Even though the guitar is in astonishingly clean condition for a '48, the finish shows scratches overall and two marks from an old strap -- one on the top and the other on the treble lower side bout. The neck is shiny, the original tuners are barely tarnished. It has a new bone saddle. There is no warping or deflection in the top which has its normal arch of .078". There is a previously repaired pickguard crack that was just filled with glue and not closed up first, so it's black and has poor touchup, but structurally it is ok. There was another crack in the top -- 7 ¼” from the fifth string position on the bridge to the bottom edge of the face, and there is a 1/2” hairline starting from the bottom edge of the face one inch to the treble side of the long repaired crack. The long top crack has been glued and clamped as were very small, very limited cracks in the wood surrounding the soundhole near the fingerboard extension. There is a cosmetic mar more or less over the finish in the lower treble bout of the face and there are, overall, nicks, dings, mars, scratches, belt buckle on the back, nicks on the back of the neck and nicks and scrapes on the headstock. There is glue around many of the braces that underlie the top and glue around the bridge plate. The bridge and end pins are modern replacements. The fingerboard is ebony with 8 mother of pearl dotmarkers; the Brazilian rosewood on the back, sides and headplate is straight-grained and beautiful; the “C F Martin & Co. Est. 1833” gold headstock logo is gleaming, shimmering, bright and strong. This guitar is in quite solidly excellent condition -- it plays comfortably and sounds superlative.

January of 1947 was the last month for herringbone top trim on the D-28 guitar, and Martin’s later 1947 and 1948 D-28s are considered quite similar to the herringbone D-28 of late 1944, when Martin ceased scalloping the braces and dropped the etched diamond fingerboard inlays. In other words, if owning a ‘40s D-28 herringbone with its (up to) $50,000 to $60,000 price tag is stretching it just a little – if you are seeking a guitar whose sound, presence, clarity, aural alacrity, volume and bona fide boisterousness is completely mind-blowing, a guitar that Martin built a total of only 427 in 1948, a guitar whose model and year rarely turns up for sale and in which condition you just about never see them (this guitar is spectacularly clean compared to most) then this, mon ami, is precisely the guitar for you. This one’s $14,429 or at our cash discount price $13,995.

AVALON SECTION: We presently have a notable selection of new Avalon guitars.
The interesting thing is that, since prices of instruments made in Ireland, the UK and Europe have risen so dramatically in the past year, these are considerably under priced by comparison to what new Avalon guitars sell for. For example, our L-32 below is priced at $2712 at the Cash Discount Price, and a new one is, um, $4,950. At these much lower prices ours comprise quite a deal. Please email or call us at 718 981 8585 and order yours now.