Back to navigation


A Golden Age Refresh to Martin’s Satin-finished D-28





This article was


Written By





Our Product Research Team





Get to know them!





If there’s a single Martin dreadnought by which all others are judged, it’s undoubtedly the Martin D-28. Its legacy stretches all the way back to 1931, and it’s spent the last century defining the very sound of a steel-string dreadnought guitar on countless rock, country, bluegrass, and pop records. Martin’s refreshed D-28 Satin turns back the clock to the model’s most cherished vintage era, returning several key features to their prewar specs and introducing a selection of performance-minded enhancements. Most importantly, the refreshed D-28 Satin’s solid spruce top now boasts Golden Era forward-shifted X-bracing to maximize its response and provide guitarists with a livelier and more resonant feel. A set of rosewood back and sides then complements the top with complex overtones, shimmering highs, and the D-28 Satin’s signature booming low-end wallop. Plus, the select hardwood neck’s GE Modified Low Oval profile and 1.75-inch nut width are geared to please high-speed flatpickers, fingerstyle pros, and couch strummers alike with its fast and comfortable feel. Topped off with several other Standard series refresh upgrades, including a thinner beveled ebony fingerboard and a sleek vintage heel, the refreshed Martin D-28 Satin more than lives up to its legend and is ready to provide generations of guitarists with what many Sweetwater guitarists hail as the definitive dreadnought guitar experience.





Related Videos: D-28 Satin Standard Series Acoustic Guitar - Satin Natural Aging Toner (2025)





NOW PLAYING:


Martin’s 2025 Standard Series Acoustic Guitars | What’s New?





NAMM 2025: Martin’s New Acoustic Guitars for 2025





Interview with Chris Martin from Martin Guitar Co.


Ultra-light satin finish





While the mighty D-28 is most often seen sporting a high-gloss nitrocellulose finish, this particular dreadnought is finished in a smooth, sleek satin finish. The difference is mainly down to your personal tastes and aesthetic affinities, but many acoustic guitar players believe that a satin finish can improve a guitar’s tone. By their very nature, satin finishes are almost always lighter than a full gloss, so the thinking goes that the less finish applied to an instrument, the more the wood is allowed to resonate. We’ll let you decide what to believe, but one strum of the Martin D-28 Satin certainly makes an impressive case for the sonic benefits of a satin finish!





Serial M2923076


Serial M2923076


Timeless tonewood formula





Since the dawn of the dreadnought guitar, spruce and rosewood have reigned supreme as a truly iconic tonewood combination. And while the Martin D-28 can’t claim credit for inventing the formula, its incalculable influence is arguably why the spruce-topped, rosewood-bodied dreadnought still stands today as one of the most popular and archetypical designs in the steel-string world. Martin’s refreshed D-28 carries on this time-tested tradition, starting with a resonant and responsive solid spruce top. Underneath the top, Martin’s Golden Era forward-shifted X-bracing recalls the booming bass drawl of the brand’s legendary prewar models. It’s all topped off with a set of rosewood back and sides that shimmer with crisp top-end chime, dense lows, and a rich harmonic depth that imbues your every note with harmonic complexity.





Setting the standard for steel strings everywhere





If there were such a thing as a “standard” acoustic guitar shape, it would undoubtedly be the dreadnought. It’s Martin’s most iconic model and a key component to the cannon-like projection and booming bass response that’s defined the Nazareth sound since the D-18 and D-28 appeared in the early 1930s ? and even earlier if you count Martin’s “Ditson” models! Whether you’re a flatpicking bluegrass phenom or a singer/songwriter strummer, a Martin dreadnought will provide you with a lifetime’s worth of superior steel-string tone.





Serial M2923076


Serial M2923076


Standard series: revisiting timeless Martin tradition





Considering the storied history of Martin’s acoustic guitar engineering and building practices, there’s no question that the company’s iconic models stand firm as the backbone of American steel-string instrument design. With this sentiment top of mind, Martin presents the refreshed Standard series: a lineup dedicated to reviving the looks and tone of the brand’s golden-era vintage models while introducing a complex set of modern performance enhancements. The result is a comprehensive update to Martin’s most revered range of instruments, combining tonal authenticity with the comfort and versatility of a contemporary instrument. Across-the-board changes include remarkably responsive GE (Golden Era) bracing, thinner fingerboards with beveled edges, a slick vintage-style heel, angled nuts, and GE belly bridges equipped with bone or ebony bridge pins. What’s more, the refreshed standard series introduces a fresh new trio of Martin models back into the fold, including the iconic 000-17, D-17, and OM-45. Refreshed with a plethora of musician-requested features, the Standard series harnesses the power of these legendary acoustics and takes center stage once again.





Martin D-28 Satin Standard Features:


A refresh to Martin’s satin-finished Standard series D-28, bringing several key specs back in line with the company’s golden-era models


Solid spruce top supported by Golden Era forward-shifted X-bracing supplies massive unplugged punch and projection, along with a truly touch-sensitive response


Solid rosewood back and sides deliver a deep and rich character with shimmering overtones, powerful low end, and clarity-packed highs


Big-bodied Martin dreadnought design ensures ample, chest-thumping bass response


Easy-playing select hardwood neck, capped with a slick satin finish and carved into Martin’s GE Modified Low Oval neck profile


Sleek 16-in.-radius ebony fingerboard with traditional Style 28 inlays


Nickel open-gear tuners preserve pitch-perfect stability and grant a touch of old-school charm


Premium bone nut and compensated saddle, along with an ebony bridge and bone bridge pins


Additional Standard series refresh features include a thinner fingerboard with comfortably beveled edges, a vintage-style heel, and an angled nut


Traditional Style 28 appointments include crisp white binding, a multi-stripe rosette, and a faux tortoiseshell pickguard


1.75-in. nut width is slim enough for strummers and wide enough to accommodate fingerpickers