d18 vs D15m

[yoda_soda]

So i'm looking at martin dreads i am considering for my next purchase (sometime in 2020) .... why is a d18 so much more than a d15m? Ok so they're both american made and all solid wood. Neck joint design!? bracing? both? Is the d18 worth it in the long run?

[Wade Hampton]

The "15 series" guitars use a simpler method of construction and a finish that can be applied and cured much faster than the nitrocellulose lacquer finish on "Standard Series" Martin guitars like the D-18. Time is money, and the biggest single cost in the construction of any factory-built guitar is the labor costs.

Traditional nitrocellulose lacquer finishes take a fairly long time to apply, because they have to be applied in layers and each layer has to cure before the next one can be applied. In addition to that, the employees who work in the finish shop tend to be among the most highly skilled and thus most highly paid workers on the factory floor.

Hope that makes sense.


Wade Hampton Miller

[Oldguy64]

I rarely play a Martin that moves me.
I’ve only ever seen and played one D18.
Of the handful of Martins that have blown me out of my socks...that D18 was one. It may have been the beat Martin I’ve ever played.
The 000-28EC I played in the mid-90’s was also darn fine.

I’ve played a fair few of the “lower” models.
I’d take the MMV dread over the D15.

[BoneDigger]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

The "15 series" guitars use a simpler method of construction and a finish that can be applied and cured much faster than the nitrocellulose lacquer finish on "Standard Series" Martin guitars like the D-18. Time is money, and the biggest single cost in the construction of any factory-built guitar is the labor costs.

Traditional nitrocellulose lacquer finishes take a fairly long time to apply, because they have to be applied in layers and each layer has to cure before the next one can be applied. In addition to that, the employees who work in the finish shop tend to be among the most highly skilled and thus most highly paid workers on the factory floor.

Hope that makes sense.


Wade Hampton Miller

I think Wade has summoned this up. The 15 series was never meant to be a higher end guitar. The materials used were in response to the Depression era if I'm not mistaken. The idea was to make a guitar that was cheap but still good. I personally live the D15 and currently own two. I also own a D18 GE. I honest play the 15 more than the 18, but they both have their benefits. The 18 is crisper in tone, the 15 more laid back and "Woody" but both are great.

[Jaden]

It’s a very good and interesting question. I have both a standard series and 15 series 000 and the standard is exactly twice the price within a 20 dollar bill. As Wade has said, the finish of the guitar is a huge component of time and expense to produce a guitar. In my neck of the woods, at least one luthier who receives commissions from stars in California builds his custom order, then ships it off to his compatriot across the country(!) who then applies the finish - the latter is close to 50% of the entire investment in time to get to the final result.

[kcnbys]

The D18 will only be worth it if it has the look and sound you desire. The D15 is quite distinct from the D18 in both appearance and tone; both are fantastic, just different. The 18 is probably more versatile, but the 15 has a tone that just might grab you, as it has so many. If you can afford either one, play them both and go with your gut, not your wallet. It's really a win-win.

[CoffeeFan]

I've said it before and I'll say it again: For my money, the Martin D-18 is just about the most perfect guitar there is...

[DesertTwang]

Am I the only one who is under the impression that the D-15m has a mahogany top, while the D-18 obviously has a spruce top? I guess I'm just confused none of the previous responses have brought this up. The difference in tone between the two is night and day, so I wouldn't even compare these two models.

[PTL]

because of the difference in tonewood, I believe that there will be some who may prefer the 15 series. I had the 000-15sm and it was a beautifully vibrant guitar - I think on par with the much more expensive standard series.

[SalFromChatham]

I bought my D15 first. I still have it. I bought my D18 after, which I sold and regret. These are two fantastic guitars to own. One does not replace the other. If money is currently tight, get the D15, and save for the 18 also subsequently.

Like I said, I still have my D15. It’s a fantastic model. If you want to brighten it up, play with changing strings.

[pszy22]

I don't own either guitar, but I do own a 000-15M and a 000-18. THey are pretty different in terms of the way they sound. If I could only own one, I'd go with the 000-18.

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by pszy22

I don't own either guitar, but I do own a 000-15M and a 000-18. THey are pretty different in terms of the way they sound. If I could only own one, I'd go with the 000-18.

I’m not a dread guy anymore, so don’t own and haven’t even played either guitar within the past 20 years. But I did own an 000-15M for a couple years, have played an 000-18 fairly recently, and now own an 000-15SM. When I was looking to buy a few months ago, I played a LOT of guitars and my two favorites were an 00-18V and the 000-15SM. They were both sublime, and for my ears the best of anything I played under $3000. I played all of the 00, 000, and OM models I could find under that price cap, including pretty much everything in the 15, 17, 18, and 28 families. And these two kept rising to the top, over both the 000-15M I’d once owned, and the 000-18 I also really dug.

Both mahogany B&S, but spruce vs mahogany top. And 14 fret vs 12 fret. I played em back to back to back to back for well over an hour. If I could have bought both, I might have. They were different, but not all that different. I kept coming back to the 000-15SM, so I took it home and passed on the 00-18V. That the 000-15SM cost roughly half as much was a really nice bonus, but didn’t affect my decision - I was gonna buy the one I liked more.

I discerned no quality difference between them, mostly just finish, and I really love the plain brown satin wrapper of the 15 series a lot...

[budglo]

If we were comparing the D15M to a straightbraced D18 it would be a closer choice, but since we are talking the newer version , its not even close. D18 all day long.

[GHS]

In the 15 series I would lean towards the 000-00 style. They have a nice compact feel and still have the deep bass response of the larger D models in part due to its lighter build. In the 18 series I would check out Takamine's EF340tt...about half the price and within mm's of the Martins specs..same woods, spruce over mahogany, nice case and outstanding tone. I play with a guy who owns a D-18 so we can compare them fairly.

[Larry Mal]

But yes, there are differences with how the neck is attached, the D15 has a "simple dovetail" and the D-18 has a "dovetail neck joint". And that extra complexity of one joint over another would add to the cost.

Really, they are two very different guitars.