Martin OM-28 Acoustic Guitar – New

When Martin introduced the OM-28 in 1929, they thought they were making a guitar that could hold down the rhythm chair in a dance band, hence the Orchestra Model name. In the way these things go, it turns out they created the ultimate fingerstyle guitar. The new Standard Series OM-28 captures the vibe of that classic model, but with a few changes to suit modern players.

Like the original, this guitar has the 25.4” string scale, a 1 ¾” nut width and scalloped X-bracing. The neck, though, has Martin’s Modified Low Oval contour with High Performance Taper, which makes it a breeze to play. The top is Sitka spruce and the back and sides are Indian rosewood, a classic tonewood combo that produces a well-balanced bass to treble response.

The OM-28 responds well to a light touch, making it a near perfect guitar for fingerpicking. But if you dig in with a flatpick you’ll find it offers plenty of headroom when more volume is needed. The OM was designed to drive jazz bands, after all. If you haven’t tried an OM, you might find the shallower body and more pinched-in waist make it a very comfortable to play.