What's a Herringbone ?

[JuanCarlosVejar]

Folks,

 

I often here people refer to a certain style of Martin Dread as "a herringbone" can anyone tell me why ??? ( I thought herringbone was a trim style)

 

 

 

 

thanks

 

 

 

 

 

JC

[kebob]

You are correct -- it is a trim style. Herringbone refers to the trim around the edges, such as on a HD28.

 

[MorrisrownSal]

The previous poster is correct. It refers to the herringbone trim on many of the higher end Martins. The old D-28s and the newer HD-28s have this trim. When Gibson unveiled its J-60 it was dubbed "The Bone-crusher" specifically, as it was designed to go head to head in bluegrass circles against the Martin herringbone offerings.

[jt]

As others have pointed out, Martins decorated its style 28 instruments with herringbone purfling. Martin ceased using herringbone after WWII. So, in guitar geek circles, a "Herringbone" is a prewar or wartime D-28.

[j45nick]

As others have pointed out, Martins decorated its style 28 instruments with herringbone purfling. Martin ceased using herringbone after WWII. So, in guitar geek circles, a "Herringbone" is a prewar or wartime D-28.

 

 

Or, just a "Bone" in the common parlance. Our own Tom Barnwell has several of these, I believe. And they can be pretty awesome guitars, for which you will pay a pretty awesome penny.

[RichG]

Or, just a "Bone" in the common parlance. Our own Tom Barnwell has several of these, I believe. And they can be pretty awesome guitars, for which you will pay a pretty awesome penny.

Or, to paraphrase that old Coasters song, "Shopping for Clothes" one guy says "Let me see that Herringbone" and another guy says "That's a GUITAR you'll never own"

 

Rich

[tpbiii]

The word comes from the fish -- the bones of a herring look like the trim on style 28 Martins

 

In the Martin world , the guitar designation has two parts -- X-Y, where X is the size and Y is the style (wood type, trim, etc.). Style 28 has been with Martin since the mid 19th century -- and it always had herringbone trim (until 1946). In the early 19th century, sizes were 1, 2, 2 1/2, 5, and 7 (there may be more) -- the higher the number, the smaller the size. In the 1890s, they got bigger and by 1931 there were also 0, 00, 000 and OM (Orchestra Model, a 14-fret 000). In 1931 came the D size -- named Dreadnaught after common usage for large battleships. The first D-28s were 12 fret (and called D-2 for a short time), but in mid 1934 the 14-fret D-28 was introduced. The first full year of production was 1935 -- 83 were made. Tony Rices famous guitar is one of those.

 

Bluegrass was invented around the prewar D-28s (and Gibson Loar mandolins and Gibson flat head banjos), albeit a decade after they were introduced and after the D-28 style changed. After 1947, the herringbone was dropped.

 

The search for old herringbone D-28 by Bluegrass rhythm players starting about 1945 was the kickoff of the great vintage guitar hunt.

 

Here are ours:

 

 

1921 0-28, 1935 D-28, 1939 D-28, 1938 000-28, 1944 D-28

 

This was the competition in 1935 and 1936.

 

 

Far fewer AJs (around 225 I think, but I did this from memory) were made (there were not many of either), and it did not really get the respect it deserved until maybe 25 years ago.

 

Let's pick,

 

-Tom

[JuanCarlosVejar]

The word comes from the fish -- the bones of a herring look like the trim on style 28 Martins

 

In the Martin world , the guitar designation has two parts -- X-Y, where X is the size and Y is the style (wood type, trim, etc.). Style 28 has been with Martin since the mid 19th century -- and it always had herringbone trim (until 1946). In the early 19th century, sizes were 1, 2, 2 1/2, 5, and 7 (there may be more) -- the higher the number, the smaller the size. In the 1890s, they got bigger and by 1931 there were also 0, 00, 000 and OM (Orchestra Model, a 14-fret 000). In 1931 came the D size -- named Dreadnaught after common usage for large battleships. The first D-28s were 12 fret (and called D-2 for a short time), but in mid 1934 the 14-fret D-28 was introduced. The first full year of production was 1935 -- 83 were made. Tony Rices famous guitar is one of those.

 

Bluegrass was invented around the prewar D-28s (and Gibson Loar mandolins and Gibson flat head banjos), albeit a decade after they were introduced and after the D-28 style changed. After 1947, the herringbone was dropped.

 

The search for old herringbone D-28 by Bluegrass rhythm players starting about 1945 was the kickoff of the great vintage guitar hunt.

 

Here are ours:

 

 

1921 0-28, 1935 D-28, 1939 D-28, 1938 000-28, 1944 D-28

 

This was the competition in 1935 and 1936.

 

 

Far fewer AJs (around 225 I think, but I did this from memory) were made (there were not many of either), and it did not really get the respect it deserved until maybe 25 years ago.

 

Let's pick,

 

-Tom

 

Thank You Tom !!!

 

so the new Martin 1941 D 28 authentic is an attempt to reproduce the said "Herringbone" ?

see the link here : http://www.martinguitar.com/series/item/3273.html

 

 

 

 

 

JC

[j45nick]

Thank You Tom !!!

 

so the new Martin 1941 D 28 authentic is an attempt to reproduce the said "Herringbone" ?

see the link here : http://www.martinguitar.com/series/item/3273.html

 

JC

 

 

That certainly appears to be the case, and if it does, it will be a bargain at the likely street price.

 

I'm still amazed at Tom B's collection of vintage Martins and Gibsons, which has to be one of the best anywhere in the world. We've got questions, and he's got answers, and the evidence to support them.

[EuroAussie]

Tom, how many vintage guitars do you actually have ... ?? :blink:

[JuanCarlosVejar]

That certainly appears to be the case, and if it does, it will be a bargain at the likely street price.

 

I'm still amazed at Tom B's collection of vintage Martins and Gibsons, which has to be one of the best anywhere in the world. We've got questions, and he's got answers, and the evidence to support them.

Nick ,

 

that leaves me thinking about how much easier and interesting it is for the people at Martin to analize and old prewar D 45... the other side is gibson having to look at pictures and take advice from historians to reissue a prewar J 200 ... I guess not many of the original 91(I think) survived .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JC

[j45nick]

Nick ,

 

that leaves me thinking about how much easier and interesting it is for the people at Martin to analize and old prewar D 45... the other side is gibson having to look at pictures and take advice from historians to reissue a prewar J 200 ... I guess not many of the original 91(I think) survived .

 

JC

 

Well, there are a fair number of those 90 or so early D-45's around. I've held two of those puppies myself in the last year. Stephen Stills used to have one. Don't know if he still does or not.

 

Needless to say, at their current market value, they don't come up for sale very often. I would have to sell my house to be able to afford one, and it's kind of hard to live inside a guitar, even a big square dread.