1999 Martin HD-28LSV - Large Soundhole Vintage - Adirondack Spruce - w/OHSC
For your consideration, a 1999 Martin HD-28LSV Large Soundhole Vintage with the original hardshell case. These are special guitars, and this is a particularly clean early example from the Adirondack-topped years.
The HD-28LSV was Martin’s production tribute to the famous prewar large-soundhole D-28 associated with Clarence White and later Tony Rice. You get the oversized soundhole, scalloped bracing, herringbone trim, bound ebony fingerboard without the usual face dots, 1 3/4" nut, long saddle, Indian rosewood back and sides, and — importantly on these early examples — an Adirondack spruce top. Only 1,087 HD-28LSVs were built over the model’s roughly eight-year run, and just 127 were produced in 1999. They do not exactly grow on trees.
And this one sounds like a cannon. It throws a serious amount of sound, with huge projection, quick response, strong fundamentals, and plenty of horsepower when you lean into it. Of course it does. Look at the recipe.
This guitar has low miles and remains 100% original. There are no dings through the finish, no cracks, no signs of abuse, and no evidence of previous repair work. Fretwear is minimal and does not affect intonation or playability. The tuners show some normal tarnish, but nothing unusual for the age.
The neck is straight, and the guitar is fully playable with what we would call textbook bluegrass action. There is plenty of saddle height remaining, and the saddle itself appears untouched. The bridge is securely attached, the braces are tight, and the top is behaving exactly as it should with no excessive belly.
Then there is the top.
Early HD-28LSVs have developed an extra layer of mythology because some were built with red spruce harvested from the Smoky Mountains by John Arnold and Ted Davis. Those “Smokies tops” have become particularly desirable among Martin nerds because of the limited supply, the story behind the wood, and their connection to this important early period of Martin’s modern use of Adirondack spruce.
This guitar immediately sent us down that rabbit hole. Visually, the top has many of the characteristics people traditionally point toward when discussing Smokies spruce: darker and reddish streaking, extremely tight grain, a little curl, visible silking, and a beautiful golden color that has deepened with age. It certainly looks the part.
We contacted Martin directly with the serial number and photographs. Martin confirmed that the guitar was built with Adirondack spruce, but unfortunately the surviving records do not identify the specific source of the top used on this individual guitar.
We then reached out to John Arnold himself. After reviewing detailed photographs and comparing the top with known examples, John’s opinion was that this particular guitar is not one of the Smokies tops, but it admittedly gave him a difficult time coming to that conclusion.
So we are not selling it as one.
What we are selling is a remarkably clean, 100% original 1999 Adirondack-topped HD-28LSV with a spectacular piece of spruce, from one of the most desirable periods of this already uncommon model. The research story is still a fun part of the guitar, and all of our correspondence with Martin and John Arnold will be printed and included with it, along with the official specification sheet Martin supplied for the model.
Whether that spruce grew on one mountain or another ultimately stops mattering pretty quickly once you hit the first big open G chord. This guitar is alive, loud, responsive, and exactly why the early HD-28LSVs have such a devoted following.
The original Martin hardshell case is included, complete with a cool old bluegrass radio sticker, along with the Martin documentation and our correspondence regarding the top.
Available for a test drive in our Jamestown, Kentucky showroom, and we ship worldwide. Let us know if you have any questions.
Weight: 4lbs 7oz