Product Description

Custom Shop Build Overview

The Martin Custom Shop OM-28 Engelmann / Premium Guatemalan Rosewood is a refined Orchestra Model built with exceptional tonewoods and traditional Martin craftsmanship.

This Custom Shop build pairs a premium Engelmann spruce top with beautifully figured Guatemalan rosewood back and sides, creating a tone that is warm, responsive, and harmonically rich. Engelmann spruce is prized for its sensitivity and overtone complexity, making it especially appealing to fingerstyle players and musicians who prefer a guitar that responds easily to a lighter touch.

The classic OM body size provides remarkable balance across the tonal spectrum, with clear trebles, focused midrange, and controlled bass response. This design has long been favored by players who want excellent articulation for complex chord voicings and expressive melodic work.

Why Engelmann and Guatemalan Rosewood Work So Well Together

The pairing of Engelmann spruce with Guatemalan rosewood creates a tonal profile that blends warmth, clarity, and harmonic richness.

Sensitive response ideal for fingerstyle playing
Smooth treble response with excellent note separation
Rich overtone content from Guatemalan rosewood
Balanced projection well suited for recording and live performance

Guatemalan rosewood is often compared to Brazilian rosewood for its depth and complexity, offering lush overtones and a strong low-end presence while maintaining clarity across the fretboard.

Custom Shop Craftsmanship

Handcrafted in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, this Custom Shop instrument features Martin’s traditional dovetail neck joint and solid tonewood construction. The Golden Era scalloped Adirondack bracing allows the soundboard to vibrate freely, enhancing responsiveness and dynamic range.

The elegant Style 28 aesthetic combined with premium materials gives the guitar both visual sophistication and exceptional tonal character.

Condition

This 2024 guitar is in excellent condition. The only signs of use are light pick marks on the guard and a small ding located below the fretboard extension (see photos). These cosmetic details do not affect the instrument’s playability, structural integrity, or tone. The cases handle has one little piece of leather on the ends the became dislodged.