I'm in the preliminary stages of looking for one. Need to sell my 2014 Martin D-18 with adirondack top first before getting into it. Will probably list that here before listing on the guitar boards.

Research is showing me they're around $6,500 or so for the 1967-1969 (last year). Price obviously depends on condition. Would like it to be all original but properly repaired cracks are not an issue to me.

Is the Brazilian rosewood worth it over the Indian rosewood?

I already have a 2003 D-28 that is broken in really well and I'm thinking I like rosewood over mahogany.

Any recommendations on vendors? Would definitely be looking at vendors over personal sales. Some vendors I've looked at are Elderly, Retro Fret and Gruhn's.

Try Carter's. They typically will retain their value. Necks can vary by year. As for the $, you are also paying a premium for the age and collector's value as the wood is very limited today and Martin will no longer make a Standard with it.

And you really want to explore UMGF if you have not already.

Try Elderly Instruments,ask for Stan Werby. Tell him that Sid, formerly the manager at Herb David's Guitars in Ann Arbor sent you. Tell him that you want an early 1960s D-28/HD-28 with Brazilian Rosewood back and sides. Stan and his crew at Elderly will set you up just right. They are good people and are trustworthy dealers.
-Sid

Try here- They have Martin’s
[url=https://www.dreamguitars.com/shop/instruments/guitars/steel-string-guitars.html]https://www.dreamguitars.com/s...-string-guitars.html[/url

https://www.dreamguitars.com/s...a-spruce-234436.html

Here's mine, it was my first Martin purchased in late 69'. The Brazilian Rosewood was gorgeous and had an awesome luster when polished. I've owned a few 35's since and honestly miss that 28. It was the best sounding and resonating guitar I've owned. Whenever I first added new strings the first strum would ring like angel wings. Best sounding Martin I ever owned. This snap was at a jam with my friend Tim who would open the studio at PBS channel 2 in Miami where at the time he was a producer and director. We had free reign of all the studio and soundboards, mixers, etc.

The main staff would often keep some of the tracks we did and use them as background music when needed. Tim had a 59' D-18 that was magical sounding, it was 1970, so I was 18yrs old a beach bum during the day.

My later Martins the D-35 and HD-35 never sounded as good but great guitars nonetheless. I'll never know if it was the Brazilian wood or not but that guitar was incredible sounding!

Thanks for posting that memory, Will!

You're welcome, it's all I have left these days to share, just great memories.

My dads is a 67 or 68 D18 he bought with his army separation money in 1969. He was playing in church for years and for some insane reason he had an amp plug installed. So it could be plugged into the church speakers. Still sounds amazing but I think he destroyed most of the value.

quote:

Originally posted by Oz_Shadow:
Try Carter's.

And you really want to explore UMGF if you have not already.

They have some nice guitars at Carter's. Never heard of them until now.

I have been on UMGF but I wanted to check here first because, you know, this is a cool group of people here.

Will,

Do you still have that first Martin?

quote:

Originally posted by ElToro:
My dads is a 67 or 68 D18 he bought with his army separation money in 1969. He was playing in church for years and for some insane reason he had an amp plug installed. So it could be plugged into the church speakers. Still sounds amazing but I think he destroyed most of the value.

I do not believe he did. It's really taping some electronics inside and just enlarging the end pin and that doesn't affect the guitar structurally.

I have two Martins - both with Rosewood necks

I wish mine were vintage

I played several and found the rosewood neck to just feel 'smoother'

quote:

Originally posted by Edmond:
Will,

Do you still have that first Martin?

Yea Ed I wished, I tried to hold on to my guitars as long as possible until the next best greatest came along and usually traded. Foolish now looking back. I eventually was coerced by my shop buddies into trading it in for a D-35. Some player convinced me that the 3-piece back had a better sound Over a period I just couldn't buy that and the traded that D-35 for an HD-35 that they just got in the shop and I couldn't resist the hype so I sold mine and bought this new one. In the end though, my early D-28 was the best sounding guitar and some lucky dude has an awesome playing and sounding Martin. This is all I have left my receipt for the HD-35, the herringbone trim and woods used made it a beautiful guitar but just didn't have that soul of my D-28. That will always be a sore spot getting rid of that. In those earlier years many of us traded guitars like playing cards!

That's why I won't get rid of my D-28. It's a 2003 but has been played plenty to be broken in.

I should have bought a BRW D-28 in 2014 when I was returning from my second deployment. But I decided to buy a new D-18 with adirondack top and split the cost of a same guitar for a good friend. That asshole ended up smashing his because he's fucking psycho. Should've just saved my money, each guitar was $2,500.

I think we all have guitars we regret selling. One, believe it or not, was a not so expensive Epiphone Les Paul 100 that sounded awesome through this Marshall valvestate amp I had.

I was auditioning D-28's from the late 50's - 60's back in the early nineties. Visited every respectable shop and followed every lead I could find within about 150 miles searching for the right one over a 2 year period. Made plans to travel to Gruhn's more than once, but never put it together. Considered trying to order a new Dreadnaught from Wayne Henderson, but just impossible to get one even then. The Martins I found that had "the sound" and were free of structural issues and not cosmetically challenged were just out of the budget. Anything over $4K was painful, and $6-7 K minimum was what it was going to take even back then.

While looking I stumbled on a new ninety four D-41 that was head and shoulders better than any new Martin I had every heard or played, and after 2 decades of declining standards, in my eyes it was proof Martin was back and recommitted to building truly great guitars. It had more bling that I was interested in, but because if the sound I plunked down $2600, and took it to Steve Peck, a highly respected luthier and authorized Martin repair shop for set up and to replace the saddle and nut with bone. When I returned to pick it up, Steve couldn't stop talking about how impressed he was with it - sound, playability, construction quality and wood grain and grade. We spent almost an hour playing it and comparing it to the best vintage Martins in his shop, even a couple of pre-war classics and it held it's own despite it's young age.

26 years later it's opened up quite a bit, and though it doesn't have the true well worn vintage vibe, it's a joy to play to to hear others play. Maybe a small bit of regret it's not Brazilian, yes, but realistically, at my age, I'm not sure I could hear the difference anymore.

Few weeks ago I dropped off my D-28 at the luthier to get some binding glued back on. When I went to pick it up, he said to me, "you know you can leave this here with me. This is what a Martin guitar should sound like. They don't make them like this anymore." It was a huge compliment.

I have noticed that the 12 string D-35s are quite affordable. I wonder why. But I also realize a 12 string seems to be a guitar you use for specific songs.

I have been looking for the same. Back in 1963 when I was 15, I bought a Gibson J50 for 250 and made monthly payments of 18.00. I thought the D28s were just too extravagant for me. Dang do I regret that. Still got the Gibson and it sounds pretty good.

I have a 73 D35 Martin that sounds really good. It’s a boomer. I’d love to compare it side by side to a pre 69 D28. Any old Brazilian Rosewood Martin I’ve heard sounded wonderful.

My Dad has a 1963 D28. Is it worth it over Indian for the sound, probably not. But value-wise, maybe. Prices on vintage Martins are actually pretty low right now compared to the last few years.

He also has a newer D41 and of course the 28 is mellower. It's the age, imo, and probably not as much the wood species. And of course, I love the brightness of newer Martins.

I WISH I had vintage Brazilian Martin. They are something else.

Is anyone still looking for a vintage Brazilian rosewood Martin? My sister is selling my Dad’s. It is signed by both Martins and we have an authentication letter from Martin. Limited edition D28V made in 1984.