When Martin refined the dreadnought design in the '30s, they absolutely revolutionized the acoustic guitar. The rosewood and mahogany dreadnoughts produced powerful tone unlike earlier guitars, and their driving sound was better suited for the musicians of the era.
In those days, the Style-28 rosewood dreadnought had iconic Herringbone purfling around the top edge. Since then, that Herringbone trim has known been a sign of robust Martin dreadnought tone, so much so that a good '30s D-28 is often called a "Herringbone."
Martin's Vintage Series recreates the revered prewar specifications with the advantages, precision, and high standards of modern guitar building. The HD-28V is a 14-fret dreadnought with a Sitka Spruce top, East Indian Rosewood back and sides, and of course bold Herringbone around the top. Every detail—including the 1-3/4" nut width, V neck shape, cutthrough saddle, open-back tuners, abalone diamond inlays, etc.—is '30s appropriate, but the build quality is 21st Century C.F. Martin.
In 2011, the HD-28V was an extremely popular model. In those days, the Vintage Series captured much more attention than the Standard Series because the Vintage Series models simply brought more to the table. They were more representative of the Martin tradition and reputation. By 2017, Martin ultimately updated the standard HD-28 to absorb the desirable Vintage Series features. Until then, the only way to get a proper Herringbone dreadnought was to go with the HD-28V.
This 2011 Martin HD-28V shows only minor playwear with no history of repair or issues (see photos). The previous owner upgraded the bridge pins to custom Vintage Bone pins—a classy touch for added clarity and tuning stability. It is set up properly with low action, and it's a great player that will take you wherever you need to go. It includes its original deluxe TKL case.