A
lthough the Modern Deluxe edition
of the evergreen D-28 dreadnought
is packed with modern features and
innovations, Martin isn’t exactly
flaunting them. At first glance, this guitar
looks much like any other high-end D-28,
and its special attributes only become
apparent on much closer examination.
Let’s begin with the more obvious. This is
almost certainly the first Martin this writer
has seen with wood bindings, in this case
flamey European maple that looks fantastic
against the herringbone purfling and the
darker East Indian rosewood back and sides.
On the headstock, Martin logos generally
take two forms: gold script decals and
elaborate pearl inlays. Here, however, weget a combination, because the 1930s-style
script logo is actually an abalone inlay.
There’s also something unusual about
the bridge pins with their recessed red dots.
They’re described as Liquidmetal, which
is a non-crystalline material that can be
injection moulded. This means the pins are
cheaper to manufacture than machined
metal pins, but they provide a claimed 4dB
increase in volume compared to plastic,
wood and bone pins.
Martin’s VTS (Vintage Tone System)
tops are torrefied, but there’s a reason the
Sitka spruce here retains its paler natural
look. Martin’s research suggests that
most torrefied acoustic tops are closer in
moisture content and cellular structureto spruce that’s over a century old. Since
the period immediately preceding WWII
is considered the finest for vintage Martin
tone, the company decided that in some
instances, regular roasting goes a bit too far.
Instead, the M1 system was developed to
create ‘aged’ tops that are closer to those
that are 70 or 80 years old. If you want
even ‘older’ sounding and darker looking
soundboards, then Martin’s M2 tops are
the ones for you.
Aside from superb build quality and
playability, perhaps the most interesting
aspect of the Modern Deluxe D-28 is
the way it combines traditional building
methods with cutting-edge materials.
For instance, ‘natural protein glue’ is an
innocuous term for fish glue, and a dovetail
neck join combines with pre-war style
forward-shifted scalloped bracing. These
are juxtaposed with an ultra-light, super-
strong carbon-fibre bridgeplate and a
titanium truss rod that’s 45 per cent lighter
than an equivalent steel truss rod. From
the 1920s until 1934, Martin used ebonyMARTIN
D-28 MODERN DELUXE
WORDS HUW PRICEMartin’s Modern Deluxe series seamlessly combines the classic
with the cutting edge. Can an industry standard be reinvented?REVIEWS98