Martin SC-28E

The new flagship of Martin’s cutting-edge SC line gracefully fuses tradition and innovation.

August 29, 2024

When Martin introduced the SC-13E at the 2020 NAMM show, the guitar’s innovative features and contemporary looks created a splash in the acoustic guitar community. At the time, Martin hinted that models with a similar design would eventually make their way into its line, but with Covid-related delays, it took a couple of years to expand the line with the slightly more upscale SC-13E Special and the affordable SC-10E, both of which are built in Martin’s factory in Navojoa, Mexico. While the SC design was developed and prototyped at Martin’s Nazareth, Pennsylvania, headquarters, it has only recently been integrated into the Nazareth-built Standard series, and I was happy to see the introduction of the resulting SC-18E and SC-28E earlier this year. I recently had a chance to check out both guitars, and in this video, I demo the flagship SC-28E in the Peghead Nation studio. A demo of the SC-18E will follow in the coming weeks.

Like the other guitars in the line, the SC-28E is built with Martin’s new S-13 body. With an asymmetrical design that is slightly larger than a 000, the SC body has an offset waist and a cutaway, and is designed to meet the neck at the 13th fret. As radical as the body looks compared to traditional Martins, it’s the SC’s Sure Align neck that deserves attention for its innovative method of attaching a neck to a body. The Sure Align neck design completely eliminates the traditional heel, and instead has dovetail joint–shaped hardware inside the neck pocket, allowing the neck to slide onto the body, where it is secured by a pair of Allen-head machine screws. Combined with a sharply angled section of the back behind the neck joint and large cutaway, the design allows for unparalleled access to the highest frets. But there are other advantages to the Sure Align neck. Its adjustable nature allows the guitar’s intonation to be fine-tuned by moving the neck within the neck pocket, which changes the distance to the bridge, and replaceable shims are used to set the neck angle, which determines action height. When Martin introduced the Sure Align system, it discouraged users from making their own adjustments, and while the company still recommends having a Martin-trained tech work on the system, it now offers an SC Service Kit that includes all the tools and shims necessary for players who are comfortable working on their own instruments.

The cool thing about integrating the latest SC’s into Martin’s Standard series is that they essentially follow traditional designs. As a style 28, the SC-28E is built with a Sitka spruce top and Indian rosewood back and sides, and all the woods are of the high quality you’d expect with a high-end Martin. The guitar’s white body binding, black-and-white purfling, multi-ring rosette, and dot fingerboard inlays are also the same as other style-28 models. An OM-style small-teardrop pickguard, Martin’s typical squared-off peghead, and vintage-style open-back Grover tuning machines add a further touch of tradition to the otherwise new design. The SC-28E comes with either L.R. Baggs Anthem or Fishman Aura VT Blend electronics, and our demo guitar included the L.R. Baggs option.

Having played earlier SC models, I knew that the SC-28E would be a joy to play, and indeed, with its slim neck profile and low-action setup, it has an almost electric guitar-like feel. While I’ve played other acoustics with similar playability, I’ve never encountered a guitar that had this kind of feel while still truly sounding like a Martin! A strummed first-position G chord is enough to recognize the focused, overtone-rich, and dynamic tone that Martins are famous for. The fact that the guitar’s design team found a way to fuse the Nazareth tonal personality with excellent balance throughout its range, fantastic access to the highest frets, and a state-of-the-art electronics system (the guitar sounded fabulous plugged into our Fishman Loudbox Mini Charge) is no small feat, and I was impressed.

Overall, the SC-28E delivers exactly what it promises: a fusion of one of the most advanced flattop designs on the market with traditional tonality, while also merging modern and vintage looks. A big round of applause to the team in charge of taking Martin into the future!