Martin 5-28 Terz Acoustic Guitar

The Interstellar Tone Traveler has orbited the Martin universe long enough to know that the company's greatest innovations are sometimes its oldest ideas brought back to life. The 5-28 Terz is exactly that — a return to one of the earliest chapters in Martin's nearly two-century history, now reintroduced as the smallest guitar in the entire Martin lineup and one of the most distinctly voiced acoustic instruments available anywhere. The Size 5 body is ultracompact and deeply intimate, designed not for the standard tuning most players know but for Terz tuning — a minor third higher than standard pitch — delivering a focused, bell-like voice with shimmering clarity and presence that no standard-tuned guitar can replicate. In an ensemble, it adds a layer of shimmer and textural definition that transforms arrangements. Played solo, it inhabits its own sonic world entirely. With a 21.38" scale length — extraordinarily short even by parlor guitar standards — and a 12-fret neck join, this is a guitar built around a specific musical purpose, and it fulfills that purpose with the full weight of Martin's Style 28 craftsmanship behind it. The Style 28 appointments dress this compact instrument with the same premium care Martin reserves for its finest dreadnoughts: solid East Indian Rosewood back and sides, gloss spruce top with aging toner, antique white binding, abalone Style 28 fingerboard inlays on an ebony board, a bone nut and saddle, and the multi-stripe purfling and rosette that have defined the Style 28 aesthetic for generations. The ebony bridge and non-scalloped X-bracing are chosen specifically to support the Terz tuning's higher tension demands, keeping the voice clear and focused rather than boomy. No pickguard keeps the aesthetic clean and period-correct. For players curious about Terz tuning, the 5-28 can also be strung and tuned to standard pitch for added versatility — making it a genuinely playable companion in any setting. This is Martin going back to its roots and finding something genuinely new. Top: Spruce Finish Top: Gloss Top Color: Aging Toner Top Inlay Material: Multi-Stripe Top Detail: None Binding: Antique White Bridge Material: Ebony Bridge Style: Size 5 Modern Straightline Bridge String Spacing: 2 5/32" Bridge Pin Material: White Bridge Pin Dots: Faux Tortoise Pickguard: None Pickguard Inlay: None Rosette: Style 28 Multi-Stripe Saddle: Bone Saddle Radius: 16" Body Size: 5 Terz 12 Fret Construction: Dovetail Neck Joint Back Material: E. Indian Rosewood Side Material: E. Indian Rosewood Body Finish: Gloss Back Purfling/Strip: Style 28 w/Black Stripe Back Inlay Material: Multi-Stripe Bracing Pattern: X-Brace Brace Shape: Non-Scalloped Brace Material: Spruce Brace SIze: 5/16" Heel Cap: Antique White Endpiece: Antique White Endpiece Inlay: Multi-Stripe Neck Shape: Modified Low Oval Neck Taper: High-Performace Taper Neck Material: Mahogany Neck Color: Dark Mahogany Neck Finish: Satin Scale Length: 21.38" Number of Frets: 18 Neck Joins Body: 12 Fret Fingerboard Material: Ebony Fingerboard Width at 12th Fret: 2 1/8" Nut Width: 1 3/4" Inlay Style: Style 28 Fingerboard Inlay Material: Abalone Fingerboard Binding: None Headstock Shape: Solid with Square and Taper Headplate Material: East Indian Rosewood Headplate Logo Style: Authentic Script Style Overlay Headplate Binding Material: None Headplate Detail: None Tuning Machines: Nickel Open Gear Knob: Butterbean Nut Material: Bone Case: Hardshell

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