Grand J-28E DN
Double neck, Aging Toner
A Grand Jumbo with two necks, built for the player who refuses to swap guitars mid-song
Amazon rating
No ratings yet
Price band
Over $2,000
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The short version
This is a specialist instrument and worth understanding before anything else: the DN stands for double neck. A 12-string neck sits above a conventional 6-string neck on one Grand Jumbo body, with a Fishman system wired for both. It exists to solve a specific live problem — the song that needs 12-string shimmer on the intro and 6-string articulation on the verse, without a guitar change and without a second instrument on a stand. The body is Martin's Grand Jumbo, wider in both bouts than a standard Jumbo, which is what allows one soundbox to carry the extra tension and still project. Materials are Standard Series throughout: solid spruce over solid East Indian rosewood, ebony fingerboards, dovetail joints, X-bracing, built in Nazareth. Both necks run a 25.4-inch scale so string tension feels consistent as you move between them, and the nut widths differ sensibly — 1 11/16 inches on the six, 1 13/16 on the twelve, where the extra courses need the room.
Score profile
Six axes, scored 1-10. These are editorial judgements about what this instrument delivers for the money — not measurements, and not anyone else’s ratings.
- Build
- 10.0
- Tone
- 9.0
- Versatility
- 9.0
- Comfort
- 6.0
- Hardware
- 9.0
- Value
- 6.0
Scores are Fretline editorial ratings on a 1-10 scale. They are our own assessment and are not supplied or endorsed by Amazon or by any manufacturer.
Full specifications
| Brand | Martin |
|---|---|
| Model | Grand J-28E DNDouble neck, Aging Toner |
| Body | |
| Body | Grand Jumbo, larger than a standard Jumbo |
| Body wood | Solid spruce top with solid East Indian rosewood back and sides |
| Top | Solid spruce, gloss |
| Back & sides | Solid East Indian rosewood, gloss |
| Bracing | X-bracing |
| Body finish | Gloss |
| Neck & fingerboard | |
| Neck joint | Dovetail neck joint; two necks — 6-string below, 12-string above |
| Neck wood | Select hardwood |
| Neck profile | Modified Low Oval on the 6-string neck |
| Neck finish | Satin |
| Scale length | 25.4" (645 mm) on both necks |
| Fingerboard | Ebony |
| Nut width | 1 11/16" (43 mm) on the 6-string neck, 1 13/16" (46 mm) on the 12-string |
| Electronics | |
| Electronics | Fishman double-neck system |
| General | |
| Type | Double-neck acoustic-electric guitar |
| Strings | Phosphor bronze |
| Finish | Aging Toner |
| Orientation | Right-handed |
20 verified fields. Specifications come from the manufacturer first, then the Amazon listing, then authorised dealers — sources are listed at the foot of this page. Fields the manufacturer does not publish are omitted rather than estimated.
The good and the bad
What we like
- Genuine 6-string and 12-string necks on one body, with a Fishman system for both
- Grand Jumbo body is bigger than a standard Jumbo, which is what makes the format work acoustically
- Standard Series construction: solid spruce, solid East Indian rosewood, ebony boards, dovetail joints
- Matched 25.4-inch scale on both necks, so tension feels consistent when you switch
- Nut widths differ per neck rather than being a compromise between them
What we do not
- A very expensive answer to a problem most players do not have
- Heavy and unwieldy, particularly seated
- Martin does not publish a fret count or fingerboard radius for this model, so we leave those fields empty
- No owner feedback yet — this is a new listing with no Amazon ratings
Who it is for
Skill level
Styles it suits
What owners and reviewers report
This listing has no Amazon ratings yet and we have not found enough published owner feedback to summarise. Rather than invent patterns, we have left this section empty until there is something real to report.
The verdict
Almost nobody needs this guitar, and the handful of players who do will not find many alternatives. As a piece of construction it is remarkable — carrying the combined tension of eighteen strings on one acoustic soundbox without choking the top is a genuinely hard problem, and the Grand Jumbo body is the reason it works. The trade-offs are exactly what you would expect: it is heavy, it is awkward seated, and it costs as much as several very good guitars. Judge it as a working tool for a specific stage problem, not as a general-purpose acoustic. If you are choosing a first or second Martin, the D-28 is the instrument to look at.
Sources
- Martin Guitar — Standard Series
- Amazon listing (B0F97L67RT), specifications from Martin's own product copy
Amazon rating captured —. ASIN B0F97L67RT.
Strings for this guitar
All stringsThe manufacturer does not publish the gauge this instrument ships with, so these are ordered by our editorial score rather than by fit. Measure the set on the guitar before changing to something noticeably lighter or heavier.
- 8.2/10
- 8.0/10
Elixir · Strings
NANOWEB Phosphor Bronze Acoustic
The same coated string as the light set, a step easier under the fingers
- 8.0/10
Elixir · Strings
NANOWEB Phosphor Bronze Acoustic
The long-life acoustic string, and still the one to beat on longevity
What else you need
All accessoriesThe highest-scoring option in each category that suits this instrument. If you have never owned a guitar before, the starter guide explains what each of these is for and what you can safely skip.
- 7.8/10
Fender · Tuners
FCT-2 Professional Clip-On Tuner
The tuner to buy first, before strings, before a strap, before anything
- 8.2/10
Dunlop · Picks
The Delrin pick that replaced tortoiseshell, in the gauge most people settle on
- 7.4/10
GLEAM · Stands
The accessory that decides whether the guitar gets played at all
- 7.8/10
CAHAYA · Bags and cases
Six pockets, which is five more than most bags and the reason to pick this one
Compared with
Related instruments
Ibanez · Acoustic-electric guitar
PJ50E Performance Series
Open-Pore Vintage Amber Sunburst
A jumbo body and a working preamp, at a price where you usually get neither
Martin · Acoustic guitar
D-28
Natural
The dreadnought every other dreadnought is measured against