Martin 15 Series Guitars Overview

The Martin 15 Series Guitars fall somewhere in the middle of Martin?s range of guitars.

Of course, given Martin?s focus on high end guitars, the 15 series guitars are?of very high quality and will still set you back a reasonable chunk of cash to buy one.

There are 9 different guitars in the 15 series and they all share a couple of things in common but all with differences too.

Those guitars are:

• D-15M
• D-15M Burst
• DC-15ME
• GPC-15ME
• 000-15M
• 000-15M Burst
• OMC-15ME
• 000-15SM
• 00-15M

Below we?ll take a look at each guitar individually in detail. Don?t worry if the names look confusing now, you’ll understand what each bit means after we look at them in more detail.

All prices are in US Dollars and are the MSRP (Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price).

Martin D-15M – MSRP $1,799

Starting with the dreadnoughts and the most basic, and least costly, model, is the D-15M.

let’s start by looking at the name:

D = Dreadnought

15 = 15 Series

M = Solid Mahogany top, back and sides

Easy!

The D-15M features:

• Body Shape/Size: Dreadnought
• Solid Mahogany Top
• Solid Mahogany Back and Sides
• Non scalloped, Sitka Spruce X Bracing
• Mahogany Neck with a modified low oval shape
• East Indian Rosewood Fingerboard
• 25.4? (645mm) scale length
• 1 11/16? (43mm) nut width
• Bone Nut
• East Indian Rosewood Bridge with Compensated Bone saddle
• Cutaway: No cutaway
• Electronics: No Electronics (see below (D-15ME)?for version with Electronics)

If you love the sound of Mahogany, then chances are you’ll love Martin’s?15 series guitars.

With all solid wood Mahogany top, back and sides they’re?certainly not lacking in that mahogany sound! So if you like your guitar to be rich and warm and with a mid-range focus accompanied by subtle treble and distinctive but warm bass, then this is worth looking at for sure.

The D-15M is for anyone who wants the dreadnought shape and doesn’t need electronics or a cutaway.

>>See Six String Acoustic?s Full Review of the D-15M here

Martin D-15M Burst – MSRP $2,049

D = Dreadnought

15 = 15 Series

M = Solid Mahogany top, back and sides

Burst = Shaded Finish on the Top

This model is virtually the same as the D-15M except that it has a ?pre-war shading? finish on the top.

Personally I prefer the look of this over the D-15M but I’m not sure that I would pay the extra just for that look – but that’s down to personal preference and how much importance you put into the looks of your guitar.

Martin D-15ME – MSRP $2,249

D = Dreadnought

15 = 15 Series

M = Solid Mahogany top, back and sides

E = Electronics

The D-15ME is the electric-acoustic version of the D-15M and also has a cutaway (as a lot of?electric-acoustics do).

There are a couple of other differences with this model too:

• It has a 1 ?? (44mm) nut width – as opposed to the 1 11/16? (43mm) width on the D-15M
• It has a ?modern belly? bridge style – as opposed to the ?belly? style on the D-15M
• The saddle is compensated White Tusq – as opposed to compensated bone on the D-15M
• High performance neck taper – standard taper on the D-15M

But the main difference is the electronics and the cutaway.

The D-15ME features the Fishman Matrix VT Enhance NT2 electronics.

GPC-15ME – MSRP $2,249

Moving on from the Dreadnought models, we have the Grand Performance version of the D-15ME.

GP = Grand Performance Shape

C = Cutaway

15 = 15 Series

M = Solid Mahogany top, back and sides

E = Electronics

The main difference here is that it is in Martin?s Grand Performance shape. This shape is a nice balance between the narrower waist of the 000 models but in a size closer to the dreadnought size.

The shape will produce a less bass-heavy more balanced rounded sound and will be quite mid-heavy – especially given that it’s already all mahogany.

>>Learn more about Martins shapes here

Some other differences between this and the D-15ME (I’m comparing this to the D-15ME as opposed to the D-15M because it has the electronics and the cutaway like the D-15ME):

• Forward shifted Scalloped X bracing – as opposed to the non-scalloped x bracing on the D-15ME

Like the D-15ME (and unlike the D-15M) it has the:

• 1 ?? (44mm) nut width
• ?Modern belly? bridge style
• Compensated White Tusq Saddle
• High performance neck taper

000-15M – MSRP $1,799

The 000-15M is virtually the same as the D-15M, except that it is in Martin?s 000 shape.

000 = 000 Shape

15 = 15 Series

M = Solid Mahogany top, back and sides

The shape is larger than the 00 but smaller than the Dreadnought and GP shapes.

It has the same bridge style, bone saddle, standard taper neck and 1 11/16? (43mm) nut width as the D-15M (as opposed to the D-15ME and the GPC-15ME).

000-15M Burst – MSRP $2,049

000 = 000 body size/shape

15 = 15 Series

M = Solid Mahogany top, back and sides

Burst = Shaded Finish on the Top

The only difference between this and the 000-15M is the shaded finish on the top.

Like the choice between the D-15M and the D-15M Burst, the choice here is down to which you prefer the looks of, and if you prefer the burst?s looks, if you are willing to pay extra.

Again, I prefer the ?burst? look – but it’s quite a bit extra to pay for it (IMHO).

OMC-15ME – MSRP $2,249

Now we have the OM shaped version.

OM = OM Shape

C = Cutaway

15 = 15 Series

M = Solid Mahogany top, back and sides

E = Electronics

The OMC-15ME is virtually the same as the D-15ME except that it has the smaller OM (Orchestra Model) shape. The OM shape is the same as the 000 shape. This model just has the cutaway.

As opposed to the GP model, this model has the non-scalloped X bracing like the D-15M.

000-15SM – MSRP $2,099

There are a few distinct differences between this model and the other 000 models.

000 = 000 body size/shape

15 = 15 Series

S = Slotted Headstock

M = Solid Mahogany top, back and sides

The 000-15SM has:

• A slotted headstock (as opposed to the solid headstock on all the other models)
• ?Golden Age Bright Nickel Side Mount? tuners – as opposed to the Nickel open gear tuners on the other models
• The neck joins the body at the 12^th fret – as opposed to the 14^th fret of the other models.

The 000-15SM features:

• Body Shape/Size: 000
• Solid Mahogany Top
• Solid Mahogany Back and Sides
• Non scalloped, Sitka Spruce X Bracing
• Mahogany Neck with a modified low oval shape
• East Indian Rosewood Fingerboard
• 25.4? (645mm) scale length
• 1 3/4? (44mm) nut width
• Bone Nut
• East Indian Rosewood Bridge with Compensated Bone saddle
• Cutaway: No cutaway
• Electronics: No Electronics

00-15M – MSRP $1,799

Finally we have the 00 model.

00 = 000 body size/shape

15 = 15 Series

M = Solid Mahogany top, back and sides

The major difference between this and the other models is that it has a 00 body shape/size. This is the smallest sized 15 series model, but, similar models could be also found in Martin 16 Series Acoustic Guitars.

In all other ways,?it is virtually identical to the 000-15M

In short

The 15 series guitars have a lot of things in common – all solid mahogany top, back and sides being the major similarity.

But you have the option of 5 different shapes/sizes:

• Dreadnought
• Grand Performance
• 000/OM
• 000 12 Fret
• 00

And you have the option of having a cutaway or a non-cutaway and the option of electronics.

There are also a couple of models with a shaded finished top if you prefer that look/are willing to pay the extra for it. As is usually the case with guitars, you should be able to find the 15 Series models for less than their published MSRP.

I hope this post has given you a good overview of Martin?s 15 Series guitars. Check out my?review of the D-15M at the link below for a more detailed look at that particular model.
>>Six String Acoustic?s Full Review of the D-15M

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