This guitar doesn't meet the standards of GAS production common to this forum, but I know the folks here enjoy pictures and this one might bring back some
memories. This is a 1986 Martin D-2832 Shenandoah.
Martin produced the Shenandoah series from 1983 to 1996. Through 1993, basic assembly of the Shenandoah models was done in Japan. The parts were then shipped to the Martin factory in Nazareth, PA, for final assembly and finish. After 1993, the Shenandoah guitars were made entirely in Japan.
The Shenandoah guitars differed from the Standard series in that they had solid spruce tops but laminated back and sides. Fingerboards and bridges were made of "ebonized" rosewood and the necks were made of nato. The various models were of the same shapes and sizes of their standard series cousins and carried that model number with the suffix "32." Thus my D-2832 is a D-28 of the Shenandoah series, a D-1832 would be a D-18 Shenandoah, etc. To my knowledge, all the Shenandoah guitars came with a Thinline under-saddle transducer with end pin jack.
My D-2832 is a very well made guitar and, at first glance, is almost visually indistiguishable from a standard series Martin. The finish is excellent and of the same quality of its higher-priced siblings. The guitar was perfectly set up when I brought it home in 1987, and I have never made an adjustment. As far as tone goes, it has a nice solid dreadnaught sound limited by the laminated back and sides. The trebles are superb, but the bass doesn't "breathe" like higher end guitars. The Thinline transducer is pretty good and the guitar seems to come alive when I plug in...probably why Martin included it in the first place.
I bought this guitar new in July, 1987, from my friend Lex Durlauf of Durlauf's Music Shop in Louisville, Ky. Sadly, Durlauf's went out of business a few months later, a victim of cutbacks in school music programs which were a staple of their business. These guitars haven't appreciated over the years and you can pick one up for around $500.00, which is just a little more than I paid for the one you see above.
Martin produced the Shenandoah series from 1983 to 1996. Through 1993, basic assembly of the Shenandoah models was done in Japan. The parts were then shipped to the Martin factory in Nazareth, PA, for final assembly and finish. After 1993, the Shenandoah guitars were made entirely in Japan.
The Shenandoah guitars differed from the Standard series in that they had solid spruce tops but laminated back and sides. Fingerboards and bridges were made of "ebonized" rosewood and the necks were made of nato. The various models were of the same shapes and sizes of their standard series cousins and carried that model number with the suffix "32." Thus my D-2832 is a D-28 of the Shenandoah series, a D-1832 would be a D-18 Shenandoah, etc. To my knowledge, all the Shenandoah guitars came with a Thinline under-saddle transducer with end pin jack.
My D-2832 is a very well made guitar and, at first glance, is almost visually indistiguishable from a standard series Martin. The finish is excellent and of the same quality of its higher-priced siblings. The guitar was perfectly set up when I brought it home in 1987, and I have never made an adjustment. As far as tone goes, it has a nice solid dreadnaught sound limited by the laminated back and sides. The trebles are superb, but the bass doesn't "breathe" like higher end guitars. The Thinline transducer is pretty good and the guitar seems to come alive when I plug in...probably why Martin included it in the first place.
I bought this guitar new in July, 1987, from my friend Lex Durlauf of Durlauf's Music Shop in Louisville, Ky. Sadly, Durlauf's went out of business a few months later, a victim of cutbacks in school music programs which were a staple of their business. These guitars haven't appreciated over the years and you can pick one up for around $500.00, which is just a little more than I paid for the one you see above.
