Sale - Check out New, Used and B-stock deals!


1938 Martin D-28 Herringbone - front
Click image to enlarge
1938 Martin D-28 Herringbone - front 1938 Martin D-28 Herringbone - front close up 1938 Martin D-28 Herringbone - angle 1938 Martin D-28 Herringbone - bridge 1938 Martin D-28 Herringbone - back 1938 Martin D-28 Herringbone - back close up 1938 Martin D-28 Herringbone - heel 1938 Martin D-28 Herringbone - headstock 1938 Martin D-28 Herringbone - back of headstock and tuners

Appearance of new instruments may vary slightly unless Serial Number is listed



Martin Acoustic Guitars - 1938 D-28 Herringbone


SOLD - Contact us for more options

This vintage 1938 Martin D-28 Herringbone acoustic is the big neck, forward-shifted, X-braced dreadnought that all others are judged by. The quarter-sawn Brazilian Rosewood back and sides are beautiful and crack-free with the original finish. The Spruce top has one small crack at the edge of the sound hole and the top on this D-28 has been sanded and refinished. The sanding at the bass waist area went through the Herringbone trim for about 6 inches. Cosmetically this is unfortunate, but the top does not appear to be overly thin, and the guitar still has a tone and power that only come from these iconic guitars.

The bridge is of the correct size and has been thinned. The guitar plays and sounds great, with a fairly high action. A new bridge, neck reset and refret would undoubtedly make this a dream sounding and playing guitar. The inside of the guitar is neat, clean and original. Overall this 1938 Martin D-28 Herringbone is in Good condition. A guitar like this, in original finish condition, are regularly priced in the $100,000+ range. This guitar is very fairly priced and includes a very nice original case. Serial# 69939.

Here's a short clip of Rick Faris giving the '38 Martin D-28 a spin:


Need More Info?

We take the time to set up every new guitar, mando, bass, uke, or banjo for every player, whether it was purchased here in Lawrence, Kansas or on our website. Large retailers are content to ship you a guitar right off of the warehouse shelf, while we take pride in the fact that your new instrument will be set up to be truly ready to play - for you.

Call us at 800-747-9980 or send us an email at info@massstreetmusic.com - we're here to help! All of us at Mass Street Music are musicians, and we're dedicated to helping you find exactly what you're looking for. You can also check out our Staff Page if you'd like to email one of us directly.

Any new or used gear $25 or over gets shipped to you for FREE via our favorite carrier, Fed Ex – ground, to all 'lower 48' U.S. states and we offer a 7 day return policy. Alaska and Hawaii, expedited shipping, international shipping are more. We also ship around the globe. Read more about our Shippping.