The Martin D-35 Guitar

The Martin D-35 is a very popular acoustic guitar from C.F. Martin & Company. It has a dreadnought-sized body and is renowned for its excellent bass tone.

The Martin company was established in 1833 in the US, and is now known as a leading manufacturer of steel string guitars, while still being run by the Martin family.

Martin is known for its innovative approach to guitar manufacture, and it was actually the originator of the dreadnought style of guitar body.

Martin's guitars are identified by a labelling system where the initial letter (or in some cases the series of zeros) specifies the body size and type, and the number which follows it identifies the guitar's style, ornamentation and wood type.

In the case of the D-35 guitar, the D indicates that the guitar is a dreadnought model and the 35 refers to this guitar’s relatively high degree of ornamentation (as opposed, for example, to the also popular D-18 and D-28 models), although it is by no means a fancy looking guitar.

The D35 was first produced in 1965, and its three-piece back is a result of the shortage of Brazilian rosewood at the time. In order to compensate for this shortage, Martin made use of the smaller pieces that were available, and pieced them together.

Main features of the D35

• Top is made from solid sitka spruce
• The back is made from rosewood, and features Martin’s well-known three-piece design
• The guitar also features solid ¼” sitka spruce bracing, which contributes to its distinctive sound
• The sides are also made from rosewood
• The bound fretboard is made from ebony
• It has 20 frets, and a scale length of 25.4 inches

The complete D-35 specifications are available to view on Martin's website

The Martin D 35 acoustic is available in both right-handed and left-handed versions. Although this is a purely acoustic guitar, electronics can be added as an optional extra.

The D 35 has been the choice of many famous guitarists and musicians, including Elvis Presley. Johnny Cash was another fan of the guitar, and a D 35 signature model was made in his honour. However, this is the only variation of the standard D 35 guitar that is available.

The guitar also comes with a high quality moulded hard case for complete protection.

The D 35 is a high quality guitar and has a list price of just over $3000, although many guitar retailers will sell it for less than this. You can certainly find some great guitar bargains online, for example on Amazon and various specialist guitar sites. If you're looking for a second-hand Martin D 35, don't forget to check out eBay, as you can find excellent prices on here.