Martin D-35 Guitars

About Martin D-35 Acoustic Guitars

The Martin D-35 dreadnought guitars have a solid Sitka spruce top for a strong bass tone that is ideal for rhythm playing. To enhance the treble, Martin uses lighter 1/4-inch top braces. The binding on the East Indian rosewood back and sides, and ebony fretboard add to this acoustic guitar model's distinctive appeal. D-35's also usually feature Martin's visually striking 3-piece rosewood back design. All typically include a Martin Guitars limited lifetime warranty and deluxe Martin hardshell case. Past and present models might include an additional letter, as in the D-35L for left-handed guitarists, or the D-35E featuring onboard electronics.

Known for its strong bass response, the D-35 dreadnought features a three-piece back in a bound fingerboard. It’s the guitar of choice for many bluegrass and folk music artists. It is perfect for intermediate and advanced players. If you want to plug in and get stellar amplification, D-35's with onboard Fishman Aura VT Enhance electronics have you covered.

Birth of the Martin D-35 Dreadnought

The Martin D-35 dreadnought acoustic guitar was birthed in the folk music boom of the 1960s. Designed in 1965, the D-35 was created because Martin was experiencing a shortage of rosewood wide enough to build their famous D-28. Known for its three-piece back, with a contrasting center wedge, the D-35 quickly caught on with musicians that preferred the cosmetic look of a three-piece back. Along with the cosmetic changes to the appearance, the Martin D-35 offered a different sound and tone to the famous D-28. Constructed with 1/4-inch bracing, the D-35 had a slight bump in the bottom end when compared to the stiffer 5/16-inch bracing of the D-28. Over time players really began to latch on to the tonal variation, and as a result, the D-35 quickly became an industry standard among players and collectors alike.

Martin D35 Brazilian 50th Anniversary (Discontinued)

In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Martin' famous D-35, they have created the D-35 Brazilian 50th Anniversary Limited Edition. This very limited edition model is constructed with solid Madagascar rosewood sides and back wings, a Brazilian rosewood back center wedge and headplate, an FSC certified European spruce top with 1/4-inch high performance non-scalloped X-bracing, and ivoroid bindings throughout. Each D-35 Brazilian 50th Anniversary model bears an interior label personally signed by C. F. Martin IV, an Anniversary booklet and is numbered in sequence with the edition total. Limited to 100.

Martin SS-D35-13 (Discontinued)

This stunning SS-D35-13 features Madagascar rosewood sides and 3-piece solid Madagascar rosewood back, plus a cocobolo center wedge with a gorgeous waved edge. Not to remain "behind the scenes," this pattern is doubled on the guitar's headplate. An Engelmann spruce top and "42" style appointments complete this natural beauty of an instrument. It also features 14-frets, 930 Style Belly with Drop-In Saddle bridge, and the interior label signed by Christian Frederick Martin IV himself. Limited to a run of 30 instruments. This includes a 545E Slate Gray case.

Martin Standard Series DC-35E (Discontinued)

A Sitka spruce top is paired with East Indian rosewood sides and three-piece back in a classic combination called the Standard Series DC-35E Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitar. This special Martin features a black ebony fingerboard and bridge with a matching black pickguard, and is equipped with Martin SP Lifespan Phosphor Bronze strings. Plug into the state-of-the-art Fishman Aura VT Enhance electronics for an added benefit and slide into another dimension. The Martin D-35 is the base for this model. It was the preferred instrument of choice for musical artist Seth Avett before his Martin Custom D-35 signature acoustic guitar was created.

Martin CS35-11 Custom Shop (Discontinued)

A Custom Shop interpretation of the traditional Martin D-35, upgraded with a Carpathian spruce top and adirondack braces for increased tonal response. The Custom Shop CS35-11 is a modern interpretation of the classic Martin D-35. By upgrading to Madagascar rosewood on the back and sides and redesigning the traditional wedge style back, the Custom Shop was able to create a uniquely stunning instrument. The CS35-11 maintains the D-35's traditional bracing pattern, however, the Sitka top & brace material are upgraded with a Carpathian spruce top and adirondack braces for increased tonal response. Hide glue and a custom neck profile round out this one year only model. This Limited Edition Custom D-35 includes the Authentic Series specifications, featuring the traditional 3-piece "Wave Back," which is unique to the D-35 Martin guitars.

Martin D12-35 50th Anniversary (Discontinued)

Martin continues to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of their beloved D-35 model with the introduction of the D12-35 50th Anniversary Limited Edition model. This celebratory edition is a 12-string, solid headstock Dreadnought limited to a quantity of 183, the quantity of the first 1965 production run. This modern interpretation of the original model includes a European spruce top with Martin' Vintage Tone System (VTS) and 3-piece East Indian rosewood back and sides. Martin enthusiasts worldwide will want to add this beauty to their collection. The new Martin Vintage Tone System (VTS) uses a unique recipe that is based on the historic torrefaction system. The VTS acts much like a time machine in which Martin can target certain time periods and age the top/braces to that era. This focused method allows Martin builders to recreate not only the pleasing visual aesthetics of a vintage guitar, but also reproduce the special tones previously reserved for vintage instruments.

Martin D-35MP (Discontinued)

A special dreadnought with a solid Sitka spruce top and Madagascar rosewood back & sides. The Martin D-35MP Dreadnought Guitar gives you unsurpassed tone. A massive, solid Sitka spruce top produces a strong bass tone, ideal for rhythm playing. This special version of the D-35 is crafted in Madagascar rosewood for the back & sides. Madagascar rosewood is a close relative to Brazilian rosewood and will reward players of this guitar with rich sustain and complex overtones. To accentuate the treble, Martin uses lighter 1/4" top braces. Grained ivoroid binding on the back & sides and fretboard add to this acoustic model's distinctive appeal. The high-performance neck makes playing the D-35MP a pure pleasure.

Martin The D-35 Johnny Cash Commemorative (Discontinued)

This tribute to the "Man in Black" sounds as good as it looks. The Martin D-35 Johnny Cash Commemorative guitar's polished-black gloss lacquer finish allows its appointments to shine. Five bands of alternating black and white purfling encircle the top, three bands encircle the back and five bands border the sides, in all cases protected by grained ivoroid binding. The grained ivoroid heel cap and endpiece are likewise framed by multiple black and white inlays. The Style 45 rosette features an inlay of vibrant select green abalone pearl. Traditional Style 35 zigzag backstrips separate the three-piece back.

Martin Custom D-35 Seth Avett Signature Edition (Discontinued)

Built in collaboration with Seth Avett of The Avett Brothers, the Custom D-35 Seth Avett Signature Edition Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitar is a 14-fret dreadnought featuring a high-altitude Swiss spruce top that is harvested in winter months to produce a lighter-weight wood with better stiffness, and gives it a tight and even grain. The Custom D-35 Seth Avett Signature Edition Dreadnought also sports a three-piece back composed of East Indian rosewood with a flamed koa center wedge. Seth himself designed the copper snowflake inlays placed in the ebony fretboard.

Martin Retro Series D-35E Dreadnought (Discontinued)

Chris Martin's vision for the Retro Series is to perfectly capture the mystique and tonal emotion of priceless, pristine and well-aged Martin guitars. With electronic imaging contributed from a 1967 vintage D-35 "donor" guitar, the resulting acoustic as well as amplified tone is projective, balanced and resonant. Classic and enhanced D-35 appointments include a three-piece back, black pickguard, ivoroid bindings, a certified European spruce soundboard with thin 1/4 in. width bracing, and Fishman F1 Aura Plus electronics. The visual appeal of the original D-35 is captured and blended with a High Performance Neck taper for easy action and enhanced playability.

Other Martin Guitar Models

Martin Grand Performance | Martin Dreadnought | Martin D-18 | Martin D-28 | Martin HD-28 | Martin D-45 | Martin DX | Martin Dreadnought Junior | Martin Backpacker | Little Martin | Martin 0 | Martin 00 | Martin 000

Other Martin Guitar Series

Martin 15 Series | Martin 16 Series | Martin 17 Series | Martin Modern Deluxe Series | Martin Authentic Series | Martin Performing Artist Series | Martin Road Series | Martin Standard Series | Martin X Series | Martin Custom