Description
The Martin HD-28 Spruce & Rosewood Dreadnought in Ambertone is built around one of the most enduring acoustic formulas in the Martin catalog. With its Dreadnought body, spruce top, East Indian rosewood back and sides, herringbone trim, and scalloped bracing, the HD-28 has long appealed to players looking for a powerful acoustic with plenty of depth and projection. This 1933 Ambertone version adds a warm vintage-inspired appearance to that familiar design, making it equally at home in the hands of a traditional flatpicker, singer-songwriter, or player who simply wants a full-bodied acoustic voice.
The solid spruce top is supported by forward-shifted X bracing with Golden Era scalloped spruce braces. At 5/16" wide, the bracing helps give the large Dreadnought body the strong bass response, clear trebles, projection, and harmonic richness associated with the HD-28. Solid East Indian rosewood back and sides add depth and overtone content, giving the guitar a broad tonal range that can handle assertive rhythm work as naturally as more detailed single-note playing. The gloss 1933 Ambertone top is framed by antique white binding and bold herringbone inlay, while the natural gloss rosewood back and sides retain the classic Style 28 character.
Martin's refreshed Standard Series construction brings several thoughtful updates to the playing experience without changing the fundamental identity of the HD-28. The select hardwood neck uses a Golden Era Modified Low Oval profile with a High-Performance Taper, providing a comfortable shape for both chord work and movement across the fingerboard. Its satin finish keeps the neck feeling smooth in the hand, while the 25.4" scale length provides the firm response and string tension many Dreadnought players prefer. The ebony fingerboard measures 1 3/4" at the bone nut and 2 1/8" at the 12th fret, with 20 total frets and abalone Diamonds and Squares Long inlays.
The appointments balance traditional Style 28 details with practical hardware. An ebony Golden Era Modern Belly bridge uses a drop-in compensated bone saddle with a 16" radius and 2 5/32" string spacing. Bone bridge pins with faux tortoise dots complement the faux tortoise pickguard, while nickel open-gear tuners with butterbean knobs provide a traditional look at the headstock. The solid headstock features Martin's square taper and diamond shape, an East Indian rosewood headplate, and a Script Old Style Overlay logo.
Visually, the 1933 Ambertone finish gives this HD-28 a particularly warm and traditional presence. Bold herringbone top inlay is one of the defining details of the HD-28, while the Style 28 multi-stripe rosette, antique white binding, zig-zag back purfling with black stripe, and abalone fingerboard inlays add detail without overwhelming the natural spruce and rosewood construction. It is a familiar Martin aesthetic, but the darker Ambertone top gives this example a distinctive personality.
At Cream City Music, we think the HD-28 remains an easy guitar to understand once you hear what the design is intended to do. The Dreadnought body supplies authority, the spruce and East Indian rosewood combination offers depth and clarity, and the forward-shifted Golden Era scalloped bracing helps give the instrument an open, responsive character. Combined with the updated Golden Era Modified Low Oval neck, traditional herringbone appointments, and 1933 Ambertone finish, this HD-28 is a strong choice for players looking for a classic Martin Dreadnought with thoughtful modern refinements.
Specifications:
- Body Size: D-14 Fret
- Construction: Dovetail Neck Joint
- Top Material: Spruce
- Back Material: East Indian Rosewood
- Side Material: East Indian Rosewood
- Bracing Pattern: Forward-Shifted X Brace
- Brace Shape: Golden Era Scalloped
- Brace Material: Spruce
- Brace Size: 5/16"
- Top Finish: Gloss
- Top Color: 1933 Ambertone
- Back and Sides Finish: Gloss
- Back and Sides Color: Natural
- Binding: Antique White
- Top Inlay Material: Bold Herringbone
- Back Purfling: Zig-Zag with Black Stripe
- Back Inlay Material: Multi-Stripe
- Endpiece: Antique White
- Endpiece Inlay: Multi-Stripe
- Rosette: Style 28 Multi-Stripe
- Neck Material: Select Hardwood
- Neck Shape: Golden Era Modified Low Oval
- Neck Taper: High-Performance Taper
- Neck Finish: Satin
- Neck Color: Dark Mahogany
- Scale Length: 25.4"
- Fingerboard Material: Ebony
- Fingerboard Width at Nut: 1 3/4"
- Fingerboard Width at 12th Fret: 2 1/8"
- Nut Material: Bone
- Number of Frets: 20
- Neck Joins Body At: 14th Fret
- Fingerboard Inlay Style: Diamonds and Squares Long
- Fingerboard Inlay Material: Abalone
- Side Dots: White
- Heelcap: Antique White
- Headstock Shape: Solid with Square Taper and Diamond
- Headplate Material: East Indian Rosewood
- Headplate Logo: Script Old Style Overlay
- Tuning Machines: Nickel Open Gear
- Tuner Knobs: Butterbean
- Bridge Material: Ebony
- Bridge Style: Golden Era Modern Belly with Drop-In Saddle
- Bridge String Spacing: 2 5/32"
- Saddle Material: Compensated Bone
- Saddle Radius: 16"
- Bridge Pin Material: Bone
- Bridge Pin Dots: Faux Tortoise
- Pickguard: Faux Tortoise
- Case Included: Molded Hardshell Case
Sku: HD28AMB
