Martin Adds an All-Koa O’ahu HG-28K2
Martin’s October 6 lineup expansion adds the HG-28K2, pairing a koa top, back and sides with a compact sloped-shoulder body.
Martin expanded its O’ahu family on October 6 with the HG-28K2, a six-string acoustic pairing a solid koa top with solid flamed Hawaiian koa back and sides. It follows the spruce-topped HG-28, retaining the collection’s compact, sloped-shoulder body concept.
A smaller body, a short scale
Martin describes the HG outline as a smaller sloped-shoulder dreadnought with the depth of a 000. The scale measures 24.9 inches. Those dimensions are worth comparing in person if a full-size dreadnought feels cumbersome; the specification sheet cannot tell you how a guitar will sit against your own body.
What the specification sheet says
The current product specification lists scalloped spruce X-bracing, an ebony fingerboard and straightline ebony bridge, a compensated bone saddle and no onboard electronics. The neck joins the body at the 14th fret. Herringbone top trim and antique-white binding frame the natural gloss finish.
“All-koa” describes the top, back and sides here. It does not mean the neck, fingerboard or bridge uses the same wood.
The useful question for an audition is how that koa top compares with the existing spruce version. We have not played either instrument for this report. Which would you want to compare first?