An estimated 52 14-fret D-28s were made in 1934 by the Martin factory in Nazareth, PA. 1934 was the first year for the 14-fret D-28, and this guitar is a survivor in the truest form. This example's serial number was stamped on September 13, 1934 and cleared inspection on October 11th, 1934 making it the 45th 14-fret D-28 made and the second-to-last with bar frets and ebony neck support. The craftsmanship on professional grade Martin models, like this "28" style, is unrivaled by any other guitar maker in flattop history; owning a Pre-war D-28 carries its weight in both the collectors' and players' world as a pinnacle.
The story goes that this particular guitar's original owner was an aviator and the D-28 was bought by his parents to learn on, although he never did as his passions lay with airplanes. The original family sold it to Martin's head of customer service Les Wagner in the mid 1970's, who then sold it to David Musselwhite, then consigned at Mandolin Brothers to come into ownership of a collector in Australia for 35 years, and finally back to the U.S.A. in 2023.
This example features a tight-grained Adirondack Spruce top, straight-grained Brazilian Rosewood back and sides, and a Mahogany neck with an 1 3/4" nut width ebony fingerboard. Simply, these materials were hand chosen for the finest models and materials of this grade have not been available for many years. The German made herringbone binding is a work of art with extremely tight tolerances.
A clean neck reset and bar fret refret was preformed by TJ Thompson in 2023. The reglued ebony bridge appears to have been unshaved (which is often found as a way to prolong the need for a neck reset). The bridge plate is original and has had a minimal maple/glue reinforcement to the holes to keep the ball ends from riding up into the plate. All of the finish is original, passes the blacklight test, and has subtle signs that it was lovingly played over many years. Maybe most remarkably of all, the guitar is crack free.
14-fret D-28s are a flat pickers guitar of choice, and this first year example exhibits why. It is open and resonant, thanks to its forward shifted scalloped bracing. Like a true museum grade piece of American history, the original bridge pins are still a full set and in full function. One strum and you will understand why this exact model and specifications revolutionized the way guitars were made. We estimate this to be the finest/truest to production form 1934 D-28 in existence.
Comes with the original hardshell case.
