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Hello and welcome to my Martin D15m review.
This review will look at Martin?s D-15M in terms of:
- The Tone;
- The Playability;
- The Materials the D-15M is made from;
- Who the D-15M is best suited to;
- The D-15M?s value-for-money
I?ll also provide video of the D-15M in action so that you can get an appreciation of the tone for yourself and some user reviews so you can read about other people?s opinions.
The Tone
Straight off the bat – I loved the tone of this guitar instantly. I do have a propensity for a warm sounding guitar and this is a warm sounding guitar – but this thing was particular nice.
It?s definitely a mid-range dominant sound so if that?s your thing (as it is mine) then you?ll love the sound the D15M produces. The overtones are very subtle, the sound is very warm and the highs nice and soft and subtle.
The bass isn?t overly pronounced but it does have some bass behind it – thanks in part to the dreadnought size/shape. It had that good bit of oomph to it too.
On a scale of warm to bright, with 1 being the warmest possible and 10 being the brightest possible I?d say that the D15M is about a 3.
The Materials
Top: Solid Mahogany
Back & Sides: Solid Mahogany
Bracing: A-frame ”X”
Bridge: Solid East Indian Rosewood
Saddle: Compensated bone saddle
Nut: Bone
It?s no surprise that the top, back and sides are all solid mahogany on this guitar – and this is a big reason for the warm, subtly over-toned sound characteristics.
The D15M features A-frame X bracing. This takes their standard X bracing pattern and adds an ?A? shape over the soundhole and reduces the bracing around the bridge of the guitar. Solid sitka spruce is used for the bracing.
Also nice to see bone nut and saddle – and this is what helps the D15M with its projection and resonance which can get a bit lost on all mahogany guitars sometimes.
Electronics
The D15M does not have electronics but you can get the same guitar in a cut-away/electric acoustic version which is called the DC-15ME.
The DC-15ME features Fishman Matrix VT Enhance electronics if you want an electric-acoustic version. The DC15ME is naturally more expensive though.
Videos
Check out the video below to hear and see the D15M in action and learn more about it.
Playability
In terms of playability this is nicest guitar that I?ve played since I started this website! It was technically and physically smooth.
Action
This guitar was setup perfectly as is for me. This is one of the few guitars that I?ve tried that I would do absolutely nothing to. It?s perfect as is.
Nut Width
The nut width is 1 11/16? (43mm). This is a standard width and felt nice to play.
Most acoustics are either 1 ?? (44mm) or 1 11/16? (43mm) these days so you could say it?s on the narrower side of standard. It felt nice playing any style including flat-picking, strumming and finger-style.
Fretboard (fingerboard)
The fingerboard is made from Solid East Indian Rosewood and again this felt really nice to play on.
Scale Length
The scale length of this guitar is 25.4? (645mm) so a full size scale length. That didn?t stop it from being easy to bend and vibrato the strings when needed. Often a shorter scale length is easier for these things but this guitar was really nice to play anything on.
Who this Guitar is Most Suited to
Martin D-15M on the rackThis guitar is great for playing the blues. It?s got that sound that is really suited to it.
But it?s certainly not limited to that style alone. It will be fantastic for anyone looking for a nice warm sound and subtle soft overtones. In fact this is one of the guitars that Chris Martin from Coldplay plays.
If you?re looking for a brighter tone then it?s probably not for you.
It?s also not really suitable for kids because of its full size but for anyone else it?s an amazing guitar.
It would also work really well on stage and jamming with other instruments because of its subtle overtones and also great for recording assuming it?s got the sound you?re looking for.
Value-for-Money
Definitely!?The tone, the quality of materials, the construction and the playability make this guitar worth every cent and more, in my opinion.
I just loved playing this guitar.
It was set up perfectly as is – a majority of guitars I would do at least some tweaking to the action. Not with the D-15M. It was awesome to play. Just going from one guitar to then playing this one I felt instantly like I was a better player and was more confident to try more, just because it was so smooth and nice to play.
The tone was also amazing on this guitar. It had a nice warm tone (no surprise given that it has a mahogany top and back and sides and it?s a Martin, which are typically quite warm anyway) but even though the tone was nice and warm it still had some oomph to it and you could get some volume and resonance out of it. It was very even and balanced.
If I had the cash I?d go out and buy this guitar today!
More Info and Where to Buy
Disclosure: Links below are affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you.
If you are interested in the D15M (it?s certainly on my wishlist!) check out the links below to learn more and for the current prices.
If you are looking to weight up more options in the under 1,500 dollar range then check out the link below.
>> Six String Acoustic?s Reviews of Guitars Under 1,500
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