Martin DSR-GC or Martin 00015m

[Kevidosa]

Hi, I am new to the forum and need some help please. I have been using a Martin DM for about a decade and am about to purchase a Martin 0015m (probably the burst). I have been craving this guitar for a while and really love it. But recently I was killing time at Guitar Center and played about every higher end guitar there and came across a Martin DSR-GC and this guitar played and sounded so great! I liked it better that the D-18 and other Gibsons, martins, ETC. Now I'm not sure if I should still get the 00015 or get the DSR. I thought I wanted smaller guitar than a dread, but now- not so sure. A couple of things: I can't find much info about the DSR, I know it's a Guitar Center exclusive. Does that matter? Am I missing something? Why is this guitar quite a bit cheaper that say the D-18 when it is so similar? Will the resell be worse because its a Guitar Center guitar? I play left handed so I can only play the stock guitars so much. Either guitar I get will have to be special ordered so just having some trouble deciding. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks, Kevin

[catdaddy]

Hi Kevin and welcome to the AGF! The DSR-GC is essentially a Martin 15 series guitar with a solid sitka top and solid East Indian Rosewood back and sides. It is considerably less expensive than a D-18 or D-28 for a variety of reasons including less expensive finish, neck joint, wood grades and cosmetic refinements. It is a fine guitar and is a step up from your DM which has laminate back and sides but it does share some of the same construction elements such as bracing.

I own a DSM-GC which is the mahogany back and sides version of the DSR. When I purchased it I did so because I liked it better than the D-18 or D-28 models that I played. There is something about Martin's 15 series A-Frame bracing that imparts a distinctive sound that I find most appealing. I also own a Martin J-15 which is an all mahogany 15 series guitar. The solid mahogany top (which is what the 000-15 has) gives that guitar a different flavor to the sound. Quite a bit different than the spruce topped DSM but it's clear they share some common elements as well.

Unfortunately my experience has been that the GC customs like the DSR and DSM do not hold their resale value nearly as well as standard Martin series guitars. If you really like the sound of a dread I would suggest that you consider the Martin D-15m which is a really fine instrument and would be a complementary different flavor to your spruce topped DM. Just a thought.

Hope that helps.

[Kevidosa]

Hey, thanks so much for such a quick and insightful response. I appreciate you. I may be crazy, but I guess I just like the 15 series bracing sound better. I'm going to play and listen to these guitars again this weekend.
Thanks again

[JSM]

Last summer I was going back and forth between the DSR and the D15m. Both were great sounding guitars but the DSR was the one that kept me up at night. Call me crazy but I picked up a D-35 at Guitar Center and put it back up within 5 minutes to play the DSR some more. There's just something about that guitar that makes it sound so good. It's boomy and loud when you want to be but also capable of delicate melodies. If you can't tell I went with the DSR. I'd love to pick up a 00015m someday but this DSR gets better and better every day.

[Kevidosa]

I'm going to check it out again tomorrow, and the 00015. I can only afford 1, and until last weekend my heart was set on the 000. 1 thing- I play left handed and seem to be getting a better deal on the 000. Guitar center won't let me use coupons on a "special order". But we will see.

[Kevidosa]

Tried them again. Dsr is a good sounding guitar, but I went with the 00015m. Ordered it from Maury's music the other day. That guitar sound and feel is just "right" for me. I just don't know what I'm going to do while I wait for 3-4 months while it is being built.