Old Martin HD-35 Fretboard Width?

[[e-mail]]

I stopped at the Guitar Center (horrors!) the other day and made
my way back to the "expensive guitar" room. Sitting in the little
display case - but not behind glass, was an old Brazilian rosewood
HD-35. The top had a major crack beginning under the pickguard
and running down to the binding of the lower bout - but hey, it must
be worth the $4600 price tag, right?

Between the raging humidifier and the noise levels from the other
room (I guess they took the door off the hinges to let the humidity
migrate out to all those guitar in boxes and such...) I couldn't tell
if it had a great sound or not. However...

The action and the neck suited me perfectly. Now, I have an HD-28
that I play often, but I play my `74 Fender F-65 dread a lot more
and I always have to adjust to the Martin for a little while before
I get it right, even if it's the first guitar I pick up (the Fender
is/was my 1st guitar so there's decades of muscle memory
in play, I guess).

The specs on the current HD-35 and my HD-28 are the same. Does
anyone know if older Martins used a differently shaped neck or
different string spacings, or something?

[l***@msn.com]

I leave the final say to the Martin experts, but I did not think the
HD-35 ever was produced as a production model with Brazilian rosewood.
Original D-35's, yes; but HD-35 - I don't think so.

[o***@gmail.com]

Post by l***@msn.com
I leave the final say to the Martin experts, but I did not think the

HD-35 ever was produced as a production model with Brazilian rosewood.
Original D-35's, yes; but HD-35 - I don't think so. <<

Martin made 3 HD-35B (for Brazilian) guitars in 1986.

During this time period there were both the suffix "B" and the full
word "Brazil" stamped on the neck block. According to Longworth the
models ranged from 00-21 to D-45, with examples of just about at least
one of everything in the then current line. They include:
00-21
00-45
000-28
000-45
d-28
hd-28
hd-28bse
d-35
hd-35
d-41
d-45
d-45le
custom-15
custom-b
m-36
m-38
j-21
j-40
j-40m le
hd-2832b (shenandoah)
n-20

some of these are onesies, some as high as 50 units (D-45B LE in 1987)

HTH
Joe

[o***@gmail.com]

Whoops, i never answered your question. A stock HD-35 would be 1 11/16"
at the nut, 2/18" at the saddle, and from 1985 onwards most on would
have a "Low Profile" neck shape, and after 1990 all will have the LP
neck shape. Long (25.4") scale, same as your HD-28
This is essentially the same neck shape you'll find on a 2005 HD-35 or
your 2002 HD-28.
The neck shape from it's intoduction in 1978 through '85 would be
analogous today's "Full thickness" neck, a custom shop option, that is
a deeper, more rounded profile The last s/n for '84 is 453300.
If the HD-35 had the classic "pickguard crack", caused by the
application of the pickguard under the finish, a process Martin started
to phase out in 1984, it's a pretty common issue, and reasonablty
simple fix. I've never let a repairable top crack stop me from buying a
guitar,

On the off chance that what you tried was 12-fret D-35S, which Martin
produced from '66 up until '93, the nut width is 1 7/8", and 2 5/16" at
the bridges. same long scale as all the other guitars discussed, with a
real handful of a neck profile.
HTH
Joe

[John Albert]

levi wrote:
<< I stopped at the Guitar Center (horrors!) the other day and made my way
back to the "expensive guitar" room. Sitting in the little display case - but
not behind glass, was an old Brazilian rosewood HD-35. The top had a major
crack beginning under the pickguard and running down to the binding of the
lower bout - but hey, it must be worth the $4600 price tag, right?
Between the raging humidifier and the noise levels from the other room (I
guess they took the door off the hinges to let the humidity migrate out to all
those guitar in boxes and such...) I couldn't tell if it had a great sound or
not. However...
The action and the neck suited me perfectly. Now, I have an HD-28 that I
play often, but I play my `74 Fender F-65 dread a lot more and I always have
to adjust to the Martin for a little while before I get it right, even if it's
the first guitar I pick up (the Fender is/was my 1st guitar so there's decades
of muscle memory in play, I guess).
The specs on the current HD-35 and my HD-28 are the same. Does anyone know
if older Martins used a differently shaped neck or different string spacings,
or something? >>

Ummm.... There _were no_ Brazillian HD-35s. They don't exist, unless a few
Custom Shop models have been produced in more recent years.

All the Brazillian "35s" from the late 1960's were ordinary D-35's _without_
scalloped bracing. Production of these ended either in 1969 or early 1970,
when the factory switched to East Indian rosewood.

The HD-35 came later, because the HD-28 was not re-introduced into the product
line until about 1978 (I have one from that year that I don't use any more),
and the HD-35 came a little afterwards.

The specs of the HD-35 and HD-28 (current models) are _not_ the same. The
HD-35 uses slightly different bracing on the top, a little lighter, I believe.

Frankly, I would not pay $4,600 for a D-35 with a seriously cracked top, even
if it _is_ Brazillian rosewood.

You'd do much better looking at something new, even if it is "only" an East
Indian rosewood model. I'd suggest you hunt down a D-28CW and give that a try.
Probably the sweetest Martin dreadnought out there right now for the money.

Or, try a Santa Cruz "Rice" or perhaps a Bourgeois....

- John

[[e-mail]]

<grin> OK, OK, OK.

Yes, it probably was a D-35 not an HD. Either they
mislabelled it, or *far* more likely, I misrembered it.

No, I'm not think about buying it (but don't tell GC,
they think they've got a fish on the line...).

The "specs" I was referring to are the width and length
of the fretboard.

What I really want to figure out is why the
neck worked so well for me. Ideas?

[Galaxy500]

Post by ***@DESPAMvisi.DESPAM.com
<grin> OK, OK, OK.
What I really want to figure out is why the
neck worked so well for me. Ideas?

I'm going off of a sometimes faulty memory here but the neck width at
the nut should be the same 1 11/16" on both the D-35 and the HD-28. If
it's a 60's D-35 you're probabaly noticing a difference in the neck
profile--you're right the older Martins used a different neck profile
which may fit your hand better. Depending on the year, the HD-28 would
have a low-profile neck (I think that's what Martin terms it) and the
older D-35 would have a thicker, more rounded neck.

Galaxydog

[[e-mail]]

Post by Galaxy500

Post by ***@DESPAMvisi.DESPAM.com
<grin> OK, OK, OK.
What I really want to figure out is why the
neck worked so well for me. Ideas?

I'm going off of a sometimes faulty memory here but the neck width at
the nut should be the same 1 11/16" on both the D-35 and the HD-28. If
it's a 60's D-35 you're probabaly noticing a difference in the neck
profile--you're right the older Martins used a different neck profile
which may fit your hand better. Depending on the year, the HD-28 would
have a low-profile neck (I think that's what Martin terms it) and the
older D-35 would have a thicker, more rounded neck.

...

Sounds right. I'll take my "Contour Guage" next time and get the
profile, then compare it to my 2002 HD-28 and my crusty old Fender.
I was surprised to discover that the Fender also measures out at
1 11/16" at the nut, I've always assumed it was a little larger.

Thanks!

[[e-mail]]

Post by Galaxy500

Post by ***@DESPAMvisi.DESPAM.com
<grin> OK, OK, OK.
What I really want to figure out is why the
neck worked so well for me. Ideas?

I'm going off of a sometimes faulty memory here but the neck width at
the nut should be the same 1 11/16" on both the D-35 and the HD-28. If
it's a 60's D-35 you're probabaly noticing a difference in the neck
profile--you're right the older Martins used a different neck profile
which may fit your hand better. Depending on the year, the HD-28 would
have a low-profile neck (I think that's what Martin terms it) and the
older D-35 would have a thicker, more rounded neck.

...

Sounds right. I'll take my "Contour Guage" next time and get the
profile, then compare it to my 2002 HD-28 and my crusty old Fender.
I was surprised to discover that the Fender also measures out at
1 11/16" at the nut, I've always assumed it was a little larger.

Thanks!

[Sheldon]

Post by Galaxy500

Post by ***@DESPAMvisi.DESPAM.com
<grin> OK, OK, OK.
What I really want to figure out is why the
neck worked so well for me. Ideas?

I'm going off of a sometimes faulty memory here but the neck width at
the nut should be the same 1 11/16" on both the D-35 and the HD-28. If
it's a 60's D-35 you're probabaly noticing a difference in the neck
profile--you're right the older Martins used a different neck profile
which may fit your hand better. Depending on the year, the HD-28 would
have a low-profile neck (I think that's what Martin terms it) and the
older D-35 would have a thicker, more rounded neck.
Galaxydog

...

You are correct. Most new Martins, unless they are custom, autograph models
based on vintage guitars, have thinner necks than their older cousins. I
think it's called a "C" shaped neck, or is that a Fender term? And I don't
know if it's done to appease electric players or just because they can do it
now with better designs and engineering. The 1 11/16th neck width is fairly
standard on most acoustics unless you get an OM model with a slighly wider
neck. Fingerstyle players like the wider neck, but it's only 1/16th" wider
overall.