Even though 00-28s integrate seamlessly into the catalog of other Martin style-28 guitars, the company built only a small handful of them after switching from the original 12-fret body to the 14-fret design around 1934. So the model was essentially released for the first time when it was reintroduced in 2017 (check out our demo of the Standard Series 00-28). This year Martin has added a new version of the instrument to its Modern Deluxe series, and I recently had a chance to check out the 00-28 Modern Deluxe in the Peghead Nation studio. 

Like the Standard Series edition of the model, the 00-28 Modern Deluxe has familiar 14-fret 00 dimensions and is built with Indian rosewood back and sides and a Sitka spruce top. The quality of the woods was the first thing I noticed when I opened the guitar’s case: The rosewood has a rich, deep color, and beautiful grain, and the spruce top (which has been treated with Martin’s Vintage Tone System process) has straight grain and even coloring. The woods used on our demo instrument are among the highest-quality I’ve seen. Martin’s Modern Deluxe models introduce several highly contemporary design elements to the company’s well-established designs. Visually, the most obvious are the maple body binding, abalone side-dots on the fingerboard, abalone Martin logo on the peghead, and gold Waverly tuners. These new elements exist side-by-side with a traditional rosette, long pattern diamonds and square fingerboard inlay, herringbone purfling, etc. But the Modern Deluxe design doesn’t end on the surface. Like the other models in the series, the 00-28 Modern Deluxe has a titanium truss rod, carbon-fiber/wood-sandwich bridge plate, extrahard golden frets, and Martin’s Liquid Metal bridge pins. 

The 00-28 Modern Deluxe is a joy to play and it sounds bigger than its relatively small size would lead you to expect, offering great balance and a focused, rich tonality. The guitar delivers great detail when played fingerstyle, yet its dynamic range has no problem reproducing stronger attacks with a pick. The short scale and contemporary neck profile make the 00-28 Modern Deluxe easy to play, and overall, it would shine as an all-around flattop, a capable studio guitar, or just a fun guitar to play on the couch. If you haven’t experienced a really fine 00, this would be a great place to start!

SPECS: 14-fret 00-size body. Solid Vintage Tone System treated Sitka spruce top. Scalloped Adirondack spruce X-bracing. Solid Indian rosewood back and sides. Genuine mahogany neck with dovetail joint. Ebony fingerboard and bridge. 24.9-inch scale. 1¾-inch nut width. 2⁵/₃₂-inch string spacing at the saddle. Gold Waverly tuning machines. Made in the USA. $4,199 (list). Martinguitar.com

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