Martin Custom Shop Expert HD28 Style Birdseye Maple Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar
Martin Custom Shop Expert
Regular price $5,499.00
Unit price per
Martin Guitar Custom Shop Expert Exclusive HD28 Style Birdseye Maple
Tobias Music - Chicago Area’s Premier Custom Shop Expert Dealer
Proud Partner of Martin Guitar for the Past 46 Years.
0% Financing Available (with approved credit) Contact us for details.
Professionally installed pick-up by our Gold Level Guitar Tech Service available. Contact us for options.
Another masterpiece from the luthiers at Martin Custom Shop. A Tobias Music Custom Shop Expert Exclusive. Woods hand selected by our Custom Shop Expert team at the Martin factory. Fall 2024 Tobias Music Custom Shop Expert Series Arriving Now.
This one came out great. On our recent trip to the Martin Custom Shop in Nazareth, PA, we hand-selected some gorgeous Birdseye Maple for the back and sides and paired it with a Sitka Spruce top. We started with the classic HD28 as our base and ended up with a dreadnought that’s truly something special. The Birdseye Maple and Sitka combo gives it a tone that really stands out—definitely different from your usual rosewood or mahogany Martins.
Tone Characteristics
Clarity and Definition - Maple (especially Birdseye) is known for its transparency, meaning the individual notes in chords are very articulate and clean, even under heavy strumming. The high-end will be bright and crisp, with minimal overtones or “woofiness.”
Brightness and Attack - Birdseye maple, like other hard maples, has a fast note attack and a brighter overall sound than rosewood or mahogany. Expect a tone that cuts through the mix, especially in a band setting.
Midrange and Bass Response - The midrange is more neutral or scooped compared to mahogany, and the bass is tight—not boomy or overly resonant. You’ll get punchy lows without the “air-moving” quality of rosewood.
Sitka Spruce Top - Sitka contributes dynamic range, warmth, and balance, helping round out the brightness of the maple. It also adds projection and a broad tonal palette, making the guitar versatile for both strumming and fingerpicking.
Overall Tonal Profile - Crisp, bright, punchy, and very articulate. Well-suited for recording, live performance, and rhythm playing where note separation is key. May lack the complex overtones and deep warmth of rosewood Martins, but compensates with focus and clarity.
Tobias Music Custom Shop Expert Exclusive
- Custom Shop Dreadnought 14-Fret Body
- Premium Birdseye Maple Back and Sides
- Sitka Spruce Top w/ Aging Toner
- Classic Herringbone Top Trim
- Diamonds and Squares (long pattern) Fretboard Inlay
- Ebony Fingerboard and Bridge
- Antique White Binding
- Scalloped 5/16" Bracing
- Bone Bridge Pins w/ Tortoise Dots
- Spacing 1-3/4" x 2-1/8" x 2-5/32"
- Gloss Body / Satin Neck
- Bone Nut and Saddle
- 25.4 Scale
- Martin Molded Hardshell Case
- #2938493
- UPC #729789694629
- C24-048240