I don’t really need another D-28 but man this is almost too good to pass up. Don’t like that it is a 1 & 11/16 nut and the pick guard seems strange to me. Heck I could buy it, play it a year and get my money back, easily.
What do you guys think?
Great Deal!
Man, I should have put this in the shopping advice. Feel free to move.
Shawn, if it’s structurally sound, you can’t go wrong with that. The nut width is not my preference either, but that’s a really great deal.
I agree that the pickguard doesn’t look quite right (a little too close to the bridge and squared off at the bottom), but I have seen similar.
Since it’s close to you, I think it’s certainly worth a look. I’d look like a geek, but I’d bring a 2 foot straightedge to check the neck angle. If you don’t do that, check out the action and if it’s good and you have a decent amount of saddle showing, it’s probably good as well. Check around the bridge, headstock, neck block and tail block for cracks. Stuff that needs to be addressed wouldn’t necessarily be a disqualifier, but I’d want to check it out as well as I could.
I did a google image search and I am not seeing any pickguards like that. Of course, it could be a replacement.
Thanks Mike!
The pickguard isn’t a deal breaker but, that thing is bad. It looks like it overlaps the rosette in the back and separates from the rosette in the front. Pretty crooked. I just wonder how much of a tan line it will leave when removed or if it’s hiding any damage. If someone not that skilled has put that guard on there, what else have they messed with, ya know?
Great advice on what to check for! I have a check list of stuff like frets, cracks, bridge lifting, heel separation and a few other things. When I bought my Guild of CL I had all these things I was going to check and started chatting with the guy and didn’t look it over as good as I should have and wound up discovering that the bridge was lifting when I got it home. I won’t make the same mistake twice. 
When you talk about the straightedge, are you checking how the neck lines up with the top of the bridge? The straightedge should line up with the top of the bridge, shouldn’t it?
Man, my palms are sweating trying to decide what to do on this thing.
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I did a google image search and I am not seeing any pickguards like that. Of course, it could be a replacement.
google.com/search?num=10&hl= … UBAUzmuoz8
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Haha! Now you have me GASing for a HD28VS Mike. I’m rurnt. 
Seems like every website I visit has people talking about how great they are lately.
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When you talk about the straightedge, are you checking how the neck lines up with the top of the bridge? The straightedge should line up with the top of the bridge, shouldn’t it?
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That’s correct. It should line up roughly with the top of the bridge. Note that the 14th fret and above will have fallaway. It’s the angle from the main part of the fret board that is important there. A straight edge would be overkill if the guitar is set up decent. If it plays great (medium or lower action) and there is still plenty of saddle height, then the neck set is going to be fine. Sometimes, I’ll look at a guitar where the action is high, and without a straight edge, I am not sure what will be needed to be done. If the action is to your liking or close and there is a decent amount of saddle height, just sight down the neck and look for warps or other irregularities and you should have enough information about the general neck condition. I also like to play notes up the neck to check for dead spots and fret issues.
Hopefully you will get there and it will play great as it sits and you won’t have to do much work to know what you have.
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Haha! Now you have me GASing for a HD28VS Mike. I’m rurnt.
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That’s funny… I didn’t even notice I plugged in the “VS” for the search. You would think I would have looked at something other than the pickguards in the pictures.
In the search I should have done the first time, I think some of the pickguards look similar:
google.com/search?num=10&hl= … yaP1PA1Jcs
Maybe that’s a normal pickguard. (I still don’t think it’s quite right, but who knows)
Some of those look pretty close, don’t they. Welp, ain’t much left but to check it out. If it checks out, it’s like taking money out of one account and putting it in another. I don’t think I would have any trouble getting my money back out of it if I didn’t get along with the neck. Man, that’s a steal for a 28V.
I agree. Assuming you have room for it, a guitar is a great place to keep your money.
On the neck stuff: Frank Ford knows much more about this than I do. He wrote a nice article on checking neck angle. I thought I remembered seeing it a while back, and I found it. Here it is:
frets.com/FretsPages/Musicia … angle.html
By the way, at the price you are talking about, I don’t think a neck reset would necessarily be a disqualifier. If everything else is stellar, it’d still be a decent buy.
That’s a good article on neck angle Mike. Thanks.
I agree that with this price, it has a little room for some bumps and bruises. I’m almost expecting a little something wrong with it.
Well, I left a voice mail and then called back and talked to his wife about 3:00 and she said he would be home a little after 4. About 4:30 I pull up craigslist to look at the guitar ad while I’m talking to him…the guitar has been pulled from CL (although it still shows up through my link, must be inactive). I called him up and he says it just sold. CRAP. I’d say his phone has been ringing off the hook since he posted it this morning. I was pretty much done buying guitars for a while and this one almost pulled me out of retirement .
Anyways, thanks for all your help (enabler 
) Mike!
I am an enabler
Too bad you missed it… but maybe something better is on the horizon.
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Too bad you missed it… but maybe something better is on the horizon.
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Since I’m set for rosewood guitars, how about a D18VS! That’ll cure me!
Haha! Seriously, thanks for your help Mike!
Pretty Guitar on that one above here:
How much did they want for the first one anyway? What year was it…my link never worked so I had no clue on how good of a deal it was.
Sounds like you an I are in/were in the same boat… I found that D-18 that I mentioned in the other thread and have been like a kid ever since…and can you believe that in my search for info on the D18 1970 I even found a guy that needs some cash and I think I am going to go tomorrow and look at his D-28 and may get it for $800!!! I’ll buy about any D28 that is functionally sound for $800!
Oldhat
Regarding the D-18VS… droooooool. I’ve never seen one of those. I’d like to hear it!
Dave, the earlier link was for a 2000 (edit) HD-28V for 1500. It looked really clean. The pickguard didn’t look quite right, but otherwise, it seemed a steal.
You are right on the $800 D-28. That’s tough to pass up. I am now a mode where if one comes in, one needs to go out. But even so, I’d be tempted to get it so I could get to someone else and pass along the great deal.
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I am now a mode where if one comes in, one needs to go out. But even so, I’d be tempted to get it so I could get to someone else and pass along the great deal.
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At my age my brain is in that same mode. Every time something new comes in something else needs to go out to make room. I just keep hoping it’s not my name or address that leaves.
Me too! At least your name and address are on your license
Earlier I posted it was a D-28V… it was an HD-28V. This old age brain befuddlement seems to strike me at every turn.
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Me too! At least your name and address are on your license
Earlier I posted it was a D-28V… it was an HD-28V. This old age brain befuddlement seems to strike me at every turn.
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yeah and your “old age brain” called me “Dave” again. It’s Jesse by-the-way!
Oldhat
Haha… don’t know why I do that, but it seems to be a trend.