Martin D18 VS D28 Acoustic Guitar: How are they different?
Our Verdict and Opinion
The biggest difference between these two guitars is the tone, where the D18 is the brighter of the two and far friendlier to fingerpicking and acoustic lead. The D28 is more powerful and rhythm focused, with a forward shifted bracing system that gives it a fuller bass response.
Acoustic guitars in the $2500 price range rarely have a quality concern or a feature to complain about. The Martin D18 and D28 both use all solid tonewood and produce a superior tone that works great with a condenser mic in a studio. We'd summarize differences as follows:
- D18 is brighter while the D28 is warmer
- Mahogany back/sides in the D18 and Rosewood back/sides in the D28
- Forward shifted, non-scalloped bracing in the D28 and scalloped bracing in the D18
Martin D18 VS D28 Comparison Table
Martin D28
Martin D18
Detailed Comparison Table
Specs rarely tell the whole story. But it's helpful to have them side by side, so we've added as much information here as possible to give you an idea of where the two acoustic guitars differ.
Header | D18  | D28  |
|---|---|---|
Body type | Dreadnought | Dreadnought |
Color | Natural | Natural |
Finish | Gloss | Gloss |
Top wood | Solid Spruce | Solid Spruce |
Back/Sides wood | Solid Mahogany | Solid East Indian Rosewood |
Bracing type | X Scalloped (not forward shifted) | Forward shifted X brace (non-scalloped) |
Binding | Tortoise-colored binding | Antique white |
Neck wood | Hardwood | Select hardwood |
Radius | 16" | 16" |
Fingerboard material | Ebony | Ebony |
Fingerboard inlays | Old style 18 inlays | Mother-of-pearl dots |
Number of frets | 20 frets | 20 frets |
Scale length | 25.4" | 25.4" |
Tuning machines | Nickel tuners with Butterbean knobs | Nickel open gear |
Bridge material | Ebony | Ebony |
Nut/saddle material | Bone/Bone | Bone/Bone |
Nut width | 1.75" | 1.75" |
Strings included | Lifespan 2.0 92/8 Phosphor Bronze, .013-.056 | Lifespan 2.0 92/8 Phosphor Bronze, .013-.056 |
Case included | Hardshell | Hardshell |
Tone lean | Bright, brisk, lead-focused, balanced | Low, powerful, full bass, brisk high end |
Style lean | Bluegrass, vintage country | Country, vintage country |
Aesthetics | Traditional, vintage | Traditional, vintage |
Electronics | None | None |
Price point | Slightly lower | Slightly higher |
Ideal skill level | Advanced | Advanced |
Good for beginners? | No | No |
Good for studio? | Yes | Yes |
Good for live? | Yes, but will require mic | Yes, but will require mic |
Better Tone in the D-28 or D-18?
It would be difficult to say there's a "better" tone between these two guitars. Because - again - when you get into this price range quality issues are rare. At this point it's firmly about preference and playing style. Our preference would be the lower and warmer of the two tones, which lands at the D28.
The D18 is really brisk for our taste and almost twangy, which is what makes it a great choice for bluegrass and country. So it certainly doesn't sound bad, but you probably need to be really targeting those musical styles for the D18 to be your best pick.
Between the two, the tone of the D28 is preferable and more flexible, but not necessarily better or worse.
It simply depends on what you like.
Differences in Tonewood
The differences in tonewood only apply to the back and sides of both guitars.
- Martin D18: Mahogany back and sides
- Martin D28: East Indian Rosewood back and sides
All the tonewood in both guitars is solid. There are no layers or laminate, which we'd expect given the price of each guitar. Mahogany is typically a fuller sound, often used in electric guitars to get a heavier tone.
And this is odd, considering the tone of the D18 is brighter than the D28. But Rosewood can have a similar effect, plus the forward-shifted bracing on the D28 is what accounts for a lot of the warmer tone. Again, no quality issue here - just a different approach and tonewood mixture.
Differences in Style
Either guitar can be used for just about any style. But as I mentioned, the D18 is particularly ideal for bluegrass and vintage country. Since the D28 brings a little bit of a lower sound, it can give you more flexibility. But limiting either guitar to a particular style would require some hair splitting. They're both leaning vintage, but they could even be used for modern pop and church worship sounds.
Differences in Price
Check the price guides above for updated numbers, but we've seen the difference in price between these two guitars hover around $400, where the D18 is cheaper. So one could argue the D18 is a better value because it's cheaper, but we think the D28 is worth the upgrade if you prefer its sound and want something with more flexibility. As the price range gets higher, price differences to the tune of $400-$500 start to matter a lot less. Don't die on a $400 price hill.
Body Style of the Acoustics
Both guitars are the traditional dreadnought body style with no cutaway, so there's not much difference here. Though the D28 felt a little bit lighter to us. The dreadnought body shape is bigger and a bit more difficult to hold and get your picking hand around, especially for someone who is smaller. This is worth considering with either guitar.
Does the D-28 or D-18 have a pickup or preamp?
Neither the D18 or D28 have any electronics. To record them you'll need a condenser mic. This makes performing kind of difficult, because you would have to stand in front of a mic, which can be fairly awkward. A better alternative - at least for performances - would be a sound hole mic like the Seymour Duncan Woody.
Summarizing the Comparison
To summarize:
It's a question of style and not a question of quality, where the D18 is more stylistically narrow and brighter than the D28, which is more flexible.
For that reason we think the D28 is going to be the better option for a larger number of people and situations. Think about tone, bracing, and what style of music you want to play, then buy confidently.
If you have additional questions about our Martin D18 VS D28 comparison, feel free to drop them in the comments section below and we'll help out as much as possible.
See you there.
More Martin Acoustic Comparisons
Written by Bobby Kittleberger on Acoustics & Comparisons
Written by Bobby Kittleberger on Acoustics & Comparisons
Written by GC Editorial on Acoustics & Pricing
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