Martin DC28E Acoustic/Electric

Legendary Martin D-28 Tone and Fishman Aura Electronics

Martin DC-28E - Since 1931, the Martin D-28 has remained the standard by which all other steel-strings are judged. The Martin DC-28E combines the classic unplugged tone of the legendary D-28 with one of the best pickup systems on the market: the Fishman Aura. The DC-28E features an Indian rosewood Dreadnought body with a Venetian-style cutaway. If you're looking for the tone of a D-28 with the ability to project the authentic sound to a larger audience via onboard electronics, the Martin DC-28E is for you. 

Martin DC-28E at a Glance:

• Acoustic/electric dreadnought with Venetian cutaway
• Indian rosewood back and sides, solid sitka spruce top, ebony fingerboard
• Fishman Aura pickup system

Acoustic/electric Dreadnought Cutaway

The Martin DC-28E is beautifully crafted in true Martin tradition, with sold East Indian rosewood back and sides, solid spruce top, and dreadnought body. Of course, the body is not your traditional Martin dreadnought, it has a Venetian-style cutaway that offers easier access to the upper frets. The DC-28E produces an loud, full, rich, punchy tone perfect for most musical styles. The inclusion of a Fishman Ellipse Aura system amplifies that legendary D-28 sound and lets you play in any venue regardless of size.

The Woods

East Indian rosewood, which make up the back and sides of the DC-28E, is known for high sound velocity and a broad range of overtones, strength and complexity in the bottom end, and an overall darkness of tone in the rest of the range. Strong mids and highs also contribute a richness of tone to the upper registers. Indian rosewood has a thicker, more midrange overall coloration. The top of the DC-28E is solid sitka spruce. A strong fundamental-to-overtone ratio gives Sitka spruce a powerful direct tone capable of retaining its clarity when played forcefully. This makes Sitka an excellent choice for players whose style demands a wide dynamic response and a robust, meaty tone. 
For the neck of the DC-28E, Martin chose ebony, which is the traditional material found on the necks of violins, classical guitars, and high-end steel strings. Ebony is a very dense, hard wood, which helps stabilize and strengthen the neck (helps keep your neck straighter) and offers a better percussive tone when doing hammer-on's or playing without a pick. The smoothness of ebony also helps to reduce finger fatigue so you can play longer.

Fishman Ellipse Aura 

Aura uses Fishman's breakthrough acoustic sound imaging technology to makes you sound like you're playing into a great mic in a great room. With Aura, you can have stunning, studio-quality performance to take to the stage, or to use in home recording. Unlike modeling, Aura is derived from real pro-studio recordings, and is designed to preserve the individual tone of your acoustic guitar. The onboard Ellipse Aura system on the DC-28E is a joint venture between Martin and Fishman to provide DC-28E players with the sound of the Aura system built-in to the instrument. The Ellipse Aura is factory loaded with four Sound Images created especially for the DC-28E. Each Sound Image corresponds to a different microphone type and distance. The Ellipse Aura is equipped with an automatic search-and-destroy notch filter. The filter will latch onto the feedback and eliminate it after a few seconds. The Ellipse Aura's controls are arranged in two distinct levels. Once your fingers are familiar with the layout, you will be able to easily adjust the controls, even when you can't see them.

Martin DC-28E Features:

Acoustic/Electric dreadnought with a Venetian-style cutaway
Body size : D-14 fret cutaway
Top : solid sitka spruce
Rosette : Style 28
Back : Solid East Indian rosewood
Side : Solid East Indian rosewood
Endpiece : White boltaron
Endpiece inlay : Black/white boltaron
Binding : White boltaron
Top inlay style : Multiple black/white boltaron
Back inlay : Black/white boltaron
Neck : Select hardwood
Neck shape : Low profile
Nut material : Bone
Headstock : Solid/6 string diamond/square taper
Headplate : Solid East Indian rosewood /raised gold foil logo
Heelcap : White boltaron
Fingerboard : Solid striped ebony
Scale length : 25.4"
No. of frets clear : 14
No. of frets total : 20
Fingerboard width at nut : 1 11/16"
Fingerboard width at 12th fret : 2 1/8"
Fingerboard position inlays : Style 28
Finish back & sides : Polished gloss
Finish top : Polished gloss
Finish neck : Satin
Bridge : Solid striped ebony
Saddle : Compensated white tusq
Tuning machines : Gotoh chrome w/large knobs
Bridge & end pins : White w/black dots
Pickguard : Black
Case : 640 molded hard shell
Electronics : Fishman Ellipse Aura