Martin D-15M Streetmaster - 15 Series Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar Mahogany

Absolutely love this Martin DSS-15M StreetMaster! Beautiful, warm full-body chords. I also have a Taylor 814ce, and a nice handcrafted Tim O'Dea 000, and a few other acoustics. The Martin is a big guitar, but very light, compared to my other acoustics. This guitar is the one that sits within arms-reach... I believe the Taylor 814 has a nice even balance, and is perfect on stage. The Tim O'Dea has strong, clear mids with its Blackwood back and sides and Sitka spruce top. The mahogany back, sides, neck and top give the Martin warmer, almost-scooped mids in comparison, but when you attack the 5th and 6th strings you've got such tight, defined bass notes, even with a solid belting! Love it!

This is my first higher quality guitar. I've owned some Fender and Alvarez acoustics and this guitar upstages and out performs them in every way. At this price point it's expected, but I'm still blown away by the sound. It's an amazing looking guitar in person and the sound is unbelievable. Very dark, warm sound. Great for folk or blues. Great guitar, you won't regret picking this one up.

A work of Perfection

I was very torn between this and the standard 000-15. I love everything about this guitar over the standard, the only thing that put me off was the lack of a hard case. But I decided to bite the bullet and buy the sigma 000 and Om case. So glad I did. The guitar arrived in very sturdy and safe packaging which was a relief to me ( acoustics are fragile and this is expensive).The case provided is beautiful and quite sturdy. It wont protect it from a heavy drop but will certainly protect it from bumps scratches and knocks.The guitar itself is just pure perfection. I love the the aesthetic and design. I feel like this guitar lived a life and has its soul already with the benefit of being brand new. The craftsman ship of the guitar inspires me to write music daily ... MoreI was very torn between this and the standard 000-15. I love everything about this guitar over the standard, the only thing that put me off was the lack of a hard case. But I decided to bite the bullet and buy the sigma 000 and Om case. So glad I did. The guitar arrived in very sturdy and safe packaging which was a relief to me ( acoustics are fragile and this is expensive).The case provided is beautiful and quite sturdy. It wont protect it from a heavy drop but will certainly protect it from bumps scratches and knocks.The guitar itself is just pure perfection. I love the the aesthetic and design. I feel like this guitar lived a life and has its soul already with the benefit of being brand new. The craftsman ship of the guitar inspires me to write music daily and use it more. This is my second martin after me 000-rs1 and I just love this. Martin are worth the price. If you take care of them, they take care of you.General thoughtsThe guitar is lighter than expected, but you get used to it. The neck is slightly thicker than I am used to but after a few uses i don't even notice anymore.Straight out of the box i felt a bit out of control of the tone, it felt louder and harsher, but after a few days it really settles and comes into its own. If you are thinking about this guitar, you wont be disappointed. it is truly fantastic.

After about a year, it just gets nicer

I literally walked around Sam Ash plucking low E strings listening for a deep rich sound. Martin seemed to have more than anyone else. I liked the look of the Mahogany top/back/sides/neck. The ripples of the grain add a beautiful touch to the color of the wood. The tone has totally warmed up more and grown deeper over the 10 or 11 months she's been home with me.I have the MFX740 Bronze Acoustic Guitar Strings (Martin strings, they call them Tommy's Choice) on there and it just gives this rich low rumble on the low E and the D strings that if I have my feet up on my desk I can feel on my desk. The ring out is intense and long on this baby.I have not had anyone pick up my Martin and NOT say how much they love the tone of her.I do love the look of no binding... ... MoreI literally walked around Sam Ash plucking low E strings listening for a deep rich sound. Martin seemed to have more than anyone else. I liked the look of the Mahogany top/back/sides/neck. The ripples of the grain add a beautiful touch to the color of the wood. The tone has totally warmed up more and grown deeper over the 10 or 11 months she's been home with me.I have the MFX740 Bronze Acoustic Guitar Strings (Martin strings, they call them Tommy's Choice) on there and it just gives this rich low rumble on the low E and the D strings that if I have my feet up on my desk I can feel on my desk. The ring out is intense and long on this baby.I have not had anyone pick up my Martin and NOT say how much they love the tone of her.I do love the look of no binding... but, I'm going to have to say I do have some dents on the sides where the bindings would be protecting. That said... I'm not sure I care at the same time I think I care. I think that means I want it to be perfect but I also am okay with her getting age marks just as long as it doesn't do some serious damage.I would buy another. I'd buy it for my Dad. I'd buy it for one of my kids if they'd play. If you pick this guitar up you'll probably end up taking it home.Comes with a beautiful martin case with green insides. Acoustic only, don't forget.

Another great sounding Martin guitar.

Been looking at this model Martin awhile. Saw it and made an offer to buy. Now playing it and so glad I got it. Unbelievable sound, beautiful look and oh the smell of that mahogany. If you want a great sounding Martin at a good entry price for a great guitar, look no further.

Great Guitar

I've been playing for 55 years and own 30 guitars. I bought a StreetMaster DSS for my granddaughter as she needed an electric acoustic for High School music. I was really impressed by it and ordered a D-15M for myself. I really liked the look of the guitar and the mahogany has such a warm sound. It joins my Martin family, D-41, HD-28, D-28CE, D-1 and Baby Martin. There's a reason why over the years other guitar manufacturers advertised their products as "styled after the Martin D-28."

Martin D-15M Burst Review

Music is a hobby and I established my budget at $2K - I was looking for warm tones, value, quality, no frills required (price point trade off), fun to play. I was not able to play the guitar before purchasing because I live outside the continental U.S and was having trouble finding desired products in local music stores. A lot of research was involved and I continued to come back to the Martin D-15M, reading and re-reading online MF reviews. I found that all the positive comments posted on this site about the D-15M true: warm tones, low fret board action out of the box, beautiful simple aesthetics, very aromatic, light/comfortable, etc. The big difference between the D-15M and the D-15M burst: the burst is constructed with the Simplified Dovetail neck joint which is ... MoreMusic is a hobby and I established my budget at $2K - I was looking for warm tones, value, quality, no frills required (price point trade off), fun to play. I was not able to play the guitar before purchasing because I live outside the continental U.S and was having trouble finding desired products in local music stores. A lot of research was involved and I continued to come back to the Martin D-15M, reading and re-reading online MF reviews. I found that all the positive comments posted on this site about the D-15M true: warm tones, low fret board action out of the box, beautiful simple aesthetics, very aromatic, light/comfortable, etc. The big difference between the D-15M and the D-15M burst: the burst is constructed with the Simplified Dovetail neck joint which is used on the higher end Martin product lines. The D-15M is constructed with Mortise/Tenon neck joint. I don't think this makes a big difference in sound, more of a personal preference that still kept me within budget. The color burst stain is a minor difference and I prefer it as well. It has a classic look and the origins of this guitar has interesting history. I would like to thank all those that wrote up reviews for the product, you guys are on the money - I was confident that so many positive reviews from musicians at all levels had to be accurate!

Martin D-15M Great Value.

Overall:I have been wanting a Dreadnought for some time now to compliment my Martin 000-15M and Martin 000-18. After reading the reviews for this Guitar I pulled the trigger, and received the guitar in two days. The D-15M I received was absolutely above and beyond my expectations for a guitar at this price point, in both looks, build quality, wood selection, and most of all, tone. The action was lower, (In a good way) than my other two Martin 's were when I received them, so the playability of the guitar right out of the box was better on this one. By the way, this model still comes with a nice hard shell case, unlike the Street Master version, which has a gig bag. I refuse to put a Martin in a gig bag. Something about that doesn't seem right to me. The case is ... MoreOverall:I have been wanting a Dreadnought for some time now to compliment my Martin 000-15M and Martin 000-18. After reading the reviews for this Guitar I pulled the trigger, and received the guitar in two days. The D-15M I received was absolutely above and beyond my expectations for a guitar at this price point, in both looks, build quality, wood selection, and most of all, tone. The action was lower, (In a good way) than my other two Martin 's were when I received them, so the playability of the guitar right out of the box was better on this one. By the way, this model still comes with a nice hard shell case, unlike the Street Master version, which has a gig bag. I refuse to put a Martin in a gig bag. Something about that doesn't seem right to me. The case is important because after I am done with the D-15 it will be handed down the family line. Frets were well placed and smooth, no sharpe edges to worry about. Tuners look great and hold tune as they should. I like the neck profile and the ease of play. In my opinion, this guitar represents the best overall value in the Martin Guitar line, and my money was well spent.

No Bling, beautiful sound, Simple high quality.

Love this guitar. Light weight, simple, elegant, and lovely tone. I would take this guitar anywhere. It's probably the perfect balance of high quality without having to be scared of damaging a $6k guitar. Well done Martin. This one's a gem.

Spectacular

Overall:My first thoughts when I took that first strum, was “Guy Clark.,” except I think that man made his own guitars. But if I can describe the first sound I heard or who, that’s what it was, Guy Clark designed this one. It is beautiful and played in tune out of the box. Now I’m just more of a collector than a player, but I some ESP’s, a Yamaha, Taylor 710e, Ovation, an Ibanez, and now this magical Martin D-15M StreetMaster Acoustic. Good luck putting it down before your fingers bleed. At this price point and much above this is a splendid guitar. I can’t wait to hear what it sounds like after it has hours and hours of use on it. Buy one they’ll take it back if you don’t like it, but somehow I don’t see you making that choice. If all the other Martins haven’t ... MoreOverall:My first thoughts when I took that first strum, was “Guy Clark.,” except I think that man made his own guitars. But if I can describe the first sound I heard or who, that’s what it was, Guy Clark designed this one. It is beautiful and played in tune out of the box. Now I’m just more of a collector than a player, but I some ESP’s, a Yamaha, Taylor 710e, Ovation, an Ibanez, and now this magical Martin D-15M StreetMaster Acoustic. Good luck putting it down before your fingers bleed. At this price point and much above this is a splendid guitar. I can’t wait to hear what it sounds like after it has hours and hours of use on it. Buy one they’ll take it back if you don’t like it, but somehow I don’t see you making that choice. If all the other Martins haven’t convinced you, this one will. If your budget isn’t as high, do yourself a favor and keep saving or pay as you go option.