My trusty old 1970 D-41 is in the hospital for some restorative surgery. Actually it's in to try to undo the damage the last guy (Randy Wood) did who was supposed to restore it but wrecked it instead. So I haven't had it to perform with for nearly two years.

I originally thought I'd have it back much sooner but I needed a performing axe in the meantime so I picked up a Blueridge BR-260. It's a herringbone dreadnought with Brazilian back and sides modeled after the pre-war Martins. It is a very nice sounding guitar. It probably sounds as good as any new Martin D-28 or any model below that. I've performed with it and recorded with it and people would often come up after a show just to find out what make it was.

But two or three months ago I was in a local shop and the owner said he just got one in that I needed to see. I picked it up and started playing through some things and it was as if the heavens had opened and the angles were singing. I had never heard any guitar (and I get around) that could hold a candle to my 1970 D-41 but here it was. A 2004 Martin HD-28CW. Not the Brazilian one, just the standard HD-28CW. What an amazing guitar. A rich and loud but wonderfully focused sound perfect for driving a working bluegrass band (which is what I do). It handles sensitive crosspicked passages with the same clarity as a balls-out fiddle tune and the bass runs cut right through without needing to overpower the other instruments. It is now mine and the other members of the band are very pleased too.

A student of mine owns an HD-28CW but I never thought it sounded better than my Blueridge. But this one... Oh, my.

Martin is capable of making really wonderful guitars and every once in a while... they do.

      - Mark