any guitar, martin, taylor, santa cruz, whatever, has to be properly set up to fit the player's needs, and it has to be done by someone who knows what he or she is doing (not all bakers make good bread, not all luthiers...). I took my current Martin D28 (2005)to three different luthiers before I was finally satisfied.    Secondly, any top of the line guitar requires a player who knows what he or she, too, is doing. In other words, YOU have to be worthy of the instrument. What would a Steinway sound like in the hands of a bumbling novice? Like a pitiful waste of potential. I've heard too many martin players (or tryers) complain of the action or the standard medium strings, or the too-boomy bass, etc. Once the guitar is set up, it chimes in the hands of a worthy player, whatever the register, finger picking or full volume chords. The D28 requires medium strings AND the chops to make 'em ring. Thirdly, like all quality instruments, the D28 only gets better with age and care. It takes a committed individual to acknowledge the give and take relationship that develops between the player and his D28. Finally, the argument that says "only the old D28s were worth it" is a load of crap. If you're going to spend top dollar on ANY article that is either hand made or mass produced, you sure as hell better try out as many as you can of the same model before you find the one that feels good in YOUR hands.    This holds true for all the above-mentioned acoustics, as well as Strats, Les Pauls, Spanish classicals, etc. There is NO guitar brand of which ALL the models are "automatically" up to par.
A suggestion for amplification for the D28 : avoid pick-ups, just get a good mike and PA and you will rule the universe. Believe me, I've tried 'em all and after 40 years of playing, there's nothing like the simple, natural sound of the D28 whether is be rock, folk, or just about anything else.