Here is a little tone comparison between a 2016 Martin D-15m burst, and 2015 Martin standard D-18. Both have new Martin Lifespan 2.0 treated phosphor bronze strings. Pick is a D'Andrea ProPlec 1.5mm triangle.
Nice to see you back. Love the guitars. I ended buying a martin 000 15 this year thanks to some of your previous videos and I definitely don't regret it. Would love to see you put out some covers again of old folk songs.
Thank you for this! It’s great to see an all mahogany D-15 getting some love. I have one that I bought new in ‘98 - it was my first guitar. As good as they sound when newer, these turn into pretty dang magical sounding guitars as they age. They’re highly underrated! I can’t think of a better “bang for your buck” dread out there. Also, to anyone who has one, swap out the plastic bridge pins for ebony or bone. It makes a huge difference!
fantastic demo. I love both of these models and have been trying to decide between the two. So this is a massive help. Still can't decide though. They both sound so good. haha!
Thanks Fuzzilla. They are both great guitars, same size but quite different in looks, feel and sound. The D-18 is a bit fancier with gloss finish and tortoise binding, 1 3/4" nut width, a bit brighter and more complex sounding, $1200- more expensive new. The D-15m is more plain with satin finish, no binding, 1 11/16" nut width, a bit darker mellower woodier sounding, $1200- less expensive new. I always buy used, some good deals on Reverb. Can't go wrong with either model.
@@wheninroamful Hi Tim. No, I didn't - I probably should have though. I went for the 00-15 but didn't bond with it unfortunately. So, I'm still without an acoustic and pondering.
Thank you! I like them both a lot. If I had to pick one for an all purpose guitar, it would probably be the D-18, because the tone is more clear and un-colored. The all mahogany gives it a definite woody, darker tone. Love it, but its not as neutral.
played the d 18 today here in nyc vs the gibson songwriter I was shocked how good the gibson was and Im not a gibson guy! d 18 really is the STANDARD@@toddvossmusic7833
They sound and feel quite different from each other Michael, but I like them both equally well. They D-18 is probably all around more versatile and sophisticated tonally, but I have an affinity for all-mahogany. What do you think?
@@toddvossmusic7833 Hi thanks for replying, I have played a d15 years ago and was totally blown away with it , I used to play lowdens, but I've been playing Mandolin for years now but I want to get back in the saddle with my guitar in case I lose my chops, I'm thinking d18 d15 or j45, the d18 has a more controlled sofisticated sound to my ears and needs a better player to extract it, d15 reminds me of my cedar walnut lowden lovely and warm when you are sitting with it playing but they dont project sound like the d18, who knows its black magic lol 😂 thanks Michael
I don't think you can go wrong with an 18, 15 or 45 Michael, all great guitars. Just comes down to personal preference I guess. Good luck in your search and happy playing! I buy most of my instruments used on Reverb, a great way to find good instruments at a good price. Cheers!@@michaeladams2644
