[SteveFord]

This time I got smart (for a change) and went to check out the guitar in person so I could loosen the strings and bring it back in my truck.
 I ended up with a really nice 2006 HD-28V which has a different tint to the front, open tuners and a V-profile neck which is a bit stouter than the regular 28 neck.
 After adjusting the truss rod, filing the saddle down a fair amount, fitting medium D'Addario strings and giving it a general spiff up, I've got a keeper.
It 0nly took 41 years of thinking about owning a Martin but I finally did it! I should have done this years ago.
 It was nice to buy from an enthusiast instead of some giant chain store or a flipper on eBay and the guitar is pretty much unused. Some swirl marks and stuff but other than that, it's as new.

 A happy ending.

[dflee]

The different tint is due to age, or in this case non-age. As she gets older she will get that beautiful tint.
Next set of strings you might want to go with medium-light (easier on the neck and on the fingers). I use lights on my 74.
That there geetar is a beute. Play the hell out of it and she will just get better and better. Don't use any of those j-hook
stands cause they will leave a mark where the rubber touches the body. Don't ask how I know this.

Don

[SteveFord]

I'm told that Martin used a tinted nitro topcoat for this model to give it that vintage look right off the bat but the fellow who told me that wasn't 100% sure.
Yes, you've got to wrap those stupid stands in cotton or else you'll get a burn mark.  How stupid is that?  Sorry to hear your guitar got marked like that.  I've bought a few that have had those stand marks.  You'd think the stand manufacturers would have faced a class action lawsuit by now. 
At any rate, thanks, I plan on putting a lot of time on this one!
P.S.
I think the seller took pity on me after hearing about my first one showing up and then the neck cracking and then the eBay seller refusing to do anything whatsoever to help me with a damage claim.  It all worked out but it sure was stressful. 

[dflee]

Still won't compare for what's to come. The nitro just gives it a little bit of a head start.
That baby will look awesome. Wait till she becomes drinking age. Play well my friend.

[SteveFord]

Correction, I do have light strings on it (.012-.053).  I guess I should have looked at the box first before posting.
I'm looking forward to seeing how it changes as it ages.  Looking at the frets this guitar wasn't played hardly at all and then only open chords. 
These guitars ring like nothing else I've ever heard, they're really impressive.  We're going to take a trip up to the Martin factory for the tour.  I lived 20 miles away for 20 years and never went but now it's time to make the pilgrimage.
Have you posted any pics of your guitar?  If not, would you mind doing so?

[steve in jersey]

Yes, whatever lacquer Martin decided to"mix up" for this "vintage" of D-28 has a bit of "tint"to it. Unfinished East Indian Rosewood has a bit
of a "purplish" tint to it (it really does'nt have those warm brown hues it has until the finish goes on).

I'm not a big fan of "Unenclosed" Tuning Gears. Were it myself I would change those out to some high quality Schallers(or similar; possibly
w/ Ebony buttons on them). I always thought it was kind of a shame that the edge binding was'nt real Maple(I'm nitpicking ,but "Ivoroid"(SP?) binding is slightly out of place on a "handbuilt" instrument)

So I'm guessing you did'nt want to spring the extra $$$ for a D-45 (He,he,he... Now that would really take a bite out of your Audio equipment money)

Congratulations on this great instrument "score" & enjoy it ! (When can we expect info on recording session releases ?)

[jackman]

Nice guitar!  Also, I'm glad ebay took care of the previous one. Those types of stories always scare me. 

I've got a reissue Martin D18V and love it. The HD28 was a guitar I played and considered when I bought mine. The tuners are fine, but if you ever replace them, Waverly would be my recommendation.  Stew Mac also carries Grover 18:1 tuners for around $40 that are a step up from stock.  My stock tuners do the job and look cool.

The V neck is very cool once you get used to it, and the toner gives the top a nice vintage look. I'm a big fan of Martin reissues but remember to keep the guitar well humidified, but not too much.  Dryness is your enemy and I'm thankful for my whole house humidifier. 

The medium light strings you have are as heavy as I'd go on that guitar. I'm using Elixir strings at the moment and they sound pretty good and hold up well. Good luck and keep us posted on the progress of the guitar and your playing. It will only get better with age...assuming it doesn't crack!

[SteveFord]

I'll try to keep an eye on the humidity levels, I'm waiting for a Martin case humidifier to show up early next week.
If the tuners ever gave me grief I'd go with Waverly but I like the open back look. 

[jackman]

Waverly tuners look exactly like the ones that come with Martin guitars. They have lifetime warrantees and are made in Montana. They have other models with wood knobs and various finishes. Expensive but there are none better:

http://www.stewmac.com/SiteSearch/Waverly.html

[SteveFord]

Thanks for the link!

[bside123]

The Martin HD-28 is a beautiful guitar. I have one of the very early, first batch reissues that was manufactured in 1976. Now pushing 40 years old, the guitar has aged well. Classic and honey-colored, the guitar sounds and rings true like a piano. The early reissues came with Grover tuners and had no truss rod. I had a luthier install a truss rod in the neck many years ago. Works like a charm. Enjoy the guitar and play it a lot!

[SteveFord]

I got up stupidly early, put on some D'Addario .10s, filed the saddle down a little bit more, adjusted the truss rod and all is good.
A few 1000 hours of playing time and it will really come into it's own.

[SteveFord]

For anyone who's interested, I went back to .12s about two weeks ago as my finger strength increased and now, nearly a month later, the width of an acoustic no longer feels totally foreign. 
It's really difficult to make the transition from electric to acoustic guitar.

[hibuckhobby]

Hard for me to go acoustic to electric.  It's hard to learn the lighter touch...tend to bend
The strings just grabbing the chord too hard.
Regards,
hibuck...