The Outlaw's Companion: Waylon Jennings’ 1946 D-28

From the Factory, Players | December 29, 2025

The Outlaw's Companion: Waylon Jennings’ 1946 D-28

A Guitar That Bridged Eras—And Helped Shape the Sound of Outlaw Country

Waylon Jennings' 1946 D-28 in the Martin Museum

Among the many historic instruments and artifacts preserved in the Martin Museum, few capture the rebel spirit of country music quite like Waylon Jennings’ 1946 D-28. Though it isn’t currently on display, this guitar remains one of the standout pieces in the Martin archives—a behind-the-scenes treasure that offers a rare glimpse into the roots of outlaw country. Once Waylon’s go-to songwriting companion, this transitional-era Martin blends the herringbone style of the past with the boldness of a movement that refused to follow the rules.

“Waylon was one of those pivotal figures in country music,” says Jason Ahner, Martin’s museum and archives manager. “Early on, he was a bass player for Buddy Holly, and later he became a central figure in outlaw country—Waylon, Willie [Nelson], Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson. That whole movement changed everything.”

A Transitional Guitar for a Transitional Artist

Waylon’s D-28 is one of those rare instruments that quite literally bridges eras. Built in 1946, it carries the last of Martin’s pre-war herringbone trim around its spruce top and features the newly simplified dot inlays that would define the post-war look.

“What’s cool about this one is it’s a transitional period D-28,” Jason explains. “It still has herringbone on the top, but it has dots on the fingerboard. Around that time, Martin stopped scalloping the braces, switched the Style 28 trim, and simplified the inlays. So this ’46 kind of has a mix of everything—it bridges two eras.”

It’s also one of the first D-28s built after World War II—number 42 of that year, made with coveted Brazilian rosewood back and sides. The guitar represents a unique moment in Martin history—where old-world appointments were giving way to new post-war materials and design choices.

And for Waylon, it wasn’t just another guitar—it was the guitar. “That was his primary writing guitar for a while,” Jason says. “In the studio, on tour—probably on the bus. A lot of his most well-known songs were written on that guitar.”

While Waylon is most often pictured with his iconic black-and-white Fender Telecaster, that D-28 was his trusted companion in quieter moments—the one that helped him find the words before he cranked up the amps.

A closeup of the wear around the soundhole of Waylon Jennings' 1946 D-28

From West Texas to the World

Waylon Jennings’ journey to outlaw icon didn’t follow the Nashville script. Born in Littlefield, Texas, in 1937, he grew up surrounded by cotton fields, AM radios, and the sounds of honky-tonk. He started out as a DJ before Buddy Holly recruited him to play bass on the “Winter Dance Party” tour in 1959.

Tragedy struck when Waylon gave up his seat on the plane that crashed and killed Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. Richardson (“The Big Bopper”). The loss haunted him for years, but it also deepened Holly’s influence on his life and music—and on music history as a whole. The event was later immortalized in Don McLean’s “American Pie,” written and recorded on McLean’s own late-’60s D-28, further tying the moment to both American culture and Martin’s story.

the headstock of Waylon Jennings' 1946 D-28

It took Waylon years to regain his footing. After a stretch of bar gigs, label battles, and creative roadblocks, he finally pushed his way back into the spotlight. By the early 1970s, Nashville’s studio system was running on autopilot, and Waylon was ready to derail it. He fought for artistic freedom—to record the songs he believed in, with the musicians he trusted, in the way that felt right. And it worked. Albums like Honky Tonk Heroes and Dreaming My Dreams nudged country music into rougher, more personal terrain, laying the foundation for the record that would define the outlaw movement: Wanted! The Outlaws.

Released in 1976, Wanted! The Outlaws united Waylon, Willie Nelson, Waylon’s wife Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser—four artists who embodied the heart of this new sound. Although it was a compilation of earlier material plus four new tracks, the album struck a powerful chord with listeners nationwide. It shot to No. 1 on the country charts and climbed to No. 10 on the pop charts, propelled by two major singles: “Suspicious Minds,” which peaked at No. 2, and “Good Hearted Woman,” which became a No. 1 hit, both featuring Jennings.

Most importantly, the album made history as the first country record ever certified platinum, selling more than one million copies. Its impact was so enduring that, in 1984, it became one of the first titles RCA reissued on compact disc.

“They were moving country in a different direction,” Jason says. “The songwriting got edgier—you weren’t just hearing about losing your truck or your dog. They were talking about real stuff, even controversial stuff. It gave country more of an edge.”

The upper bout of Waylon Jennings' 1946 D-28

Outlaw Country Meets the Martin Sound

For all its grit, the outlaw movement still leaned on the acoustic guitar’s heartbeat—and Martins were there every step of the way. From Johnny Cash’s all-black D-42 to Willie Nelson’s weathered N-20, the company’s guitars became the backbone of the sound.

“Obviously, Martin’s always been huge in bluegrass and traditional country,” Jason says. “But when artists like Waylon or Johnny Cash or Willie play your guitars, it shows you can’t pigeonhole a D-18 or a D-28 as ‘just for bluegrass.’”

Waylon’s D-28 embodies that idea—equal parts tradition and rebellion, built for clarity but played with conviction. Its voice was pure Martin, but the songs it helped shape—gritty, unpolished, and deeply human—became the soundtrack to a movement that refused to play by the rules.

Detail of the back of Waylon Jennings' 1946 D-28

Preserving the Outlaw Spirit

Waylon’s guitar, along with his Hammond B3 organ, now lives in the Martin archives in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. It’s not currently on display, but its presence is felt in every corner of the museum.

That’s part of what makes the Martin collection so special. It isn’t static—it breathes. Guitars rotate in and out of exhibits, telling new stories every season, reminding visitors that Martin’s legacy isn’t frozen in glass cases—it’s alive, evolving, and still playing.

“When you look at a guitar like this,” Jason says, “you realize it’s not just about specs or famous names. It’s about what that instrument meant to the person who played it—and what it continues to mean to the people who see it.”

For Waylon, that D-28 was a lifeline—a reminder of where he came from and the freedom he fought for. For Martin, it’s a reminder that even the most traditional instruments can inspire revolution.

Like its owner, this 1946 D-28 stood at the crossroads of eras—melding pre-war craftsmanship with post-war innovation, country roots with rock energy, and a timeless Martin tone with the spirit of an outlaw.