Martin Guitars Custom Shop 000-28

Sonic Evaluation

What makes a Martin magic is its capacity to inspire creativity, and this Custom Shop 000-28 has plenty of fairy dust! When I first sat down with it, my fingers found an old fingerstyle doodle I've been messing with for years but never finished, and I finally found the missing piece (it needed to go to the dominant seven on the II chord!). That really speaks to this serial's capacity to spark new ideas and freshen up old ones, and how its powerful, versatile voice makes you want to embark on acoustic adventures.

Overall, it has a voice reminiscent of an old Martin with Brazilian rosewood back and sides--the Madagascar back and sides on this baby really are quite close to the real thing. The lows have that deep, warm, piano-like boom, and the highs have that iconic gorgeous sparkling overtone presence. That contrast between the sunny, jangly highs and the muscular, powerful lows is a big part of what makes this serial delightful. It's pretty, but it can also punch you in the face! The attack is percussive with a good amount give give, capturing your the details of your attack with crystalline fidelity before whooshing into full-bodied resonance.

I enjoyed playing this guitar immensely with my fingers and with a pick. It's a wonderfully dynamic fingerstyle guitar, and it works beautifully for strumming. I have no doubt it will inspire you as much as it inspired me when I sat down with it this morning!

Versatility Incarnate

Wildwoodians, we are proud to present this absolute all-terrain vehicle from our friends at Martin Custom! This Wildwood Spec 000-28 excels as a strummer and as a fingerstyle guitar, and it will handle business in a wide variety of musical contexts with great aplomb. The magic starts with the Adirondack spruce top, which gives this guitar oodles of headroom, plenty of volume, and superb articulation. Also, the top has undergone Martin's Vintage Tone System treatment. What's VTS, you ask? Well, it's a chemical process by which the wood is treated with heat to make it mimic the cellular structure of the wood in old Martins, which imparts a bit of old-school woody warmth to the guitar's tone. It also helps temper the massive overtone presence of the Madagascar rosewood back and sides, resulting in a balanced yet full-bodied tone that fills the room without sounding tubby. The only thing this musical ATV can't do is take a jump on a dirt track at 45 miles per hour (although you should film that if you try it!). We invite you to take it for a spin and enjoy the ride!