martin hd28e

bobbyg67 · #1 03-05-2021, 07:49 AM

anyone own a newer martin hd28e? from 2018 up and whats your take on it?

bobbyg67 · #2 03-05-2021, 10:14 AM

guess nobody has one.

kentwinterton · #3 03-05-2021, 03:44 PM

So I have a 2018 HD28e. I bought it as a backup for my D35. I really like it. It has great tone and playability. The action seems a little high and I just haven't got it adjusted but still plays fine. I play it through a Loudbox system and it sounds great.

bobbyg67 · #4 03-05-2021, 03:51 PM

which pickup do you have. fishman or baggs anthem?

neilca · #5 03-05-2021, 07:51 PM

My instructor has a 2019 with the Fishman pickups. Sounds great and he loves it. I have played it...

Macpage · #6 03-05-2021, 08:11 PM

I do not own one, but I did play a new one recently while shopping. It was an excellent representative sample with expected build quality and loads of the Martin tone one would expect for this model. It would be an easy recommendation for someone looking for a dread with this tone. I have a Japanese Martin clone, and this HD-28 was exactly what I hear at home just with more bass! It is classic Martin dread.

The action on this one was very comfortable, and it's overall playability was excellent in my opinion. I didn't have any issue with the MLO neck/HP taper neck. This particular guitar was my daughter's favorite of all the ones we played. I think she stated it was "way cool". Not sure if this is a positive or negative.

I would happily provide a home for one. I'm sure some of the Martin dread owners will give you more details.

Best,

Mac

EZYPIKINS · #7 03-06-2021, 02:57 AM

Just curious Macpage. If you are not sure what Way Cool is. What time and part of the world do you come from? Or are you thinking of back in the 60's when BAD meant good.

jsanfilippo5 · #8 03-06-2021, 09:53 AM

I have a 2020 hd28e, excellent sounding guitar. When playing unplugged it has a warm tone. It can whisper or get really meaty without running out of headroom. One of the best guitar I have for recording. In fact, when playing it unplugged it sounds kind of like a nice eq'd guitar recording to my ears.

Plugged in it has the fishman Aura enhance. It really Sounds good plugged in to my audio interface but still has that undersaddle pickup tone. I havent had a chance to use it live - But I have played it through some amps in the store and it sounded really good through a fishman loudbox that I tried. I do like that on the newer hd28e models there on no controls cut through the body of the guitar - I also love that the battery compartment is at the end pin so you dont have to go inside the guitar to change a battery.

I bought this guitar mainly becasue out of the hD28;s they had in stock it sounded the best - I wanst overly interested in the pickup and figured it would be a bonus or could always be yanked out..

Here is a quick scratch track I recorded with HD-28E for my singer to sing along with to learn the tune. I had to cut some bass on the recording when adding the cajon, and never added any back - but its a good sound none the less.

Macpage · #9 03-06-2021, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EZYPIKINS

Just curious Macpage. If you are not sure what Way Cool is. What time and part of the world do you come from? Or are you thinking of back in the 60's when BAD meant good.

I was just joking noting that perhaps to some of us older folks a youngster's perception of cool might not always line up with our own, but it's hard to argue the coolness of a Martin dread to any generation.

Now, when she says I have to listen to some new internet artist's song that's "cool", I have learned to be a bit skeptical! I guess if I want to remain relevant with the youngsters I should relax my interpretation of "cool".

I do come from the time where "bad" was good and used the term a lot. However, as I have gotten older, it seems bad is just really plain old bad.

Best,

Mac