1976 Martin D-35
The Martin D-35 dreadnought acoustic guitar is perhaps the most beautiful factory guitar ever made, enhanced with the famous Martin quality and sound. Starting in 1965 with the Brazilian Rosewood version, it was clearly designed as a custom rosewood parallel to the classic D-28. Although the Braz gave way to the more available Indian Rosewood in 1969—seven years before this particular guitar was made, according to its serial number (384880)—the Martin commitment to this custom concept has remained absolute to this day. Featuring solid woods throughout, the D-35 is a superb American-made acoustic guitar with tremendous visual impact, a “Wow” factor which few other designs—boutique or otherwise—can ever produce.
The Martin D-35 features a three-piece solid Rosewood back and Rosewood sides in a semi-gloss finish and a glossy finish solid Sitka Spruce top. The binding is not flashy abalone, but it is very elaborate six-ply top binding and three-ply back binding, with its white outer layer alternating with black lines. With its black pick guard, 5-9-5 grouping ring rosette, ebony belly-style bridge with white abalone-dot (replacement) pins, bone nut and saddle, bound ebony fingerboard with pearl-dot inlays, rosewood headstock overlay with gold logo decal, and enclosed chrome Martin tuners, this is the picture of a quality guitar--topped off, of course, with the C. F. Martin name on the headstock which says it all.
The playability and sound verify the quality promised by the name and the gorgeous appearance. The body dimensions are similar to those of most dreadnoughts: it has a 14/20-fret fingerboard, a 25.4” scale, a lower bout width of 15 5/8”, and a depth of 4 7/8”. The Martin mortise/tenon neck joint and scalloped spruce bracing of the top combine with the great sensitivity and resonance of Rosewood to make the rich, complex sound characteristic of the D-35. It has had 44 years of seasoning to make this guitar sing; the neck is fast and comfortable, which is good because you won’t want to put it down for hours.
The playing condition is excellent, as you would expect of a Martin: straight neck, little fret wear, solid bridge, tight tuners, and so on. The action is medium, and the sound is terrific—and it will only become better as it ages. Cosmetically, it’s also in excellent shape, with hardly a ding, one scratch below the bridge, no buckle rash, barely even a pick mark on the pick guard—and above all the Martin logo certifying that it was born and bred in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.
The Martin thermoplastic hard shell case is clearly original, and its black exterior with the large Martin name and the copper-colored plush interior are more than worthy of this fine guitar. It has earned a few dings around the edges protecting this instrument; however, the hardware is all bright and shiny and works perfectly, and as seen in the pictures it is an ideal complement to this wonderful Martin.
Buyer pays a flat rate of $55.00 for insurance and shipping to the lower 48 states; shipping costs elsewhere will be negotiated as necessary. Payment by Paypal is preferred; cashier’s checks are acceptable, but checks must clear before the guitar will be shipped.
I believe that I have described this instrument fully and accurately. Please check out the pictures and ask any questions before bidding, as its return will not be accepted unless it can be shown that it was egregiously misrepresented in this listing.
Thank you for your interest in this fine vintage Martin guitar.
Payments by Paypal, cashier’s checks, money orders, or personal checks are acceptable, but all payments must clear my bank before the guitar will be shipped. I will CONSIDER reasonable offers, even including installment payments and trade-ins, but generally since I already attempt to price my guitars very competitively, unusual deals must be unusually sweet.
From henceforth [that's how retired English teachers talk], insurance and shipping to the lower 48 states is $55 due to constantly rising shipping costs unless a specific listing says otherwise; shipping costs elsewhere will be negotiated as necessary. I have sold guitars to Russia, Japan, Australia, and over 50 other countries, as well as almost every state in the USA. Since some of my guitars travel thousands of miles, I take care to use lots of packing materials, protect the neck inside the case, and of course de-tune the strings.
I make every effort to describe and illustrate each guitar and case with scrupulous accuracy. However, many of my instruments are well-played vintage items which are many years old, and I am not a luthier. One should assume that any guitar will require some set-up to satisfy your personal requirements, and that not every flaw or ding will be seen/recognized/described in the listing. Thus the return of an instrument will not be accepted unless it can be shown that it was egregiously misrepresented in this listing. Please read the listing carefully, check out the pictures, and ask any questions you might have before offering to buy.