The Martin HD-35 guitar often exists in the shadow of its more famous sibling, the HD-28. To truly understand why the HD-35 isn’t as widely recognized as other dreadnought models, delving into its history is essential. Before 1965, the D-28 reigned supreme as Martin’s only regular production dreadnought. By this time, the D-28 was already built robustly to handle heavier gauge strings, featuring standard bracing. However, Martin hadn’t crafted a dreadnought with forward-shifted, scalloped bracing for over fifteen years.
Alt text: Close-up of a Martin HD-35 acoustic guitar showcasing its herringbone trim and intricate wood grain.
By 1965, Brazilian rosewood supplies were dwindling. The introduction of the D-35 was, in part, a solution to utilize smaller pieces of Brazilian rosewood for guitar backs, though this wasn’t publicly stated initially. During the D-35 prototype phase, Martin engineers discovered the double braces were stiffer than the D-28’s single brace. This led to thinning the back braces and subsequently, the top braces as well, adopting the lighter bracing style found in 000/OM models. The D-35 adopted straight bracing similar to those models, but thinner than the D-28’s.
The D-35 quickly became a hit. The lighter bracing, perhaps unintentionally, evoked a sound reminiscent of pre-war dreadnoughts, albeit with straight braces. The popularity was also fueled by endorsements from numerous prominent musicians. Reports suggest the D-35 outsold the D-28 for many years following its release.
Fast forward to 1976, Martin yielded to dealer and customer demand, reintroducing scalloped bracing reminiscent of pre-war dreadnoughts with the HD-28. Instead of redesigning the D-28, Martin launched the HD-28 as a distinct model. The HD-28 not only featured scalloped bracing but also incorporated the herringbone trim of pre-war D-28s.
Alt text: Side-by-side comparison of Martin HD-28 and HD-35 acoustic guitars highlighting their distinct features and body shapes.
The HD-28 also achieved significant popularity, reportedly impacting sales of the D-35, which was then considered the more ornate model. Two years later, in 1978, the HD-35 emerged. The HD-35 mirrored the relationship between the HD-28 and D-28 – offering herringbone trim and scalloped braces on the D-35 platform. Essentially, the Martin Hd 35 Guitar took the D-35 design and enhanced it with features similar to the HD-28’s pre-war aesthetics and bracing style.
However, from a sales perspective, the HD-35 has consistently remained in the shadow of the HD-28. This mirrors the situation with Martin’s 0000/M and J models, which, despite their exceptional sound and similarities to popular Taylor GA and GP models, often see the market gravitating towards Martin’s more traditional designs.
Further emphasizing this distinction, when Martin revamped its entire line in 2018, the 35 series, including the martin hd 35 guitar, did not receive diamond headstocks or closed-back tuners, as these were not features of pre-war designs.
Having experience with both pre-reimagined and reimagined HD-28s, as well as a reimagined D-28, and currently owning an HD-35, my personal experience confirms the HD-35’s exceptional sound. My HD-35 doesn’t suffer from being “woofy”; instead, it delivers a deep and tight bass response. It does produce rich overtones, which might make the 28 models or the standard D-35 preferable for very heavy strumming. However, for a balanced and nuanced dreadnought sound, the Martin HD-35 guitar stands as a truly remarkable, albeit often overlooked, instrument.
