I have a 1971 D-28) the Bridgeplate was more than 3 inches of East Indian Rosewood, hardly Brazilian by 1971 when they had phased out Brazilian on the whole guitar by 1969-70. There were some instances between 69 and 71 when any left over pieces of Brazilian were being used for the middle of the 3 sided backs of some D-35's. It was extremely random and rare. That's about it on Bridgeplates. But, I do agree with you that Brazilian is NOT worth 3 times what East Indian Rosewood is worth. Your simply buying nostalgia.

Thank you for your review on the d28.it,s the year to buy if you want one. A1-3

Hey man, never seen your channel before but I really love your style and all the info. I just got my hands on a 1978 Hirade master artes model seven. The front is a little beat up but overall it seems like a great instrument. Would you have any idea where I can find info for something like this? Keep up the great content!

When I had my '71 built, I asked my luthier to give me a matt finish, not being a fan of gloss, and to lower the action and consider me a picker rather than a strummer. Also by Xmas, a crack showed up. So I sent it back to Martin and he said, "It relieved itself and sounds more open." He fixed the crack and when I got it back... it sounded beautiful!! My friends thought so too!

Something every 70’s Martin needs is the braces scalloped. Opened my wife’s D-28 up. They’re too thick. Everything is so thick and they still crack.

Good review and appraisal. I recently sold/lost a 1971 D-28 in a transaction involving Reverb and UPS. This guitar sold on Reverb for $3K to a buyer in England. I received his funds and sent the guitar. Unknown to me was that Indian rosewood had joined Brazilian rosewood with custom restrictions. I was warned by Reverb that this might happen. However UPS assured me multiple times that no additional paperwork was required. I chose to let the shipment proceed over seas. The guitar was impounded, I returned the money, I lost the guitar.

Jeremy! Nice and honest review! As I stated in another video I had almost every issue when I first got my 1979 HD-28 as this D-28. Once they are fixed they sound amazing, especially when I got my neck reset with hyde glue. By the way I noticed Dream Guitars in Asheville had a D-45 Gene Autry for sale just so you know. JR North Carolina

I have a 72 D28 that I purchased new. It was great for about 8 years , then the action got worse to the point I started playing other guitars . As I also notice the intonation made the guitar unplayable. The pick guard curled and I took it off. The top has a crack and the bridge has lifted . I put it in the case (original samsonite) and I haven’t played it 40 years. I took it to a authorized repair and they said I just needed new strings . I called Martin about 10 years ago and they never got back to me . I’m ready to address this again after watching your video. I sure could use some coaching. Thanks Dale

That probably came out of nowhere for most. I just got finished visiting other sites, looking for similar information. I can count at least 10 sites where the lesson was not about guitars, rather the person who was "teaching" about them.

I have a flawless 1972 D-28 Martin I been thinking about selling.. I just don’t have the original guitar case. It has a case that the original owner had and it has all of his stickers from shows he did and some beliefs he had etc.. a couple bluegrass stickers.

Hi Jeremy, how do you check the intonation and how to correct if its out.

Hi Jeremy, I enjoyed the video. I didn't know that the necks on acoustic guitars could be removed. wow. I guess that does explain the low saddle. I wouldn't buy that guitar if I knew the action was going to stay that height. Great that your buddy Jay let you do this video on his guitar. Jeremy, how do I learn about verifying the authenticity of tuning heads (when they're sold separately from the guitar)? For this guitar for example? Thanks

Jason Isbell "Different Days" at 10:27 , nice

I bought my first Martin in 1972 and it was also a D-28. It cost $495 with case. I was able to use a 60's Framus Texan as partial payment. I loved that guitar but had it less than two years when I got the opportunity to buy a 1964 Martin D-28SW. I had to trade the D-28 and throw in $350 which I paid in installments over several months. Shortly after paying for the SW I had a chance to buy, which I did, a 1965 Martin 00-21NY for $200. That 00-21 is one guitar that I wish that I had hung onto. I'm too embarrassed to say what I traded it for but let's just say that more than 30 years later I still regret getting rid of it.

Great video! I have a ‘72 D-28 I’ve been trying to sell. It’s condition is very, very similar to this one - no cracks though. I listed it locally (FB Marketplace) for $2000. I’ve had a lot of interest but I keep getting lowball offers ($1000-$1500). Maybe I should have started with a higher listing price? I just figured I’d list it at a very reasonable price and maybe knock off a hundred or two, but no bites. I’ll prob just remove my listing, and keep enjoying it for a few more years to see where the market will take it.

I have my original "steal me" blue case but I usually use a different case when taking my 1974 D-28 out.

Hey Jeremy! Love the channel. Do you do official appraisals? I have a Froggy Bottom guitar I just obtained but can't seem to get a decent value on it.

I bet it would sound much much better with Mediums. Sure it might be a bit rough on an older guitar to have all that tension. But the magic of Martin's really has a lot to do with the fact the guitars are designed for mediums. I used lights for years until I got my Martin (D10e 02 Sitka Spruce top). I'm used to heavier gauges but at first I just put on lights out of habit. But it was missing the magic I was used to hearing when playing other Martin's. I put medium 80/20's on it and it became everything I've ever wanted in an acoustic. They really are just as easy to bend as lights since they are a little bigger your fingers have more to push/pull against. And playing fingerstyle with mediums on a Martin sounds and feels great which I also didn't expect. Mediums on any other acoustic have always been a let down and lacked sustain so I never thought I'd like them. But the trick was using them on a guitar designed for use with the tension of mediums. Sadly in this example the high action would only get worse with the extra tension but I really feel like there's more tone in that guitar than we are hearing. But for country/bluegrass those lights might be just the ticket so for those reasons along with the age of the guitar I fully understand using lights. I could be mistaken but I'm pretty sure from listening that you restrung with lights. Great video, I really enjoyed the info about 70s Martin's. I love learning new things about the history of the company's behind the guitars you feature.

Good day Jeremy, Mate what you do would be my dream job, You hit the road and hunt for treasure Guitars. Sadly though there no market for that here Down Under. Aussies are just starting to get to know Great American Guitars like the Martins, Gibsons and the Taylors.

Relief is the bow of the neck, not the saddle height. Also, a measurement of action at the 12th fret would be useful in knowing if it needs a neck reset. If the action is perfect that saddle will be fine for the near future.

You could swap out the Grover's for some open-back Waverly's and free up some mass on the neck. You could always put them back on to re-sell it to keep it 70's period correct. But, if I bought it and was going to keep it long term, I'd do open-back Waverly's.

hello jeremy. i have the same guitar and i ask you what is your action because i think about a neck reset too ? best regards anthony (France)

Jeremy, did this one sell? I like that it's bright, like a D-18, and not boomy or jangly. Thanks.- Charles

A 1/3 less than a new one.with now appreciation.thank you.the best paul

2nd sending it to Bryan Kimsey after acquiring it!

what is the name of that music that was playing while he was re-stringing? Liked it.

Thanks!

The early 70s Martin’s sound as good as the 60s. There was that bridge placement issue but that was corrected. Due to this, which didn’t last long they are way under priced and undervalued. Get one while you can for a decent price. They will only go up in value. Great guitars.

A very interesting and detailed appraisal. 70s Martins have a variable reputation on the forums, but this one sounds very nice, at least on my equipment. I do think you are right about people wanting these to be worth more than they are. They are never going to be vintage guitars in the sense of being rare and collectable. There are quite a few of them around. They are, however, extremely reliable gigging guitars. Since you commented on the price, I have to say your estimate struck me as still on the high side, not because of the wear (it's 50 years old, for goodness sake), but because of the need for a neck reset. In the UK, that would come in at at least £300, and you never know what you are going to get into when you open up a neck that has already had a reset, especially where the action has become high again and almost certainly had the saddle sanded down to accommodate that. I suppose you could shave the bridge to save on a reset, but honestly that's a philosophy of despair and will only delay the inevitable. There's not much of a market for guitars that only play nice in the first position!.

does it have the misplaced bridge? i have a 72 d 18 and it does not. it had a neck reset 3 yrs ago. i am the original owner. i love it and would never sell it. and it has the blue case too.no issues at all

How was the neck profile on that one? I like thicker necks, and I have heard early 70s Martins have a chunkier profile than a modern Martin. Wondering if I should look that way...

@2:50 unless my eyes are deceiving me that’s pretty high action...super cool guitar though

Does anyone know the name of the opening song? Or is it just a few nice sounding chords? I like it.

Sir I have a 1971 Martin D-18 with a black case and the inside lined with black fur how do you determine if the case is original

Oh no adjustable truss rod??whoa never new that about em

Hey Jeremy , did you ever live in Conyers Ga?

I have it. 1971 D-28 in better condition than that one with the original heavy blue case! I love it...

BTW...Indian rosewood was cut in in 1968 for the D28.

For picking and soft nail brush-strumming, you recommend the D18 or the D28...and what about a Sinker?

Which strings did you opt for? Sounds great

Good video. My Martin DX-1ae; $600. Unbeatable. Talk about punching above your weight.

North American guitar company here in London have a '37 D-18 for a very reasonable $60,000!!

never knew that these 70s martins didnt have a adjustable truss rod therefore wouldnt touch it ,and i work on guitars unless it was maybe in good shape would offer $1500 but no more ,thanks for info

Ok...you got me. What's the song that starts about 5:30?

What strings, gauge, type did you install on this? They do not sound like a new string.. They sound broken in with good balance and tone.

Back in the 90's the 70's Martins and all brands of guitars were generally looked down upon for quality issues. Forty or more years later, it seems history has forgotten much of this and the instruments of the 70's are priced very high.

Curious, if that age Martin has lacquer checking on top, I thought it’s not good as dirt and oils will get below if not addressed? Read where peeps use lacquer retarder injected to flash and melt the seems closed? Ever heard of the technique?

What isnthat song at the end? I can't think of it for the life of me

This piqued my interest in prices. There's one on FB marketplace right now, for $3700 (1970 D28). Have they jumped up into that price range, since you made this video a year or so ago? Or, is it overpriced?

Curious what I have is two sets of serial numbers? One on the neck and one on the bottom or back

I bought a D-28 in 1972 for $400. It was made in 1969 -- the year Martin switched from Brazilian to Indian Rosewood. Luckily, mine was made early in 1969 and is Brazilian. Had it for 50 years in 2022 and still do. Superb instrument.

Back in the 80's,I traded a Les Paul Standard for an early 70's Martin D- 28 , almost identical to this one but with the original tortise shell pick guard. I think they had started using Indian Rosewood by then.so the tone wasn't as bright as the Brazillian Rosewood,that they used to use.I was playing more bluegrass back then & always wanted a Martin.The guitar had a beautiful sound,but I started noticing problems immediately.Intonation was way off because the brigde had been glued in the wrong position,so that had to be reset,& it probably could have used a neck reset(no truss rods yet on Martins) but I couldn't afford it.Looking back,I probably should have had a Luthier check it out before trading that Les Paul,not knowing as much about guitars as I do now.But my point here is,I heard there was a period during the early 70's where Martin's quality control was having problems(they were labeled the so called "junk martins").Do you know if this is true,or just a made up myth.Anyway,I played that guitar for a while after fixing the problems & and it was great.I still play a Martin,but one of the newer models.If you could,let me know if this was true about the quality control thing.Thanks. great channel !

I only listened to that Neil Young’s piece…I may learn that

Sounds like there are a few frets buzzing on your intro. That means it will probably be a mess if it's capo'd

$1800-2200. I have a rebuilt 1974 D-28S and it's the best sounding guitar I've ever heard.

That's a really nice guitar!!!!!!! Those cracks wouldn't bother me in the least. They seem to have been repaired properly & as long as they're not moving, I wouldn't be too concerned. I would however be concerned about what condition the bridge plate is in. That much string wear in front of the pin holes is not always, but usually a sign of considerable bridge plate wear. I would also want to know if there has ever been any non factory brace work done. All of that comes with the territory of buying a well loved & played, vintage guitar & should absolutely be reflected in the price paid for such. That said, this is still a great guitar & worth at least $2200!!!!!!! I've always laughed about the 60's Martins having very rounded pegheads. I've got a 63 & the peghead corners are VERY rounded. You're right about Brazilian RW. It's a great tone wood, but greatly overpriced & there are MANY other tone woods out there that can give you very similar results in sound. Many tonal qualities are manipulated through the brace work & other structural inner workings anyway. I would definitely have a neck set done on that guitar & probably replace the 1st 5 frets. I'm a bluegrass guitarist & lead player. I play all the way up to the body at times & that action is way too high for me. The intonation would definitely be effected by that, just as you've demonstrated. Another issue most of the 70's Martins have is that the bridge isn't exactly in the correct location. They tend to be about 1/8 of an inch too far towards the sound hole. Yes, this guitar does indeed have some issues, but what vintage guitar doesn't. Again, it comes with the territory. I would send it to Bryan Kimsey for any repair work it needs & a professional setup. He is more than capable of giving it the TLC it might need!!!!!!! This guitar has a top grade solid Sitka spruce top with some nice cross grain effect. It also has top grade straight grain Indian RW in the back & I've always felt that straight grained Indian RW tends to sound better, being more responsive & vibrant across the different tonal frequencies of a guitar. This guitar would be a terrific investment for anyone, if the price is right. It sounds great over your mic & that proves it would make an awesome studio guitar!!!!!!!

To me.....a 70's Martin vs a newer model just comes down to if you want an older more used and weathered guitar. A good used Martin can be found for $1500 - $4000. I chose to buy a newer Used Martin for $2000....I didn't want to have to deal with a neck reset and some of the other issues that come with older guitars and I didn't feel like I was getting more by spending $3000-$4000 for better example from the 70's

I note that you are changing the strings by removing all of them at the same time, which i'm told causes sudden stress to the neck. One string at a time surely is more less traumatic to a guitar of that age, or any age for that matter.

Ya know your Neil Young, for sure , what do you think of the Ibanez GD10?

‘71 D-35 bookmatched rosewoods, Grovers

Song at 16:55?

Looking for a 71.....

How much sir

Lotta buzzing in this guitar.

I have been playing guitar since I was 4 years old. I have never liked Taylor or Gibson guitars, and I am finding myself veering away from Martin now, as well. I used to own 4 Martin USA guitars, now I am down to just 2...both are all mahogany (D-15 and 000-15), and I keep them around only for recording purposes. I hardly ever play them when I am just noodling and/or writing songs. They just don't sound the way I want the guitar to sound until I put a mic in front of them. They are also way overpriced - maybe not Gibson acoustics as much, but 100% Taylor and the D18 series (and up) Martins should not cost more than a custom boutique builder. I got a Maestro guitar in October that blows away any Martin I have ever played...and it costs about $1000 less than a D-18. I do not play bluegrass, and I understand these are primarily bluegrass instruments. For me, there is not that much value in the sound a Martin, Taylor, or Gibson; most of the cost is in the brand recognition, and not the instrument. Just my opinion. I know I will get hate for this from the Taylor/Martin/Gibson cult followers, hahaha! Cool video, Jeremy! 🐰❤️🎸🎵✨🤝✌️

Intonation is sour on some of those chords.

I doubt the bridgeplate was Brazilian, more likely Indian and you are completely wrong about saying "little pieces." The 70's bridge plates where huge and thick and had a big and very negative effect on tone and volume.

1970's Martin has big problems. It has Truss rod but can't adjustable itself so if you need to adjust string height, it costs over several hundred dollars for reset. And more pickguards was shrinked and causes crack on soundhole. After sold it, I never buy it again.

Did you tell value? I am sorry, I missed it. Can't will anyone tell me what of if he said appx value?

Check the truss rod before you think about neck reset

👍🇺🇸

Is it me or do you hear Neil Young when Jeremy plays?

sup with those jeans?