Martin D-15 Acoustic

Obviously it would be redundant to say this guitar has limited features but what IS there is the abilty to play very warm acoustic tones thanks to the solid mahogany construction. I've had my Martin only a short time, but I have been playing for a long time and beleive me this guitar is WELL worth the money because of the U.S.A craftsmanship. I paid $589.00 and I think that's not too bad for a tone that rivals guitars that cost hundreds more. It comes with a nice case. It has a very plain rosette and a delicate satin finish which if you've never played is very smooth and fragile feeling not at all like laquer. If you don't like simple, traditional, warm, light and fragile guitars, then steer clear of this one.

I think this guitar would be great for anything you want to express accoustically with one exception. The sound is very warm, and when tuned to standard 440 cycle concert pitch, it vibrates and rings out beautifully, but, when tuned below standard as is very common in some music, the bass string sound is way too warm (more like a thud) and the projection is diminished greatly. So for me this guitar is best suited for standard tuning. I think the guitar is better suited for country overall but, there are no rules so let your ear guide you.

If all the D-15's are set up like mine, you won't be dissapointed if you like the action at sort of a middle ground, not too high or low. I could find no string buzz and the intonation is that of a higher end instrument. The fretboard is rosewood with a mahogany neck and plays well. The martin tuners are very smooth and worthy of the instrument and are kinda small. The finish is satin and for me, smooth and comfortable. It is a less durable finish than laquer and is not at all a flashy guitar. I can't find a seam for the bookmatching but as I understand it, it's a solid top as well as back and sides.

The guitar should survive live playing if you're not Jimi Hendrix but I would advise a little common sense caution since the barely protected satin finished mahogany is somewhat soft and dings with a minimum of effort. The tuners should last a lifetime of normal use. The guitar only comes with one plastic(or simalar material)strap button so if you are considering a strap, then consider your options. My solution was to install a metal strap button at the base of the neck like is commonly done with accoustic guitars, but consider placement carefully as not to make unnecessary holes. If you're inexpierenced with this, please let a pro do it so you won't ruin your guitar. I think you can depend on this guitar, but if dropped, it would be ruined. If you can help it, never gig with just one guitar no matter what kind it is. If you can have only one guitar then shop around and weigh price v/s construction v/s sound v/s playability. Just remember this guitar is not built like a tank.

I have never dealt with them but a lifetime warranty sounds good if they honor it. I will say that Sam Ash Music where I bought my Martin in Madison Tennessee have poor salesmen and are very rude. The only time they are nice is when they try to push an extended warranty on you as to make themselves a commission. They have a good selection and good prices but they seemed rather pouty when I requested a price match that they did honor. I will only shop there if the price is right and can't find it at that price anywhere else.

I have been playing for 19 years and I really like a lot of things about this guitar which I hope I have outlined in my review. I would buy this guitar again if it were stolen. The only thing I wish this guitar had was a nice straplock system so you could move around in a strap better without fear of dropping it. I think if you're ready to step up to a solid top acoustic, then this guitar is a fairly decent value and I don't think anyone will be able to tell by the sound that you paid under $1000.00 for it. I compared many guitars for under $1000.00 at Sam Ash and this one was the winner.

its beautiful. made in PA usa. solid mohogany

it has a great bright, natural wood tone. Sounds great with elixers. Is great for picking with a pick and strumming.

The action is perfect. no finish which gives it its bright and natural open tone.

i wish the guitar was a little more durable. The wood seems so fragile because it is thin. and you gotta be careful not to scratch it

Ive been playing for 6 years and got my martin about 4 years ago. well maybe 4 1/2. I was wanting to buy a guitar for my birthday amd i went to chuck levins and loked through the window at the acoustic room and i saw this one guitar that just stood out amoung all the others becasue of its dark face. And i said man that one is cool. So i asked the guy if they had any sales on their guitars and guess hich one he told me they had a sale on. MARTIN D15!!!!!! I couldnt believe it. So i saved up all my money ($530) and my birthday money and bought it. I noticed how playing it immediately improved my skill. So many people told me how they liked it too but then.... on the 2nd saddest day of my life, this guy wanted to play it so i said "ummm ok" and he picked it up by the strap and the strap came off so the guitar fell to the hard floor and BROKE! it was like seeing your own bone sticking out of your arm. so the guy was kinda loaded so he bought me a new one for $550. The new one sounds just the same. but he murdered my sentiment with the old one. what an idiot, never pick up a guitar by its strap alone!!!!!!!!

2002 Martin D-15, hand constructed in Nazareth, PA. All solid Mahogany construction. No electronics. Satin finish. Dreadnaught style body. Chrome tuners. Perfect neck. Comes with hard case also.

Though this guitar seems to be lacking in the "features" aspect, I assure you that it needs no features. It is a great acoustic with an old school feel. Very plain, and it is the plainness that makes it stand out among the acoustics on the market today.

Sound is great for my style: Folk (Dylan, Drake, Cash, Jurado), Praise and Worship, and just rocking out. Depending on where you strum or pick, the sound is perfect for any style.

Thanks to the solid Mahogany construction, the whole guitar vibrates when you play it. You can actually feel the sound in your stomach. In a bathroom or stairwell... look out!

Upon buying, I played guitars in the similar and higher price ranges (Taylor 310, 410, 420, and 510; Martin DX, D1, D16, and D18; Gibson J45; Plenty of Takamines, Alvarezes, and Fenders (Blech!!!)), but nothing compared to the sound of the Martin D15.

I think that the D15s are not as popular as they should be because the 15 series is not as well known as the 18s and 28s are. However, I promise on my life that the D15 sounds just as good or even better.

Action came from the factory perfectly. The top and back are so perfectly bookmatched that I cannot see the seam at all... honestly. No defects at all--believe me, I have scowled this thing over countless times. No glue in sight. Grain is so perfect and consistent that I had to research the guitar to make sure that it was real wood (it is real wood).

This is the same guitar that I lusted over for weeks. I fell in love with it hanging on the wall there and ended up taking it home one day. I seriously had dreams about this guitar.

As a side note, as with all satin finishes, the finish does eventually wear down into a soft gloss. On this guitar, which already has the looks of a 40s Martin, the soft gloss is welcome. I have had mine for about a year and the body is already fairly "glossed out", which I love.

The guitar is made form Mahogany, which is well known for its softness as well as tonal response. Any genius who picks it up will notice that it weighs next to nothing. Just as long as you are careful not to bump it on anything, you are fine. Do not buy the guitar to play and resell as "like new". From about a year's worth of daily playing (travelling and on stage), I have a about 5 minor dings, which are not noticeable from afar. As I said before, the finish does wer off also.

Reliability is a better feature of this guitar. The guitar sounds good all of the time--never damp or dry. If I want to hear a great guitar, I pull it out and I have one. It holds great tune. I have never broken a string on it. I have never been upset with it.

One week after sending the warranty registration in, I received a letter from Nazareth, PA with a warranty card and a letter thanking me for my purchase, signed by CF Martin the fourth. Great family-owned business. I think the world's love of Martin Guitars shows that they are doing something right (and have been for over 100 years).

Lifetime gurantee on any factory defect, which is not matched by any other company.

I walked into Mars and hated this guitar at first. I thought the dark mahogany finish was putrid. However, I could not stop thinking about that guitar. So, I went back into Mars and played it for a bit and was amazed. The Martin D-15 had the sound that I was looking for. Deep, rich bass. Present, but not overpowering mids. Perfect, creamy highs. Ooh la la.

Looks way better and sounds way better than 90% of the acoustics presently on the market. Has a great old school feel to it in that it has no binding and has a beautiful dark finish on it. Very plain in looks, but that is one of its best features.

Sorry, this isn't a review, but I want to add some information that these reviewers have been missing. The nut material is NOT plastic, as others below have suggested. It is white Corian, which I believe is better than bone. The saddle is also white Micarta. Martin would never be cheap to a point that they use plastic parts in the most critical parts of a guitar.

Made in 2002
For others, please see the Martin website.

It's just a guitar without a pickup system. I like the colour, the natural wood colour, and the smell which makes me get closer to it everytime. The relatively high quality case was included. But nothing fancy and I do not complain it for this priceof $600 USD.

I like to listen the sound of Taylor but I do not like to play Taylor guitasrs. It's just my taste. The martin D-15 sounds, well, between Taylor and Gibson. I really love the wood-tone sound from D-15. When I hit the A cord, the sound was contined very long time which means the inner harmonic sound mechanism was just great? Martin made a real affordable (for price) guitar with high sound quality.

There was no flaws. Almost perfect! Action, fit and finish, they are just great.

I know the build quality of Martin, but D-15 looks a little fragile and it is very light. Nothing happened ot it yet, but it seems that I need to take a good care of it to get the advantage of Martin's lifetime warranty.

Lifetime warranty! I did not get the response from Martin after mail the registration card. No contact with them yet.

I got it about 3 weeks ago, and as time goes by, it sounds better. If it was lost or stloen, sure I would buy another D-15 without a question at all. I just copmapred simiar priced Yamaha and Taylor with D-15, well I could not take off my hands from D-15! Easily winner! I just installed Baggs dual source, and it sounds great through PA at my church. I just wish it is strong enough to last longer than I think(?). I would recommen it to anyone who love Gibson sounds. If you like Taylor sounds, uhhhh, try Taylor or Yamaha. If you were a lover for a classic guitar and like to try acoustic ones this time, just check out D-15 and you will know.

Solid mahogany dreadnought Martin at $639 new with plush black hard case. Good tuners and plastic nut/bridge. Case is very sturdy and the guitar fits like a glove. You almost have to work the guitar into the case.

This guitar sounds GREAT! I read all 69 reviews and agree that this guitar has some kind of magic in it. I went out and bought it the day after I read the reviews and am glad I did. I am a total Tele and Strat player and always said acoustics were for wimps. Well this is a power boater that has taken up sailing. This guitar rocks and I think I enjoy playing it more that my cranked up Tele/DeVille combo. My favorite sound is when you muffle the bass strings and bang on them (Buddy Holly style). The bass resonates through your whole body. It makes you come back for more. Plus the upper-mid harmonic string blending (complexity) is perfect.

The set up is almost perfect. I have found no flaws. The action seemed a little high because I usually play electrics. I think the action lets the strings vibrate without hitting any frets so you can really bang on the guitar with no fret noise. What impressed me the most was the perfect intonation. The guitar stays in perfect tune all over the neck and when you hit a loud open chord the strings blend like I have never heard on an electric.

I seems a little delicate but then I am used to indestructable Strats and Teles. I think it should withstand live playing if you keep it in the case when you are not playing. The harware should last the life of the guitar (forever). The satin finish is great because you don't have to worry as much about dinging up a super glossy finish and I think it lets the wood blend the harmonics together better.

Have never dealt with Martin customer service but I am sure you get what you pay for.

Playing 32 years. I have a 4x10 Fender DeVille, a Mesa Boogie Mark III (that I never play), '57 re-issue Strat, genuine 63' Telecaster, two cheap classical guitars, Fender Lead I, and a decent Ibanez electric. Lately I felt I needed a good acoustic to balance me out and the D-15 was the perfect choice. I would definitely buy this guitar again if it was stolen. I wish it had strap pegs. There is a hole at the end with no peg. I don't know if it was suppposed to have one included or not. We tried just about every Martin in the store all the way up to $2500 and for the price this guitar could not be beat. I think the only thing the more expensive models may have is a louder, brighter sound if you like that. For blues, the D-15 is perfect. We also tried several Tacomas, Taylors, Seagulls, and Takamines. I just kept going back to the D-15 because it was so warm. For the money, I don't think you can beat this guitar. Read all of the reviews and you will buy one tomorrow. I was afraid to buy online through Musician's Friend (even though I could have saved $100-no tax or shipping) because of the variances between each guitar. I took the review's advice and played the two Guitar Center had in stock and definitely preferred one over the other. Online, you take what you get unless you want to pay to ship it back. Happy hunting. Good luck.

Already been said. D series Dreadnaught, solid mahogany top back and sides. Very plain appearance. The rossette is a decal and it has no binding. The dark grain in the wood is attractive. This guitar reminds me of my first good acoustic, a Gibson LGO purchased in 1963.

I love the rich sound of the guitar. I have a Martin DM that is much brighter, but the D15 has a very rich tone. I've played Gibson's and higher end Martin's and the D15 has a unique pleasing tone.

No flaws in the finish, beautiful grain. The action is quite good right out of the box. I generally use ultra light strings so I won't know if there are any rattles or fret buzz until I change strings.

No Opinion yet. It's a 2002 model and I just purchased the guitar. I purchased it to take to Aruba where I am currently working. I also bought an ATA acoustic flight case so I hope the guitar will be protected well enough for airline baggage handling.

Martin support is excellent.

The features are spartan, but the finish is attractive in it's own right. I really love the deep rich sound. It's a great bargain for a well constructed U.S. model Martin. I would highly recommend this guitar for those of us on a limited budget. I have been playing for over 30 years and this is one of finest instruments I have purchased in the past ten years.

Not sure of the year... and with a ton of reviews on this model you know the details... Simple to look at but gigantic on the sound! It's a no frills looking guitar - except when it comes to the construction and sound.

Wow! I have played literally hundreds of guitars searching for the one that grabbed me and said "Here I am - buy me now or forever regret putting me down". And yes - after about 2 minutes I was hooked. What can I say - It sounds like a guitar that costs $2000 - no kidding. I was truly shocked. In fact, so much so that I ran home and called my professional guitar playing buddy to come see this anomoly of a guitar. We came back hours later and he just sat there staring at me as if I was crazy... This was the greatest sounding guitar he'd heard as well. In fact, after I purchased it we've jammed several times and each time he says that if I ever get rid of this guitar he'll break my fingers. That sums it up. Rich full body tone.

Feels as good as it sounds. I'll eventually need to get the action adjusted just a touch, but I can't let it out of my site long enough to do the work.

So far so good. It is surprisingly light - so you must be careful.

No idea. However, I dare you to find another guitar on harmony central with so many great ratings... Says a lot about the construction and the company.

I've owned several acoustic guitars but none have sounded like this one - ever! I would purchase another one in a heartbeat!

All the features are named elsewhere: solid mahogany dreadnought Martin at $600 new with good black hard case. Good tuners and plastic nut/bridge. It is not pretty, but it is light and feels pretty; a good action and no buzzes and balanced. A touch boomy on the bass E.
I just wandered in the shop (Richmond Music: excellent store) and had seen these before, but they were plain Janes, so I passed them by. I was NOT looking for a guitar! Two of these D-15s were on the floor stands and I went 'ga ga' over the worse one! After a few minutes, I checked out #2 and it was even better (by a bit and played just a little easier). My pal has a Martin HD-35 (hand selected at Martin) that I like, but I prefer this $600 'mohog' and I'll know his feelings when I see his face on first play. I may be a little embarrassed for him with his big $$ guitar that Maybe sounds as well as mine... You young guys or casual players need to check into these: at $400 USED it would be obscene. DO NOT pay attention to the finish or brown look. Listen to your ears and feel the guitar in your hands. This is a fine value and a very good guitar for under $1500. And if it is new: remember... this is the worst it will ever sound! Dayum!

I had a Taylor 25th Anniversary Dreadnought with saepele (sp?) that was gorgeous and really nice at 1500 bucks. And this Martin sounds better to my ears: richer and more throaty, yet mellow and smooth and resonant. I play with nails (classical training) and fingerpick melody lines, so it needs to sound good all over and strum nice as well as sound well when picked (try the Martin 'moto' pearloid thins). If the bass E were a tad less boomy, it'd be perfect. But the guitar is only 3 weeeks old, so let's be realistic. As Berry Gordy said: "the hit's in the grooves".... the sound is what makes your eyes pop and the action and feel cinch the deal.

Set up is quite good; action is easy, firm, a tad high, but OK. Well finished (satin, but I can live with that) and light weight. The neck and fretboard are comfortable and it stays in tune well. For a $600 guitar including case that sounds like most 2500 dollar Martins do NOT, it is unreal. It isn't perfect, but it's close enough.

This I cannot comment on. Mine is very new and I do take care of my guitars in handling. I met the younger Martin a few years back (CF III or IV) and he said "...treat your Martin like your dog... If you keep your dog in the trunk in summer or knock it over and step on it, then treat your Martin that way..." We all got the message.

Cannot comment. I rely on a reputable dealer to act on my behalf.

This is a shoo in ! At $600 you get decent guitars (like the Ibanez Artwood line at about $400 and no case, but beautifully finished). But this particular model in the Martin line is the only one I would consider. The others are overpriced and do not perform, in many cases. For $1200 or more, I expect a damn good sounding guitar. For $2500, you can have a good custom guitar or a Collings. At $600, I never saw or heard of anything close to this Martin D-15 'mohog' guitar. It is the workingman's fingerpicking, general sweet guitar.

Solid "mohog" all the way round. lighther bracing under hood to accomodate darker sounding tone wood.I give it a ten not because it has a "ton of features" I am not sure what a "ton of features" would do for an acoustic anyway!.

I bought this instrument in '97. it has aged beautifuly in both sound and looks.There is not a fret buzz anywhere in sight evan when played hard .I have crossed the Atlantic with this baby six times, it has taken an unmerciful beating, it actually has a hole the size of a pea in the lower side. I can't say enough about it's response.I am a pro musician and have played it both with full band and solo. If you are considering fitting it with electronics however! I highly recomend using a hot pickup (sunrise s-2 or l.r. baggs lb6 along with gigpro preamp) I used a fishman nat2 and it's projection was weak. my conclusion: mohog topped guitars need a hot p.u.. unplugged this baby shines, not in the sense that it projects like an old d18 (but it can hold it's own in an acoustic ensemble) but more in the sense it's upper-mid complexity is to die for! . I truly believe the d-15 is better sounding than the 2002, d-28, hd-28 dr etc. Has anyone noticed a huge drop in quality of Martins higher end instruments recently? .I think the walls of new Martins at stores=diminished quality. I don't care who you are, if you mass produce, quality suffers!anyway enough of that rant.The d-15 along with the Tacoma dm-18 represent the absolute best value available today. oh by the way it smells great!

Plays like buttah! . A simple but inteligently designed instrument.tunes easily, intonation is perfect!(tune to an open e chord,then play a 12th fret harmonic chord, strum all six strings, listen to the notes merge into harmonic heaven....ahh!). Am I going overboard? try one out and see for yourself.

Truly has had the snot beat out of it! not intentionaly I assure you. plays perfectly in tune all over the neck with no buzz anywhere.

dunno!

This one's a keeper!