*SOLD* 2008 Martin D-28M Merle Travis - Bigsby Headstock, Madagascar Rosewood, Gretsch, Signature Model

Martin D-28M Merle Travis Adirondack Top/Madagascar Rosewood B/S!

Here is a reissue of the iconic Martin/Bigsby D-28 owned by Merle Travis. The guitar is modeled after the 1941 Martin D-28 Merle Travis owned. Great specs on this model. This would cost a pretty penny if issued today with the Madagascar Rosewood, Adi Top, Bigsby neck, signature model. This guitar is in beautiful condition overall. There are some pick scratches, but it's very, very clean overall. It's a very nice original owner guitar who used it sparingly. The guitar comes with the original hardshell case.

Description:

In 2008, Martin introduced the D-28M Merle Travis Commemorative Edition guitar to honor Merle Travis' legacy.  One of the most gifted guitarists ever, he was a groundbreaking player on both electric and acoustic whose picking style continues to influence guitarists. Travis was also a pioneering guitar designer. One of his most distinctive guitar designs began with a 1941 Martin D-28 he acquired in 1946. Soon after its purchase, he took the guitar to friend and machinist Paul Bigsby, who had previously collaborated with Travis to create both the Bigsby vibrato and one of the earliest solidbody electric guitars.  Travis ask to have the neck replaced with one similar to that on the electric guitar Bigsby made for him. Bigsby obliged, installing a maple neck with his distinctively shaped headstock, Bigsby headstock inlay, six-on-a-side tuners and unique fingerboard position markers. In addition, he replaced the pickguard with an oversized black one that approximated the shape of the new headstock.  Travis liked both the feel and the unique sound of his modified Martin; he played it on virtually every acoustic recording he made from 1946 until his death in 1983.

The D-28M Merle Travis Commemorative Edition is modeled after Travis' original modified D-28 Martin, right down to the premium, solid tonewoods. The acoustic guitar's back and sides are rare Madagascar rosewood, a wood prized for its similarity in appearance and tone to the original's now-endangered Brazilian rosewood. The Adirondack spruce top, the same top wood used in 1941, is used for its crisp, powerful tone. Delivered in a hardshell case, each Martin D-28M Merle Travis guitar bears an interior label personally signed by Thom Bresh, Bigsby Guitars President Fred Gretsch, and Martin Chairman C.F. Martin IV, and is numbered in sequence. Produced in a limited edition of just 100 instruments, the D-28M Merle Travis acoustic is a great sounding tribute to a truly remarkable guitarist.

Specifications

• Model: D-28M Merle Travis
• Label: Paper Label Signed By CFM IV, Thom Bresh & Fred Gretsch, Numbered In Sequence With Total (100) 1 Of, 2 Of, Etc.
• Construction: Standard; Mahogany Blocks, Dovetail Neck Joint
• Body Size: D-14 Fret
• Top: Adirondack Spruce Top
• Braces: Adirondack, Scalloped 5/16'', Golden Era
• Pattern: Domle #3A
• Bridge Plate: Maple Top Binding: 6/32'' Grained Ivoroid Top
• Inlay: Fine Herringbone
• Rosette: Style 28, Black And White Fiber
• Additional Rosette Inlay: .041'' Grained Ivoroid
• Pickguard: Black, Self Adhesive, Unique Travis Shape
• Back: Solid Madagascar Rosewood (Sitka Golden Era Braces)
• Purfling: HD Zig-Zag Back Binding: 6/32'' Grained Ivoroid
• Back Inlay: .030'' Black And White Fiber
• Sides: Solid Madagascar Rosewood
• Endpiece: Grained Ivoroid
• Endpiece Inlay: .030'' Black And White Fiber
• Neck: Multi-Piece Curly Maple Replica Of Original Bigsby Neck
• Neck Shape: Low Profile
• Headstock: Unique Merle Travis Shape
• Truss Rod: 2-Way Adjustable
• Heelcap: Grained Ivoroid
• Nut: Bone
• Headplate: Figured Walnut
• Headplate Decal: Small Old Style (On Back Of Headstock)
• Headplate Pearl: Solid mother of pearl Bigsby Inlay To Match Original
• Tuning Machines: Grover Nickel 136N6 Vintage Deluxe 6-In-Line Kluson Style
• Fingerboard: Black Ebony Radius: 16''Scale Length: 25.4''Width At Nut: 1-11/16''Width At 12th Fret: 2-1/8''
• Frets Clear: 14Total
• Frets: 20
• Pearl Inlay: Unique Solid mother of pearl Heart, Club, Diamond & Spade Design
• Side Dots: White Boltaron
• Finish Body Package: Gloss Finish
• Top: Gloss Finish
• Neck Package: Satin With Polished HP
• Bridge: Brazilian Rosewood
• Style: Standard Belly
• String Spacing: 2-1/8''
• Saddle: 16'' Radius, Compensated, Bone
• Strings: MSP 4200 Medium Phosphor Bronze
• Bridge Pins: Bone With 3.0mm Tortoise Dots
• End Pin: Bone With 4.0mm Tortoise Dot
• Case: 545E Cabernet

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