Martin HD-28 vs HD-35 - Which Acoustic is Better?

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[reinholdbergsteiger]

Darn, you're a great player - with a fabulous demo of each guitar - definitely the best on YouTube. Thanks for sharing. You're terrific!

[blurryorchid]

A few months ago I had to make a choice between these two giants. I tried them both, and in several stores. I ended up buying the HD-35. Go down on this page and read Johnny Falter's post, I totally agree with him. Many people say the HD-35 is too heavy, too much bass. In fact there's not that much difference in bass sound between these two guitars. The difference is in the fact that the HD-35 really sings. It has beautiful complex harmonies that the HD-28 does not have. It also has brighter and kind of jangly highs. But the biggest difference between these two guitars to me is the way they feel in your hands, the HD-35 feels SO much better... It's also Tony's most favorite guitar in the world, it's his main guitar, that says it all folks ;) Martin HD-35!

[JohnShalamskas]

I bought a used 2002 HD35 this year. It sounds amazing. I put some Martin retro strings on it and WOW it's just magical.

[AlexPriceMusician]

Played these two guitars back to back along with a standard D28 and I fell in love with the HD-28. 

[marchelholland]

Played them both and ended up buying the HD-35, it beats the HD-28 in every single way. I never thought there was such a difference in tone. The HD-35 is also way more responsive. This could be the best Martin out there.

[tomdexter]

Both amazing, I think the lighter bracing on the HD35 blurs the notes a little more. The HD28 has a tiny bit more focus. At the end of the day...very similar

[rjs]

When I was Martin shopping I played both on a lot of different ones and I found that I was in love with the look of the HD35 with the nice 3 piece back and white line down neck, but the bass was too much, it wasn't something I can play all the time. The HD28 was more rounded with crisp treble and nice bass very warm... also they're around the same price

[ramthebuffs]

How about standard d28 vs d35. I'd just like to see the comparison done by tony.

[kamspork]

love the way you compare with short bursts, so much easier to distinguish the difference. Thanks

[wyattsdad]

I was faced with this decision when I bought my hd28. The hd35 was super nice but it wasn’t crisp sounding to me. It almost had too much bass or something. It sounded good don’t get me wrong but it sounded dull or something. Anywhooo I bought the hd28. And I love it. It seems to sound better every year I own it. It’s been about 5 years now.

[twotter]

Clever folks at Martin....that HD-35 has a whole orchestra hiding in there somewhere, and they sound great! :)

[herbiesnerd]

I sat in the high end acoustic room at guitar center about 5 or 6 years ago and played both, back and forth, over and over. A frequent strumming style I use is to hit the root note first then strum the chord. The HD-35 won by a landslide. The bass response booms. I love that. Then separately, I became obsessed with the 3 piece back. 3 years ago I found a used 1999 HD-35 for sale. I drove an hour to a dingy downtown LA neighborhood to go see it. The strings must have been 10+ years old and lifeless. It had no sound hardly at all. But I knew what I had. I bought it, took it home, polished, oiled and lubed it and put a new set of medium strings on it. I almost cried over the sound that came out of it. I absolutely love my HD-35 and could not be happier with it. I would rather have a D-28 than an HD-28. It’s the true standard of all Martin guitars and deserves the highest respect of any guitar model anywhere. I think the HD-35 is the flagship of the HD’s.

[lemaitrethemonk]

Both guitars are dream guitars.  Who would turn down Martin?  I think the 28 sounds better strummed and the 35 sounds better with finger picking.  Either way, YOU WIN!!!!

[oldcountry]

For a situation where a lot of flatpicking is to be done, I'd say the HD-28. For hard driving rythm guitar where a banjo or Telecaster is doing the lead, the HD-35 would probably be best.

[flatlander]

Gr8 video Tony, the 35 has more mid range which in my ear makes it get lost in hard strumming, my hd28v does the same thing even plugged in. The 28 won to my ear.

[EarlMalmsteen]

this is a great video! small nitpick - the hd-35 sounds more thin/tinny in the first couple clips because it was picked closer to the bridge than the hd-28. it's not a huge difference in position but that will make a lot more difference than any of the differences between these guitars.

[guitartalk]

After reading these comments it’s clear to me. I definitely need both!, !!

[bluesriderDF]

I've A-B'd two different sets of these two guitars, 2012 and 2014 versions.  What I've heard in person is consistent with what I hear in this video.  The HD-28 sounds a bit livelier to me, and the HD-35 a bit muted.  I've spent some time rotating through a D-28, HD-28, D-35, HD-35, and HD-28V, and of the 5, the HD-28 would be my choice.  One day I hope!

[Geotubest]

Really enjoy these videos. You're, I think, the only one who does a fair comparison between guitars.

[VictoryGuitarShop]

Funny bumping into this again. I have since bought a new D-42 and it sounds very similar to the HD-35. It complements my 1998 HD-28 very well.