The Acoustic Guitar Forum - For Sale: SOLD

back up for sale (frustratingly the fifth time)

Up for sale is my exceedingly rare 2003 Martin J-15 in excellent condition. Please read the entire description as there is important information about this very special guitar.

If you are considering spending upwards of a thousand dollars on a guitar, take the time to read all of this – it is important.

Read this mahogany explanation!

There is a lot of confusion and misleading info around Martin's mahogany models.

The mahogany 15’s were a vintage line of Martins, popular in the 20's 30's and 40's. They discontinued them but then brought them back and were very successful. These models were all marked as 15-series guitars, such as D-15, 000-15 etcetera.

Martin again relaunched this line and added the 'M' designation such as D-15M, 000-15M etcetera. That's where the confusion sets in: Previously the 15-series guitars were all genuine mahogany (Swietenia Macrophylia). Once Martin added the 'M' to the names they started allowing similar woods to be called mahogany such as sapele, khaya and sipo.

The more recent 15M's could be any similar wood but unless Martin explicitly lists it as "genuine mahogany" it is a substitute. Browse their website to see guitars listed as “mahogany” and their Custom Shop guitars listed as “genuine mahogany”.

So, the only way to get a real mahogany Martin guitar is to buy one from their Custom Shop (for a lot more money) or find an older model before when “mahogany” was mahogany. This is one of those!

This guitar is the real deal, genuine mahogany (swietenia macrophylia).

Look at other models and you will see a pronounced “zebra stripe” pattern which is the tell-tale indicator it is *NOT* genuine mahogany.

This guitar is the real thing, genuine mahogany before they started playing those shenanigans. You can see from the photos the mahogany is real, genuine mahogany. It does have a pronounced chatoyance (optical illusion phenomenon where you see patterns from the grain depending upon the angle you view it from).

I read that the pre-2000 models also have slight differences like a bevel on the tailblock that allows the soundboard to move a tiny bit more freely. So, the general consensus seems to be that the pre-2000's are "better", all around.

Model explanation and rarity

Everyone is familiar with Martin's “D” dreadnought guitars, of course. Many are familiar with the 000 and orchestra models (similar small bodied guitars with different nut widths).

The D-15 (dreadnought) and 000-15 (orchestra) guitars are very common.

For a very short time, Martin offered a larger version of the 000 body. Very curvy (like the 000) but larger. It was designated a “Jumbo” but is more accurately described as a mini Jumbo.

The J-15 is the (mini) Jumbo in this mahogany family of guitars.

Do some Google searches and you will see this guitar is very rare, but every reviewer/owner has described it as the “best all-mahogany Martin ever”.

So you have a guitar that is A) widely regarded as the best of the series but no longer made and B) made of genuine mahogany that you cannot get without a Custom Shop upcharge.

Condition

This guitar is truly in excellent condition. A solid 9 out of 10. Now, mind you it is 16 years old so it has a little bit of age but it looks terrific. There are a couple tiny marks around the edge (probably a tiny bump here and there) and light scratches on the pickguard but, surprisingly there are no real pick scratches or anything beyond that.

The neck angle is ideal with a straight edge lining up just to the corner-edge of the bridge.

The guitar has zero repairs, cracks or anything like that.

When I got it, it was poorly set-up so I did a full professional setup, including new Tusq nut, saddle height, truss rod, and new bridge pins and strings.

The frets and fretboard are in excellent condition.

I play fingerstyle/fingerpicked so I like a light touch and low action.

Brand new D’Adarrio PB strings in 12-53 gauge (under one hour playtime on them)

I installed a Tusq nut and adjusted the existing saddle.

I replaced the plastic bridge pins with brand new genuine galalith ivoroid pins (machined not cheap molded plastic!). I also personally turned each pin on my lathe for an excellent fit and evened out any wear on the bridge pin holes (there was like none).

The tailpin is sized for a built-in pickup. It actually had a K&K pickup installed incorrectly, which I removed properly. I put in a special oversized ivoroid (galalith) tail pin which matches the bridge pin and is like stock. And, if you want to add a pickup you can just pop this out and install one with NO drilling.

Similarly, when I adjusted the saddle height, I saw that it had a feedthrough hole for an undersaddle pickup from sometime in its history. And the nice thing, again, is you can add a pickup with NO drilling.

It does include the original Martin hardshell case.

Pricing and delivery

D-15’s seem to sell for $700-1000. 000-15's seem to actually sell for around $750-$1050. This one will command a little more than the average because it is very rare. Also, this one is all genuine mahogany which carries a premium. And overall condition make it more valuable.

The price is $875 to AGF members and $850 to Charter members. including free shipping to continental US. If you provide a best offer bid, it will depend on your location so I know how much I will spend on shipping. For example if you are 30 miles away my shipping costs will be much less than if you are 3000 miles away. So, I need to take that into consideration when evaluating best-offer bids.