Martin D-28 Bridge Re-set and work to improve tone

[@blessedwithchallenges9917]

WOW! What a magical difference!!!!!!!!! I restore vintage instruments that don't make any sound when I get them. What a treat it is to make them sing again! But when you get a quality instrument like this early 70's Martin that just wasn't given the right chance in the first place - what an incredible treat to hear it's potential when set up correctly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@mellecaster]

That is a Truly Great and inspiring Video Story...and You did well to choose Bryan...He is one of the very Best !

[@elholt7095]

Your 1972 sounds amazing! I bought my 1974 D28 in Hawaii in the late 70's and banged it up over the years and finally we moved to California in 1989. Lolo me I kept it in the same room with a wood burning stove never thinking about the dry heat and the damage it can do. From the very beginning there was that infamous intonation problem but in addition after 4 winters the neck was separating, and the bridge cracking. I got an estimate from Martin for $600 (1993) to do a neck re-set, re-fret up to the body and new bridge/re-position. All I had at the was $900 in the bank and I thought man I could buy a new guitar for that kind of money. My fiance at the time let me spend the money to get the Martin refurbished and boy what a difference it made. Fast forward to 2017, retired and still living in California with that guitar and my now wife. So glad to have both of them in my world and she has let me acquire a few more girlfriends over the years. Life is Grand!

[@Dang...]

great comparison video. huge improvement on the guitar! thanks for posting!

[@natehixson1143]

it's almost laughable how good this guitar sounds after the work… bravo sir.

[@chiefof]

Excellent. video, narration, playing.

[@Life-of-Bluegrass_Music]

He did a great job.

[@kevinpaul1719]

I have a 1976 with that problem and a bit of bridge hump. It is being repaired this week and the. I will give it to my forever love as a gift. She really loves that guitar, I know Martin had some problems during the 70's and I just never liked that Martin. I bought a 2017 Martin and it is so very different. I won't do the support modification because scalloping the supports will weaken the top. I really don't want to encourage bridge hump. The 2017 D28 is the best guitar I ever played in my 47 years of being in love with the guitar.

[@rtgray7]

@Kevinpaul I agree with you about the new D28. I bought a 2018(2017 Re-imagined D28) a few months ago and I LOVE it. I went to the store a couple times and compared it with the same year HD28 with the same forward shifted bracing only scalloped and, after a few hours of trying to convince myself that the HD28 had to sound better, I finally had to admit that the D28(although it had just a tad less projection than the HD28) with the non-scalloped bracing was more articulate with more note separation and more warmth. So I saved $400 and got the D28. I then put a set of fresh strings and liquid metal bridge pins and now it has more projection than any guitar I've ever played!

[@blueshirttail]

Bryan is working on my D28 right now! I can't wait to get it back. He really does amazing work. He knocked this one out of the park. Love the guitar!

[@RollYourRock]

Well... did Bryan breath newborn life back into your D-28?

[@christianboddum8783]

Just wow!

[@freyjaclarkturner5670]

That is a good sounding guitar (now!)

[@tonycurtis956]

Sounds beautiful Dick, Bryan has done a great job!Tony Curtis

[@billdedrick1914]

Incredible difference..What a great sounding D28.. How does it sound now?

[@nellatrab]

Great story...thanks for sharing!

[@kerrykrishna]

"It wasn't a lemon" Dick, Lemon insinuates things KEEP going wrong, and that was not the case here. There was already a ton of stuff wrong. Brian say 90-95% of all 70s Martins have the bloody bridge glued on in the wrong place. That is an entire decades worth of Amazingly bad. The 2 times too big bridge plate, and bridge combo sure knocked these guitars into a Brand New category for Martin. I love Bryan and all that he does. Thanks for this terrific video too.,

[@popoaggie]

My friend has an early 70's Martin D 28 with the same problem. Bridge had to be moved. It was in the wrong place and intonation was way off. I heard that the templates at the Martin factory were so worn that the bridge location had changed over time. don't know if that is true or not. He got it sorted out and it plays just fine now.

[@johntait491]

I have a D28 Serial 290901 purchased in January 1971. No work done on it other than a replacement pickguard.

[@normc8169]

Wow. Mr. Kimsey did a awesome job. He is a master luthier. You think my 2001 d28 braces would need to be scaloped and sound even better ? Would it resonate as a d18 ?

[@celsoescobar9630]

Sounds like a real Martin guitar now !

[@thechercheur3998]

How much will a job like this cost roughly? I have a 70 d28 with the same problems.

[@KevinLambguitar]

Huge improvement. Discovered tonight that my 1970 Martin D-28 has the bridge in the wrong place too. Shit.

[@joshofcywg8162]

That's what happens when you shave the saddle down is the string angle between the ping and saddle the less angle the less volume depth and tone that thing needed a neck reset probably 15 or 20 years ago

[@suemcilliataoldotcom1331]

WOW

[@maxwellfan55]

How could a respected company like Martin ever manufacture and ship guitars with inaccurate intonation, even back in the 70's?

[@phonicwheel933]

Yeah, it seems very odd!

[@JnL_SSBM]

Even not being my guitar seriously I felt so bad because it costed like 7k! :c

[@sprikitiksprikitik3929]

I hear some fret buzz.. great guitar though