1998 Martin D15 Very Good, Original Hard, $795.00

The Martin D-15 acoustic guitar is a full dreadnought style body with a satin finish, solid mahogany top, back, sides, and neck, and the traditional Martin resonance which high quality mahogany tonewoods produce. Recent MSRP’s range around $1500, so the D-15 is not the most expensive or ornate Martin; however, with its tortoise pick guard and herringbone rosette, it is still a striking instrument. The solid East Indian rosewood belly-style bridge with white black-dot pins, solid rosewood fingerboard with pearl-dot inlay, solid mahogany headstock with raised gold foil logo, and enclosed chrome Martin small-knob tuners finish the picture of a quality guitar, topped off, of course, with the C. F. Martin name on the headstock which says it all.

The playability and sound verify the quality promised by the name. The bright tone of the solid mahogany tonewoods in an American-made Martin makes the D-15 a tremendous value, promising a lifetime of great performances. As one of the many reviewers online says,

“As a guitar player, if you're lucky, you may come across that one special guitar that you know you will never ever sell in a million years, even for a "better" guitar. My Martin D-15 is that guitar. I'll never get rid of it. I bought it used 4 years ago, and it just keeps getting better. The sound is fantastic. It's so rich. I've written my best songs on it. It teaches you how to be a better player, and rewards you for everything you do right. It's crazy, I know, but it's like a living and breathing thing that partners with you to make excellent music.” [Posted by Brian from Charlotte, NC on Jun 7, 2007]

The D-15 has a 14/20-fret fingerboard, a 25.4” scale, a width of 1 11/16” at the nut and 2 1/8” at the 12th fret, and a compensated saddle. The Martin mortise/tenon neck joint and “A-frame” X-bracing of the top combine with the great strength of mahogany to allow for thinner, more responsive tonewoods, making for the rich hard-driving sound characteristic of the D-15. The serial number of this guitar (643905) indicates that this is one of the first Martins produced in 1998—just long enough to age the tonewoods toward maximum resonance.

This guitar is in very good playing condition, as you could expect of a 1998 Martin: straight neck, comfortable action, little fret wear, flat top, solid bridge, tight tuners, and so on, with the action set up at a fast and comfortable 3/32” at the 12th fret low E. Cosmetically, it’s also in good shape, although there are a few dings and bruises and some faint pick marks on the pick guard if you look really closely. There are no cracks, and the only flaw I see is what looks like a carefully filled screw hole on the heel which is barely visible. The beautiful mahogany finish on the top, back, and sides is in great condition, and above all there’s the Martin logo certifying that it was born and bred in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.

The Martin hard shell case is original, the hardware is grungy but all works perfectly, and the familiar green plush interior is in good shape, as seen in pictures 1 and 2. While the edges show a little wear, it still offers great protection for this excellent guitar.

Buyer pays a flat rate of $55.00 for insurance and shipping to the lower 48 states; shipping costs elsewhere will be negotiated as necessary. Payment by Paypal is preferred; cashiers and personal checks are acceptable, but checks must clear before the guitar will be shipped.

I believe that I have described this instrument fully and accurately. Please check out the pictures and ask any questions before offering to buy, as its return will not be accepted unless it can be shown that it was egregiously misrepresented in this listing.

Thank you for your interest in this cool guitar.