Members 02-fatboy Posted October 17, 2009 Members Share Posted October 17, 2009 Anyone have any idea what a 1970's Martin D28 is worth in fair condition? Meaning its been played alot, the frets were replaced, and it has no major cracks or repairs, just some small dings and dents here and there. Any input would be really cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Goofball Jones Posted October 17, 2009 Members Share Posted October 17, 2009 Not sure...new D-28 goes for like $2200, but with a kind of "vintage" one, who knows. You should look up the serial number to see exactly what year it was made for one. Because if it was 1970, then next year it will be a 40 year old guitar as oppose to a 31 year old guitar. Not sure, but it may effect the price, but again, who knows. You may want to post this over at the Acoustic Guitar forum also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Coralkong Posted October 17, 2009 Members Share Posted October 17, 2009 About $800-$1100. My buddy picked one up (mid 70's) with dings for $650. Not what you wanted to hear, I know. http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-70s-MARTIN-D-28-DREADNOUGHT-ACOUSTIC-GUITAR_W0QQitemZ180419373161QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item2a01d52869 Just one example. There are tons of 'em out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DaveGrima Posted October 17, 2009 Members Share Posted October 17, 2009 About 3 fiddy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mymindsok Posted October 17, 2009 Members Share Posted October 17, 2009 unfortunately, the70's were not good years for Martin. I had 3 from that era and all were heavily built dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 02-fatboy Posted October 17, 2009 Author Members Share Posted October 17, 2009 Ah so nobody here really likes the 70's Martins ok. Well thanks for the input. It is actually a 1970 as I just spoke with the guy but it sounds like this might not be something of interst after all..... Anyways I have played a few 70's Martin D28's I think the last one I played was around a 76 and I didn't think they were that bad?? Yeah I guess they were a little heavy but they sounded nice just like I would expect. Oh well thanks for the feedback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Calaudio Posted October 18, 2009 Members Share Posted October 18, 2009 Hey Fatboy I don't agree about the 70s comment but anyway. I have a 71 000-28 and it is fantastic IMO. That jump in dates from 68, 69 and 70 makes a huge difference in value. In the 60s they were using different rosewoods from Brazil and later changed to Indian. In average condition the value is 1200-1500 on an average day! These don't seem to be average days! Given the current econo condition and what things are really selling for I would think 1000-1300 would be about right. I would check out the acoustic forums for better advice than here (IMHO). However if you want rude comments and want to know the value of your shredder you are in the right place:thu: Take Care Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BG76 Posted October 18, 2009 Members Share Posted October 18, 2009 not much. 70s Martins are not so hot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarcapo Posted October 18, 2009 Members Share Posted October 18, 2009 Off the top of my head I was thinking $1200 if the finish was good and it didn't need a neck reset....Maybe less if it had issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MDNorm Posted August 13, 2020 Members Share Posted August 13, 2020 I have a 1970 D-41. It's beat to hell as it has been my go to instrument for the last 50 years. It was constructed during the change from BRW to EIR. It has been back and forth to Martin during the time of Mike Longworth, personally scalloped the braces and replaced a bridge. I played it for years, allowed other players to try it, including Steve Goodman, who put the first dent in it after I had it for 3 days!. In the early 1980s, I start to concentrate on producing sound for acoustic concerts(Jazz. acoustic blues, bluegrass, Folk, and Americana) and didn't get much of a chance to play out. I also played bass in a local folk/rock band for 3 years. The guitar sat in its case or a gig bag, with a humidification device, checked once a week, for almost 20 years. In 1999, I started bringing it out again and performing as a solo. In 2005, I had the neck reset, a; K&K Pure Western Mini installed, and switched to Elixir strings. 15 years later, I'm still playing it, sharing it with all kinds of players, and it will be with me until I need to will it to someone. I have been offered purchase prices in the high 3000's/low 4000's. She's not for sale. As for the '70s not being great Martin years, each guitar is a different animal. '70s D-28's are iffy at best. "70's D-35's seem to have fared a bit better. Either are considered "old" but not vintage. 000's of the era are a bit better but still iffy. Martins today, especially the Standard line (D-28's, 35's, 41's, and 42's, as well as signature models) have fared far better. Since Martin started to Plek the instruments (https://plek.com/) The intonation and quality of these instruments are, by far, so close to the original vintage products (think 1939 D-18-the holy grail of bluegrass guitars). Martin took several vintage instruments from the museum and had them CAT scanned and MRI scanned, then applied those scans to make identical mechanical drawings of the instruments, then used those drawings to build the Golden Era models and the Vintage models, which are price like a Mercedes when compared to a Ford! You got that kind of money, more power to you. They sound broken right out of the box. Imagine what they'd sound like in 20-30 years! I am a definite Martin fan. I've been playing all kinds of Martins since the mid '60's. Yes, those were BRW back and sides and mostly Sitka tops. Back then, BRW was plentiful and nobody but those who educated themselves, cared. In recent years, Collings have come close to achieving a sound that resembles Martin, especially in their mahogany Dreadnaught, measuring up to the pre-war Martin D-18's. Again, a high end product with a price to match. As for 1970's D-28's, good prices range from $1000 for one in fair or average condition to $1600-2000 for a real cream puff. Still, the real value is determined by how it sounds in YOUR ear. Play on, Brothers and Sister! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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