Back to navigation


Savor the Exquisite Martin HD-35





This article was


Written By





Our Product Research Team





Get to know them!





The Martin HD-35 (2018) acoustic guitar's brawny dreadnought shape and tried-and-true rosewood and spruce tonewood combination provide you with projection that's nothing short of astonishing. To create the HD-35, Martin fused tonal elements of their pre-war herringbone D-28 with styling cues from their D-35. The result is a highly playable instrument with impeccable visuals and a powerful sonic personality enhanced by scalloped X-bracing. Complete with classic herringbone top inlay and unmistakable Style 35 3-piece back, the HD-35 is as irresistible to the eye as it is to the ear. If you savor Martin guitars the way we do at Sweetwater, your collection isn't complete without the HD-35.





Related Videos: HD-35 Acoustic Guitar - Natural


The best of both worlds





Martin's early dreadnoughts set the standard for acoustic guitar tone. Of these dreadnoughts, the herringbone D-28 was probably the most famous and sought after. Aside from its distinctive herringbone trim, the D-28 featured scalloped X-bracing, which enhanced its volume and tone. Introduced in 1965, the D-35 was the first Martin to feature a 3-piece back. Borne out of ecological necessity due to declining rosewood supplies, the 3-piece back ? the defining characteristic of Style 35 ? became an instant hit due to its stunning appearance. What makes the HD-35 unique is that it features both the scalloped X-bracing of the D-28 and the 3-piece back of the D-35.





Serial M2859346


Serial M2859346


Quality materials deliver timeless tone





A quality acoustic guitar is all about the wood, and the Martin HD-35 serves up a classic tonewood cocktail with no compromises. The top is solid spruce for robust projection and crystalline note clarity. Its back and sides are made of solid East Indian rosewood, a classic Martin material. A select hardwood Modified Low Oval, High Performance Taper neck and bound ebony fingerboard give the Martin HD-35 a luxurious playing feel to match its mellifluous sonority. Ebony is also used for the bridge. Elegant, understated Style 35 appointments blend with classic herringbone inlaid top binding and mother-of-pearl fingerboard inlays make the 2018 HD-35 as irresistible to the eye as it is to the ear.





Plek'd to perfection





Premium Martin guitars like the HD-35 are Plek'd for fret consistency and smoothness. Plek Pro is a state-of-the-art, computer-guided process that scans, levels, and dresses your guitar's frets to a microscopic level of accuracy for ideal action with no loss of sustain, minimized fret buzz, and no fretting out when bending strings, whether you're playing low or high on the neck. The HD-35's Plek'd frets ensure that every note in every position rings loud and clear with unblemished tone.





It's a Martin…





Embracing the past, while looking to the future ? it's a tightrope act, but Martin has always been able to pull it off. That's why they've consistently been a leader in acoustic guitar design, infusing their guitars with new materials, building techniques, and technologies ? while producing fine instruments that age with grace to become highly sought-after, highly playable heirlooms.





Serial M2859346


Martin HD-35 (2018) Acoustic Guitar Features:


Spruce top; forward-shifted, scalloped 1/4" X-bracing


3-piece East Indian rosewood sides and back


Zig-zag back purfling, multi-stripe inlay on the back and sides


High-performance taper modified low oval neck; dovetail neck joint


Bound ebony fingerboard with mother-of-pearl Style 28 inlays


Plek'd frets for enhanced playability


Antique white top binding with Bold Herringbone inlay


Multi-stripe rosette; faux tortoise pickguard


East Indian rosewood headplate with Script Old Style overlay logo


25.4" scale length


Bone nut, width: 1.75"


Ebony modern belly-style bridge with drop-in compensated bone saddle


Chrome enclosed-gear tuning machines


Finish: gloss (top, back, and sides), satin (neck)