The 1930 OM-28 I'll Never Forget

In this business, you'll come across certain instruments that remind you why you started loving guitars in the first place. On these rare occasions, you're 13 again, utterly in awe of a wood box with six strings strapped across it. But that's because you know the machine in your hands is more than that. These guitars feel like a work of magic. They inspire you. They drive you. They push your playing miles beyond what you ever thought was possible.

One of 487 prewar examples, this 1930 Martin OM-28 is among the finest guitars to ever hang on the wall at Telluride Music Co. I feel a deep personal connection to it because it was brought to us by a gentleman named Sandy Munro. For 30 years, Sandy was the owner of the Great Divide Music Co. in Aspen, and he has been a tremendous influence on Colorado's music culture. Sandy's impressive high-end shop was also a tremendous influence on Telluride Music Co. The Great Divide provided my great fiend and mentor Dave Lamb with the inspiration that a similar shop could flourish in Telluride. 

While this guitar was in the shop, it was visited and enjoyed by Billy Gibbons, Bela Fleck, Bill Frisell, Dierks Bentley, Bryan Sutton, Sam Bush, Chris Eldridge, Steve Earle, Noam Pikelny, Maple Byrne, Stephen Mougin, Peter Stroud, Any Goessling, Tim O'Brien, and many other top-level players. All of whom will attest to this guitar's exceptionally refined tone, but none of whom were able to take it home.

It was a great honor to sell this guitar on Sandy's behalf. We know decades of inspiration await its new owner. Guitars like this are why we are in this business.