Answering player demand for a premium 0-size rosewood acoustic, the Martin Custom Shop 0-28 acoustic guitar pairs the intimacy of Martin’s compact 14-fret body with the rich harmonic character of Adirondack spruce and East Indian rosewood. A solid Adirondack spruce top with aging toner provides clarity, headroom and dynamic range, while solid East Indian rosewood back and sides add deep bass, warm resonance and complex overtones. Hand-shaped Adirondack Golden Era scalloped X-bracing enhances sustain and vintage-inspired response, and the 24.9" short scale with a GE Modified Low Oval neck profile gives the guitar a relaxed, comfortable feel. Finished in vintage gloss with bold herringbone and Style 28 appointments, this Custom Shop model delivers refined Martin craftsmanship in a compact, expressive acoustic built for serious players.
Adirondack Spruce and Rosewood in a Focused 0 Body
The Custom Shop 0-28 pairs an Adirondack spruce top with solid East Indian rosewood back and sides, creating a tonewood combination prized for power, clarity and overtone richness. Adirondack spruce contributes headroom and dynamic range, giving the guitar room to respond to both delicate fingerstyle and stronger right-hand attack. East Indian rosewood adds low-end depth, ringing trebles and harmonic bloom, giving this compact 0-size acoustic a richer voice than its small frame might suggest. Balanced by the focus and articulation of the 0-14 fret body, the result is a guitar well suited for fingerstyle, songwriting, intimate performance and recording.
Golden Era Bracing for Vintage-Inspired Response
Hand-shaped Adirondack Golden Era scalloped X-bracing gives the Custom Shop 0-28 a responsive foundation rooted in traditional Martin design. The 1/4" braces help the top move freely while maintaining the note separation and control that matter in a smaller-bodied guitar. This bracing approach supports sustain, dynamic nuance and a more open feel under the right hand, allowing the rosewood body to bloom without overwhelming the guitar’s natural focus. The result is a compact Custom Shop acoustic with warmth, resonance and refined responsiveness.
Short-Scale Comfort With Custom Shop Playability
The 24.9" scale length gives the Custom Shop 0-28 a slightly softer string feel than a long-scale acoustic, making chord work, bends and expressive fingerstyle phrasing feel more relaxed. A genuine mahogany neck with a GE Modified Low Oval profile and High Performance Taper balances vintage-inspired comfort with modern playability, while the 1.75" bone nut provides room for clean fretting-hand accuracy. A Plek setup further supports consistent response across the 20-fret ebony fingerboard, making this small-body Martin feel refined, approachable and performance-ready.
Style 28 Appointments and Vintage Gloss Finish
The Custom Shop 0-28 wears its Style 28 heritage with understated confidence. Grained ivoroid binding, bold herringbone top inlay and a Style 28 multi-stripe rosette frame the aging toner Adirondack spruce top with classic Martin detail. Diamond and square long abalone fingerboard inlays add traditional visual character, while the vintage gloss body and neck finish reinforce the guitar’s time-honored feel. Ebony for the fingerboard and bridge, bone for the nut and saddle, faux tortoise bridge pin dots and nickel open-gear tuners complete a build that feels purposeful, elegant and historically grounded.
A Gateway to Martin Custom Shop Rosewood Tone
An enticing entry point into Martin’s Custom Shop lineup, the Custom Shop 0-28 combines premium tonewoods, Golden Era-inspired construction and the intimate feel of a compact 0-size body. Its rosewood depth, overtone complexity and focused articulation make it especially compelling for fingerstyle players, songwriters and recording musicians who want rich acoustic character without the footprint of a larger body. Complete with a hardshell case, the Martin Custom Shop 0-28 acoustic guitar delivers heirloom-level craftsmanship in a responsive, player-friendly rosewood acoustic.