Martin Announces D-28KTBS Bob Shane Signature Edition Model
 January 17, 2003
This year marks the 45th Anniversary of The Kingston Trio. To commemorate this milestone, and to offer special recognition to Bob Shane for his influence as a guitarist, Martin presents the Bob Shane D-28KTBS limited edition guitar.
With the release of "Tom Dooley" in October of 1958, Bob Shane, Nick Reynolds and Dave Guard re-introduced America to its folk and acoustic music heritage and single-handedly ushered in the "folk boom" of the late 50s and early 60's. As the popularity of the Trio grew, so did the demand for Martin guitars. The Kingston Trio played Martin guitars exclusively, and every best seller Trio album prominently displayed the group with their Martin instruments. The company finally had to build a new factory in Nazareth to meet the demand for Martin guitars fueled by The Kingston Trio frenzy.
In designing this instrument, Martin closely examined Bob's original 1957 D-28, which was purchased at Bergstrom Music in Honolulu, Hawaii (his home town). This guitar, still in excellent condition, was used in the Trio until 1960. In addition, specs from Bob's 1960 D-28 were referenced, as well.
The D-28KTBS is a 14-fret dreadnought crafted of select East Indian rosewood back and sides, coupled with a premium Sitka spruce top. The solid mahogany neck features a square tapered headstock with polished lacquer head plate (using the old style scroll logo decal) and hand-carved diamond volute. The satin finished neck is fitted with a genuine ebony fingerboard and inlaid with mother-of-pearl position dots, "The Kingston Trio" logo between the 11th, 12th & 13th frets, and "Bob Shane" pearl signature between the 19th and 20th frets. Each guitar will be numbered in sequence and personally signed by Bob Shane and C.F. Martin IV, and is delivered in a deluxe Geib' style vintage hardshell case.
For real Kingston Trio aficionados, the D-28KTBS will be offered with optional "Josh White" oversized black pick guards. In 1963, Harmon Satterlee, the San Francisco luthier and Martin dealer who did virtually all of the repair work on the Trio's instruments, affixed these style guards to Bob's 1960 D-28. Bob had picked up the idea as a way of preventing complete wearing through of the top from heavy pick usage. These guards would become a Shane trademark of sorts among Trio fans.
The edition size is limited to a specific ordering period to close on April 16, 2003. After the order period closes, the size of the editions and the names of participating dealers will be posted on the Martin website. For more information, visit their web site at www.martinguitar.com. | 
