Up for sale, a 1929 Martin 00-28 in excellent condition, with a gorgeous Adirondack spruce top and solid Brazilian rosewood back and sides. A sweet, nuanced, and powerful instrument that delivers on the promise of everything a Pre-War Martin should be, this 00-28 has great note definition and body. The string to string separation and note clarity is phenomenal, and the guitar responds well to everything from the lightest fingerpicking to the most authoritative strum. There's a bit of boom to the low end, and an even vibration to the whole instrument in your lap even with a modest strum. 

Whether you seek a guitar with great percussive cut and bark when strummed authoritatively or sweetness, and bell-like top end when fingerpicked, there are few guitars that can achieve the range of this 00-28. It's truly a miniature orchestra, with wooly warmth and soft, pillowy sounds when you strum above the fretboard, maximum power at the front edge of the soundhole, more top end zing at the rear of the soundhole and sparkling snap as you get closer to the bridge. The tonalities of this guitar are very distinct and the shades and colors it can produce are staggering. The guitar has been professionally setup and strung with Thomastik Plectrum 12-59 strings.

The mahogany neck features a prominent V profile with fairly slender depth and an ebony fretboard with small, split-diamond inlays. The neck profile has been worn down to the smooth, bare mahogany as well. The fretboard has been partially refretted from frets 1-8, with slender bar fretwire that perfectly matches the original frets further up the neck. These frets have been leveled and crowned, currently showing no wear. The action sits at 1/8" on the bass side measured at the 12th fret, and a very comfortable 1/16" on the treble side measured at the same fret. The original 1 7/8" wide nut is present, as are the original open-back Grover tuning machines. These tuners have their original buttons with the exception of the A and G tuners which also have vintage buttons, but aren't part of the original set (to be clear all tuners are stock, but two of the white buttons are not). The tuner peg holes were at one time opened up for larger shafts and subsequently plugged. The back of the headstock hides these plugs well, but the face does show the silhouette of the plugs around the shafts of the original Grovers.

The body features an older replacement pyramid style ebony bridge that could almost pass for original (the shaping is excellent) and the bridge sits flush with the top with minimal deflection and plenty of saddle height as well. The neck has been reset in the guitar's lifetime and currently meets the body at the ideal angle, showing light, targeted overspray on the heel. 

While the bridge plate is a modern replacement, the braces are all original and the top is crack-free! There's a bit of older light overspray on the top, really only notable in the deep grooves in the pick path across the original tortoise pickguard. The Brazilian rosewood back is also very clean, with only one slender 1" repaired crack on the treble side parallel with the grain near the lower bout's widest point.

On the bass side of the body there is a professionally repaired crack running from the widest point of upper bout to a couple inches from rear strap button. A smaller crack also runs parallel from the bass side waist to widest point of lower bout, and there's a third 1” crack parallel with the others nearer to the rear strap button. There is targeted touchup in this area where these cracks were all addressed, and the guitar is structurally sound. Lastly, there are two repaired cracks emanating from either side of the endpin.

Cosmetically, this guitar shows its fair share of nicks, dings, scuffs, and wear in the pick path from honest use over the past nearly 90 years, and as such it's a guitar that really has a defined voice from being constantly played. We've carefully gone over every inch of this guitar to ensure structural integrity, originality, and optimal tone.

A modern hardshell case is included.

Check out our shop "Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar," and please let us know if we can answer any questions!

Shipping in the continental USA will be $190, fully insured through both Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar and the shipper, and sent via FedEx One-Day. We will happily ship WORLDWIDE, but please contact us for an accurate international shipping quote before bidding or buying, as cost varies by buyer location.

International orders will be declared as “merchandise,” and the value of merchandise will be declared as the amount paid. We cannot declare anything as a gift or for a lesser value. No exceptions! The customer is responsible for all taxes and duty, which may be collected upon delivery, as well as any additional charges involved with import.

We do our best to describe all items with honesty and accuracy, but to be sure, please contact us with any questions or concerns prior to bidding or buying. We require payment within 48 hours of auction end. In the unlikely event of a return, buyer pays all shipping costs. Your positive feedback and five star ratings are very important to us, and we appreciate your communication in resolving any issues!