Martin D-28S Sing Out! Prototype 1994

Sing Out! The magazine that, starting in 1950, made so many of our traditional and newly-written American songs available to us all. This Martin 1995 Sing Out D-28SO Limited Edition guitar is modeled after Martin's classic Dreadnaughts, originating in 1917. It has a Sitka spruce top with herringbone trim, Ivoroid body bindings and East Indian Rosewood back and sides, with 12-fret neck and traditional slotted peghead. The neck measures 1-3/4" at the nut rather than the usual 1-7/8”, making it so much more comfortable to play. It has the very traditional “slotted diamonds and squares” inlays on the unbound ebony fingerboard at the fifth, seventh, ninth and fifteenth frets, and the "Sing Out" logo is beautifully inlaid in pearl at the twelfth fret. There is also an abalone exclamation point inlaid in the Ivoroid heel cap. Now here's what's really special about this particular guitar: it is the official, one and only prototype for the model, verified by Dick Boak, head of all such projects at Martin for many years. There were only forty-five examples of this model made, each with its own Edition Number hand-inked on the label; this one has “0 of 45” in that place. Being the actual prototype it carries a 1994 Martin serial number in preparation for the regular versions to be made and released in 1995. Better yet, the signatures of CF Martin IV, Mark Moss (Sing Out Executive Director), and Pete Seeger are hand-inked on the label as well. These are real signatures, not copies. Overall condition of the guitar is gorgeous, not a fault to be found. It has been stored for its entire near-thirty-year lifetime and barely played. $3995 w/ohsc