A Classic Martin Design, Reimagined for Modern Players
Picture this: you're settling in for an evening session, and you reach for a guitar that feels like it's been played for decades—warm, open, and resonant—but it's fresh out of the case. That's the Martin 0012-28 Modern Deluxe. This 12-fret 00 body is a fingerpicker's best friend, intimate enough for the couch but surprisingly powerful when you need it. Martin took the blueprint of their legendary pre-war 00-28 models and brought it into the present with torrefied woods, carbon fiber innovations, and a neck profile that just disappears in your hand. The result is a guitar that sounds vintage but plays decidedly modern.
The torrefied Sitka spruce top and Adirondack spruce bracing—both treated with Martin's Vintage Tone System—deliver that aged, broken-in tone right away. Paired with East Indian rosewood back and sides, you get warmth, clarity, and a focused low end that belies the compact body size. Whether you're working through intricate fingerstyle patterns or strumming with a pick to bring out its naturally bright fundamentals, the 0012-28 Modern Deluxe responds with balance and character. This is a guitar built for players who want the soul of a vintage Martin without waiting fifty years to get there.
And it's not just about tone. The Vintage Deluxe neck profile is slightly asymmetrical for maximum comfort up and down the fretboard, and the 24.9" scale length makes fretting feel effortless. If you've ever wanted a vintage-inspired 12-fret Martin that plays like a contemporary instrument, this is it.
Vintage Tone System: Aged Sound, Right Out of the Case
Martin's Vintage Tone System is the secret behind the 0012-28's instantly mature voice. The Sitka spruce top and Adirondack spruce bracing are torrefied—a controlled aging process that removes moisture and resins from the wood—to replicate the tonal properties of a guitar that's been played for decades. Unlike traditional torrefaction, Martin's VTS process doesn't dramatically darken the wood, so you get vintage sound without the vintage discoloration. A hand-applied vintage gloss finish completes the look, giving the guitar the warm coloring of a well-loved instrument.
The results are immediately apparent: maximum projection, harmonic richness, and that open, airy quality that makes old Martins so sought after. Scalloped X-bracing lets the top move freely for quick response and long sustain, while the dovetail neck joint and natural protein glue construction reinforce the classic Martin tonal foundation. This is a guitar that sounds like it's been broken in by generations of players, even if you're the first to pick it up.
Modern Innovations That Enhance, Not Compromise
Martin didn't stop at replicating vintage tone—they enhanced it with carefully chosen modern materials. The carbon fiber bridge plate is ultra-stiff and lightweight, boosting volume and projection without adding weight or sacrificing resonance. Liquidmetal bridge pins return energy to the top for greater attack and sustain, while EVO gold frets offer extra hardness for longer life and smoother bends. A titanium truss rod provides reliable neck stability, and the slightly asymmetrical Vintage Deluxe neck shape is designed for comfort whether you're playing open chords at the nut or stretching for high notes up the neck.
Visually, the 0012-28 Modern Deluxe is striking. European flamed maple binding contrasts beautifully with the herringbone top purfling, and the slotted headstock features a 1933-style script logo inlaid in pearl. Waverly gold open-gear tuners with butterbean knobs offer smooth, reliable tuning, and abalone side dots and fingerboard inlays add elegant touches throughout. This is a guitar that looks as special as it sounds, with a level of detail you'd expect from Martin's premium offerings.
The 12-Fret 00 Body: Intimate, Balanced, and Surprisingly Powerful
The 00 body size has been a fingerstylist favorite for over a century, and the 12-fret configuration takes it a step further. With the bridge positioned closer to the center of the lower bout, you get enhanced bass response and a more open, airy tone. The compact size makes it easy to position for optimal wrist alignment, whether you're fingerpicking or flatpicking, and the 1 13/16" nut width and 2 1/4" string spacing at the saddle provide plenty of room for precise fretting and picking.
Don't let the size fool you—this guitar projects beautifully. The combination of VTS-treated tonewoods, scalloped bracing, and the carbon fiber bridge plate means the 0012-28 punches well above its weight class. It's equally at home in a living room jam session or on a small stage, and the 24.9" scale length makes it feel effortless under your fingers. If you've been curious about 12-fret Martins but worried about playability, the Modern Deluxe's refined neck profile and modern appointments make this an easy guitar to fall in love with.
Product Features:
- Body Size: 00 12-fret body with intimate balance and enhanced bass response
- Top: Solid Sitka spruce with Vintage Tone System (VTS) torrefaction for aged tone
- Back and Sides: Solid East Indian rosewood for warm, harmonically complex tone
- Neck: Genuine mahogany with Vintage Deluxe profile and High Performance Taper
- Fingerboard: Ebony with diamonds and squares abalone inlay, 1 13/16" nut width
- Bracing: Scalloped X-brace with Adirondack spruce treated with VTS
- Scale Length: 24.9" for comfortable fretting and light touch
- Bridge Plate: Carbon fiber composite for enhanced volume and projection
- Bridge Pins: Liquidmetal with red dots for increased energy return
- Tuners: Waverly gold open-gear side-mount tuners with butterbean knobs
- Frets: EVO gold frets, 20 total
- Binding: European flamed maple on body with bold herringbone top purfling
- Construction: Dovetail neck joint with natural protein glue
- Finish: Vintage gloss on top and back/sides
Brand: Martin
Model: 0012-28 Modern Deluxe
SKU: 10001228MODERNDELUXE
Condition: New
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