Martin may not be the first company that comes to mind when you think of classical guitar builders. Nevertheless, most Martin guitars made prior to 1928 were made for gut strings, even though they don't closely resemble the Spanish tradition of Classical guitars. In 1936, Martin launched the G-series as an attempt to offer a classical option. But while their wide fingerboard, slothead, and 12-fret neck might look convincing, most G-series guitars were X-braced, so they didn't exactly scratch the classical itch. In 1962, Martin launched the C-series as its first earnest attempt to build guitars that could keep up with classical players more familiar with Spanish-made instruments. The 000-28C was the flagship model, and it featured classical-appropriate fan bracing, a wide bridge with rounded ends, 12-frets clear of the body, and 25.4" scale. While the Martin brand has largely relied on the X-bracing innovation since the 1840s, the 000-28C captures the response, dynamics, and volume of handmade instruments built in the Spanish tradition. Nevertheless, its Brazilian Rosewood back and sides and matching Style-28 appointments are decidedly Martin. These guitars were also built with every bit of the commitment to quality and integrity we expect from Martin. Ultimately, only 560 000-28Cs were ever made. In 1966, the model was phased out in favor of the smaller 00-28C, which used less Brazilian Rosewood. Because of that, this wider, deeper-sounding 000 is exceedingly rare. This 1965 Martin 000-28C is in excellent playing and cosmetic condition, but that wasn't always the case! Unfortunately, this one was neglected, and it fell into disrepair over the years. Fortunately, Dave Farmer of Turtle Lake Instruments (Durango, Colorado) completed an extensive restoration of this guitar in 2014. In addition to correcting various structural issues and cosmetic damages, Dave breathed new life, tone, and playability into this old nylon-string. Dave's meticulous work included a neck reset, bridge,reglue, addressing back cracks, repairing a top crack, regluing the separated treble side (some binding damage shows witness there), repairing a fingerboard crack, refretting the neck, as well as various lacquer drop fills. All of the work is nicely photographed and recored on the Turtle Lake Instruments FaceBook page. The result is an excellent player with deep, refined tone. This '65 000-28C produces sound rich in subtlety. It has more resonance and mellowness than the smaller 00. Its tone is smooth and well-balanced with nice sustain. It's a shame that many folks harvest the Brazilian Rosewood on these old classicals because this 000-28C is such a fantastic guitar in its own right. Modern Guardian hardshell case included.
