My first Martin D-15 Custom

[RGWelch]

Got a nice deal on an '03 Martin D-15 Custom with Sitka Spruce top. I believe it has Mahogany neck, and maybe Rosewood back & sides? The owner listed it with Mahogany back/sides, but what little I've found on these it might be rosewood. Later ones were mahogany. Only info I can find on one this old is in '06 they were East Indian rosewood. Anyway, it's got some usage marks, sweat stain where the arm rubs the body, but clean over all and sounds great to me. Makes my '70s J-45 sound boxy and thin. I got it for $600, guess it's probably worth $800-$1,000? Its the fist Martin I've ever had or even played, now I'm afraid I want to see what a better grade Martin might sound like!IMG_20190203_122107106.jpg

[Jcamp]

Yeah you got a good deal. No clue on if it’s RW verses hog but if the back is dark like black it’s RW. If it’s more reddish brown it’s hog (which is what the pic looks like to me) but I’ve only ever seen mahogany used in the 15 series. When I was looking at martins a while back I was always impressed with the 15 series. I even played a special that had the spruce top that sounded every bit as good at a D18 it just wasn’t as loud. I’m actually still haunted by how good the standard D15 sound is. Take care of yours and it’ll last a long time.

[RGWelch]

Originally Posted by Jcamp

Yeah you got a good deal. No clue on if it’s RW verses hog but if the back is dark like black it’s RW. If it’s more reddish brown it’s hog (which is what the pic looks like to me) but I’ve only ever seen mahogany used in the 15 series. When I was looking at martins a while back I was always impressed with the 15 series. I even played a special that had the spruce top that sounded every bit as good at a D18 it just wasn’t as loud. I’m actually still haunted by how good the standard D15 sound is. Take care of yours and it’ll last a long time.

Thanks, it's reddish brown on the back, not dark, so I guess it is hog. It's the best sounding acoustic I have, and it's spoiling me to get more "quality" guitars. Besides the Gibson J-45, which is very hard for me to really appreciate tonally anymore when compared to this Martin (I think now it's not a stellar example of a J-45, I'm sure there are better sounding ones), we've got a couple of Alvarez and a Greg Bennet Samick guitar in the house. The difference in sound is significant. Tonally, the Martin is darker than any of the others, but much richer. I'll never buy a "cheap" guitar again, I'm afraid.

[SalFromChatham]

The 1970s were not the greatest time for Martin or Gibson. Gibson especially overbuilt their models. Tone is subjective of course, but many of us think that in those years the Gibsons sounded more lifeless.

Fast forward to today... Martin and Gibson are making their best guitars. I have two models from each maker post 2010, including a D15. Really great guitars.

Congrats on your find!

Ps you are going to love the new D18s built after 2012.

[baw3]

I owned a Martin D-15 also and it is a great sounding guitar. I actually sold it a while back and I regret doing so. I bought a Martin MMV after that and it is also a really nice guitar. Its basically the rosewood version of the d-15. It is gloss finish though instead of satin. It has a different voice then the hog martin of course. I have thought a few times about buying another D-15 but I should probably sell a couple of the guitars that I have first. I wouldn't write off inexpensive guitars though. Yamaha and Eastman are both making some really nice guitars. I just recently bought a Yamaha A series guitar. It is a really good sounding guitar. Enjoy your Martin D-15.

[RGWelch]

Originally Posted by themissal

The 1970s were not the greatest time for Martin or Gibson. Gibson especially overbuilt their models. Tone is subjective of course, but many of us think that in those years the Gibsons sounded more lifeless.

Fast forward to today... Martin and Gibson are making their best guitars. I have two models from each maker post 2010, including a D15. Really great guitars.

Congrats on your find!

Ps you are going to love the new D18s built after 2012.

Yes, I agree my Gibson could be described as a bit lifeless. It's beautiful to look at and feels good...lol. It was recommended in another post to replace the adjustable saddle with a fixed one. Maybe there are some other things I can do to it to get some life back into it. I need to find a good tech and see if there is any improvements that can be made.IMG_20190130_125214334.jpg

[guitar george]

Congratulations on the new guitar. It's a beauty!

All the 15-series are mahogany. If you could post a picture of the back it would be quite obvious to many AGF'ers what wood it is. Rosewood has long straight and narrow grain lines.