1986 Martin D12-28 32 Good, Original Hard, $1,095.00
The Martin Shenandoah D-12-2832 is a dreadnought style 12-string acoustic guitar with a natural finish solid spruce top, rosewood back and sides, and the resonance which vintage spruce plus rosewood tonewoods produce. While not the most ornate Martin, the Shenandoah model with its tortoise pick guard, multi-stripe bound body and rosette, and 14/20-fret ebonized rosewood fingerboard with pearl dots is a striking instrument—especially in this unusually pristine finish with the colorful patterned backstripe. The rosewood bridge has white black-dot pins, and the rosewood headstock and Martin enclosed chrome tuners finish the picture of a quality guitar--including, of course, the C. F. Martin embossed markings certifying that it was assembled and finished in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.
The playability and sound verify the quality promised by the name. It plays with as much power as you would expect from an acoustic 12-string, but still with the balanced tone for which Martin is famous. With over 30 years of seasoning of the spruce top and rosewood back and sides, this sound is just reaching its full potential. Add in the amplification possible through its piezo under-saddle pickup accessed through the end pin jack, and you will have a tone monster which will dominate virtually any jam.
The D-12-2832 offered here (serial number 461684) is in very good condition, despite the fact that it has been played and enjoyed since 1986. Visually, the gloss finish is stunning, despite the small dings and finish crazing one would expect on even the most carefully maintained vintage guitars. There is a bit of pick wear at the bottom of the sound hole, and a curious dime-sized worn spot next to the bridge which I guess is from a little finger rest. Structurally, the guitar is not perfect: there is some visible fret wear, and a small crack at the sound hole which has been glued and cleated. Otherwise, it has a straight neck, action set comfortably at a hair under 4/32” at the 12th fret low E, a flat top, a solid bridge, and above all the Martin logo which says it all.
The Martin black hard shell case shows very little of the results of 30 years of protecting the guitar, as the outside has only a few small scuffs. The hardware still works perfectly, it still offers solid protection, and the familiar green plush interior is in excellent shape, as seen in the pictures. All in all, it is the perfect complement to this excellent vintage guitar.
Buyer pays a flat rate of $55 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 offering to buy it, 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 excellent 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.