The Martin Custom Shop D-28 is about as good as a modern dreadnought gets. Built in Martin's Custom Shop in 2015, it pairs two of the most sought-after tonewoods available, Guatemalan rosewood and Adirondack spruce, into an instrument that is as beautiful to look at as it is to play. This is a true connoisseur's Martin.

Guatemalan rosewood is a rare treat, prized for sitting somewhere between the deep, complex voice of Brazilian rosewood and the reliable richness of East Indian, with gorgeous figuring to match. Paired here with the legendary D-28 platform, it gives the guitar a wonderfully deep low end, singing trebles and the kind of complex overtones that only the finest rosewoods deliver.

The top is solid Adirondack spruce, the red spruce that Martin used on its most revered pre-war instruments. Combined with scalloped X-bracing, it gives this dreadnought enormous headroom and power: it responds beautifully to a light touch yet simply refuses to compress when you dig in, making it a dream for both flatpicking and big, open strumming.

As you would expect from the Custom Shop, it is beautifully appointed, with abalone fretboard inlays, a matching headstock overlay, elegant binding and purfling, a tasteful rosette and a classic pickguard. It all adds up to a dreadnought that sounds and feels every bit as special as it looks.

This 2015 example is in excellent condition with only light playing wear, in the form of a few scratches on the body, pickguard and neck, and a small dent on the headstock by the G-string tuner. The back of the neck is beginning to gloss up slightly, which is completely normal with use on a satin neck. It comes supplied in its hardshell case.

This guitar has been carefully inspected for condition and playability, then set up to our Gold Standard by a luthier. We make sure it arrives in your hands exactly as it should: sounding its best, playing effortlessly and ready to be enjoyed from the very first note.

photos of: Actual Instrument