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:
