Just when you thought it was safe to shop at Mandolin Broes again I see that they are offering a rather recent model Martin T-28 Tiple for sale. If anyone buys it - please let me know what the heck you plan to do with it.
This diminutive ten-stringed wonder, though small in aspect, has the cosmetic features of any style -28 Martin instrument. Features consist of five-ply top purfling, 11 ply soundhole rosette, an ebony carved bridge with a fret wire saddle, East Indian rosewood headplate with the small, old style C F Martin & Co. logo, five-on-a-plate open-gear side-mounted tuners with ivoroid buttons. The tiple is tuned to ukulele tuning in four courses of 2-3-3-2. The back is bordered in black-white-black, the sides in plain crème/white binding; the unbound ebony fretboard has 12 frets to the body, the seventh of which has the double dot with a single at 5 and 10 (just like Woolworth's). Its sides and back are lovely chocolate brown East Indian rosewood with dark brown highlights. The condition is not just excellent but solidly excellent. This is a beautiful piece, though Lilliputan size, from the Martin dealer in Lilliput, measuring the proverbial 9x12 (inches we mean) with a scale length of 17" and a total length of 27 ¾ and a fingerboard width of 1.5" at the nut with a diamond dart around the back. This is one classy tiple. $1,954 or at our cash discount price $1,895.