Sunday, October 30, 2016

1991 Marlboro Martin D28

This is what I believe to be a 1991 Marlboro Martin D28. I got it from a friend who got it intending to learn to play but he gave it to me after it sat a couple of months. There are a lot of contradictory stories about the origins of this guitar, including one that believes that they are made from Martin parts that did not pass QA. One thing they all pretty much agree on is that the Marlboro cigarette company offered these guitars as a reward for a combination of Marlboro miles and $50 and they came with a gig bag.  From the internet, it appears that they may have had several manufacturers and none of them had labels of any kind. Some were good, some not so good. Mine is one of the good ones. I once had a Martin D-35 and would like to get another one someday. This guitar is the reason I have not. I have played it with real Martins and there is a very slight difference, but not enough for me to spend $3K for a label on the headstock. This is my fifth guitar.

Features:

Solid Spruce Top
Mahogany Sides and Back
Rosewood Fingerboard with Mother of Pearl position markers
Rosewood Bridge
Originally plastic nut and saddle - now bone

Specifications:

Scale Length:                25 ½ inches
Nut Width:                    1 11/16 inches
Total Length:                41 inches
Body Length:                19 ¾ inches
Upper Bout Width:       11 ¾ inches
Lower Bout Width        15 ½ inches

Body Depth:                  4 ¾ inches






1 comment:

  1. I have one of these in my collection. They're made from some species of laminated Rosewood back and sides with a solid Sitka Spruce top. A copy of Martin's D28, except the Martins are all solid wood. I've read that they were made by Sigma Guitars in their factory in Indonesia. I picked mine up for a $100 at auction and then refurbished it. It's quite a bargain for the $100 price tag.

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