1967 Martin D-28 “The Great Train Robbery SPECIAL” | A one-of-a-kind Martin, the only one of its kind in the world.

In the 19th century, the construction of railroads across the American continent marked a dramatic shift in the era of westward expansion.
Symbolic of that era were steam locomotives, billowing thick plumes of smoke as they sped along.
Only the privileged class of that time were allowed to ride it.
And the mail car on this train was loaded with a huge amount of gold coins.
Brave and ruthless train robbers pursue this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
The epic drama they unfolded was later recreated in numerous Hollywood films.

And this "D-28 "Train"" is the guitar that encapsulates that adventure and romance.

This guitar was inherited from a guitar collector on the American West Coast, along with its history and the sentiments behind it.
The American West Coast is a dream city that has nurtured countless stories, including Hollywood, known as the mecca of movies. The scenery, woven from blue skies and endless sunlight, is more than just a cityscape. In recent years, San Francisco has been chosen as the host city for the next Olympics, and as seen in daily sports news, Shohei Ohtani is making a name for himself in baseball, making it a familiar place to many.

The first thing that catches the eye is the fingerboard. A powerful six-car steam locomotive races across the neck end and headstock. Beside it, scenes of robbers threatening passengers with pistols, figures holding bags of gold coins, and gentlemen and ladies with their hands raised are recreated in exquisite inlay work using avalon pearls and stones.

One of the finest inlay artists in the musical instrument world, he began making acoustic guitars in 1972 and in 1975 made solid-body guitars under Rick Turner of Alembic Guitars. He says that learning the basics of inlay from Turner to cover up a scratch caused by a mistake in drilling holes in the body became the catalyst for his subsequent exploration of inlay art.

Robinson honed his skills through countless inlay projects, and by the mid-1980s, he was known as a highly skilled craftsman, with people saying, "If you want a beautiful inlay on a musical instrument, you should ask him."
I have worked with virtually every major guitar maker in America, including Martin, Gibson, Fender, Santa Cruz Guitar Company, National Resophonic, Kevin Ryan, James Olson, Lance McCallum, and Cathy Wingart, and have also received orders from hundreds of individual clients.

In 1994, he published the acclaimed book "THE ART of INLAY," which reveals some of the secrets to his technique. "When I was learning how to do inlay, other artists were very kind and gave me advice. So I thought this book would be a way to pass on some of that advice to the next generation," he says. The book includes not only photographs of the works he has worked on, but also information about the tools and materials he uses, and it has now become one of the bibles for luthiers.
This book was revised in 1999 and 2005. (The photo shows the 2005 revised edition.)

In early 2002, 30 years after making his first guitar, Robinson received a call at his workshop in Northern California from Dick Bourke, head of special projects at CF Martin & Company. "He said he was about to make his one millionth guitar and that CF Martin IV, the great-great-grandson of the company's founder, felt something fitting to commemorate the milestone," Robinson explains. "I had made two very luxurious guitars for Martin, the D-45 China Dragon and the D-45 Peacock, but Dick said he was looking for something that surpassed those in terms of ornamentation and encapsulated the company's 171-year history. I was very honored that they chose me for such an important project."

And that's how we ended up with what's known as #1,000,000.
Since then, he has continued to play a key role in the top-of-the-acoustic milestones, reaching #1,500,000 and #2,000,000.
Incidentally, the D-200 DELUXE, produced to commemorate the 2,000,000th unit sold, is being traded for nearly 20 million yen.

His delicate yet bold approach breathes a vibrant story into this guitar.

The pickguard and binding also make this guitar special. They are made of sterling silver and feature intricate and elaborate engraving.

Sterling silver is a high-quality silver material used in luxury jewelry and accessories. With a purity of 92.5%, it possesses an elegant luster. This decoration, which extends not only to the outer perimeter of the body but also to the back stripe and both sides of the neck, is the epitome of luxury. Over time, it develops an even deeper shine along with the guitar.

This instrument was crafted by Greg Rich, who formerly ran the Rich & Taylor custom guitar workshop, and his masterful workmanship shines through in every detail. He is an indispensable figure in Gibson's banjo history, and his time at Gibson is known as the "Greg Rich Era," captivating enthusiasts to an extent.

Banjo-making techniques underwent significant advancements, particularly during the heyday of mainstream instruments in the 1920s and 30s, making it rare for modern banjo makers to not only match but surpass both sets of techniques.
Greg Rich is one of those individuals who, through a lifetime of work, has inherited the structural and decorative standards of respected makers of the past, capturing and distilling the vibrant spirit of the banjo's past into contemporary banjo art.

While living in Newport Beach, California, Greg Rich became intrigued by the exciting instrument he heard in the movie "Bonnie and Clyde." He learned about vintage banjos from a collector named Randy Snotty Greg, and then, under Randy's guidance, he taught himself the essentials of all these skills by taking architecture classes, metal carving, wood carving, and custom painting classes in San Diego.

He then lived and worked in Snotti's workshop, beginning to build and repair custom banjos. His reputation for custom repairs quickly spread throughout Southern California. His expertise and approach to making instruments look as original and aged as possible caught the eye of renowned collector and musician Mac Yasuda, who entrusted him with the repair and restoration of Tsumura's legendary banjo collection.

With the resurgence of bluegrass music in the mid-1980s, Gibson sought to revive its struggling banjo line to its former glory. Greg Richie was chosen by Gibson to lead this effort, and under his leadership and rich creative spirit, a new banjo division was established. Richie was given the authority to select staff from the company's finest string instrument makers. The brilliant Gibson banjos produced during his tenure are regarded with the same admiration and respect as the company's master models from the 1920s and 30s, and many other unique art guitars and banjos are personally cherished.

Guitars created by Greg Rich have been collected not only by stars such as Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, and Garth Brooks, but also by some of the world's leading instrument enthusiasts.RecruitGreg Rich, who left Gibson in 1993, has been involved in the production of Goldstar banjos and Rich & Taylor banjos, and was inducted into the American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame in 2021.

Moreover, there's an anecdote that this special edition of the train robbery was intended for the hands of Clint Eastwood, the film industry's giant who has won a total of four Oscars as both a director and actor. It's a fitting choice for him, a symbol of Western films and a music lover, truly embodying the "soul of the Western."

This guitar is a truly museum-quality acoustic guitar that conveys timeless romance to the present day.
Touch it, and the winds of the Wild West will blow into your heart.

This guitar is also featured on the homepage of the Shinko Music Mook/Martin GUITAR BOOK 2.