The Guitar Magazine – July 2019

LIKE THIS? TRY THESE...

Atkin D37 £ 2 , 799 , Bourgeois DB Signature D £ 4 , 000 ,

Collings D2H £ 4 , 399

A top-drawer dreadnought that’s

9 /10 both contemporary and timeless

and the company has recently been using
carbon-fibre neck-reinforcement strips in
some historically inspired models for this
very reason. Adjustable titanium rods could
offer the best of both worlds.
The satin-finished mahogany neck
is far from traditional, with a slim and
asymmetrical version of Martin’s High
Performance profile that’s exclusive to
the Modern Deluxe series. Plek’d gold
frets match the open-gear Waverly tuners,
which combine classic looks with stellar
performance. The Waverlys are incredibly
smooth and accurate and you’d struggle to
find anything superior.

IN USE
This D-28 arrives with us at the same
time as a fairly recent D-45 that’s here for
some minor set-up work. With both guitars
sporting fresh string sets – Martin Authentic
Acoustics and D’Addario Phosphor Bronze
0.012s – we have a chance to compare like
with like... or not, as the case may be.
The D-28 sounds louder and is quicker
to respond. The treble response is about the
same, but there are noticeable differences in
the bass and midrange. The D-45 produces
a deeper thump, although the D-28
certainly isn’t lacking in low end.
The midrange characteristics demonstrate
the real contrast, with the D-45 having that
classic scoop where the fourth and third
(D and G) strings sit back a little. The D-28,
however, is far more balanced across the
strings; its mids have more presence and
punch, and low notes have a crisper attack.
It’s still recognisably a Martin dreadnought
tone, but to label it as ‘updated’ or
‘modernised’ would be oversimplifying
matters. There’s something more considered
and interesting going on here.
With this Modern Deluxe D-28, Martin
has managed to bolster the mids and even
out the string-to-string response – in a
way that seems quite in vogue – without
losing what we like about the company’s
traditional dreadnought sonic signature. It’s
not excessively bright, the bass is effectively
de-boomed without sacrificing power and
the sustain is remarkable.
Although the D-45 provides a warmer
and mellower playing experience, it
doesn’t mean it sounds more vintage. We’ve
come to associate vintage Martins with
airy and ethereal chime, and of these two
dreadnoughts, the D-28 comes closest to
that. The downside is that plain strings
can sound a touch thin, but in the case of

this D-28, they have real substance. The

D-28 also has a greater tonal range than its

stablemate. It’s that ‘three pickups’ thing

we look for when we move a plectrum from

the area in front of the bridge to the edge

of the soundhole and onto the end of the

fingerboard. We hear three very distinct

sounds and also find that the D-28 has a

greater dynamic range. It will respond to a

gentle touch almost as well as it does to a

heavy right hand.

Where the D-45 reveals its sonic charms

in a subtler and more gradual way, the

Modern Deluxe D-28 exhibits its purpose

immediately – to combine time-honoured

Martin tone with the midrange balance and

livelier response that many contemporary

players prefer. Impressive stuff.

The headstock outline

is classic Martin, while

the 1930s-style script

logo is inlaid abalone

Martin claims Liquidmetal

bridge pins deliver a 4dB

volume boost compared to

plastic, wood and bone

The D-28’s heel

cap is also

flamed maple

REVIEWS

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