NGD - Martin D-15 - Lots of Questions

I picked this up last weekend from the Sam Ash in Cinci. I got a pretty good deal on it since it's used. I had to work on the string height/action but I got it pretty good now. This is my first good acoustic. I decided I wanted a Martin after touring their factory this summer on my vacation. My brain was thinking D-28 or D-35 something more traditional looking. Something with gloss and binding... My ears picked this one. It was the only one that had the sound that I was hearing in my head.
Questions:
- Educate me on Acoustic strings. I know there are some that are coated and last longer, but what are some good ones and what are the pros and cons of coatings?
- There are some funky stains on the back of this, what can I use to clean it that won't damage the wood.
- Does a D-15 have any finish on it? Is it a matte finish or is it naked?
- It has a little shine on the top where your forearm would rest. I kind of like it. Can I get that shine on the rest of the body?
- Does anybody know what materials are used for the nut, saddle, and bridge pins? I'm thinking about switching to bone, but I'm not sure what if anything this will do to the tone. I think I like a darker sounding acoustic, and I don't want it to get too bright. I'm guessing the tone is more determined by the wood and the string type than the nut and saddle material, so maybe it's more for the visual appeal.

To your string question. I recently tried some Elixirs from Gore. They are coated and I was told they would keep their brightness longer. At twice the price of regular strings they are expensive but so far I like the tone of them. Give them a shot.

Nice guitar! Enjoy it!!

BB

Hi Bikersluggo! Nice guitar!

Generally, coated strings last way longer than uncoated, but (to me) they sound somewhat sterile compared to uncoated strings. Elixirs are a popular brand, the Nanoweb have the thinner coating, and to me sound much better than the thicker coated Polyweb.

Also, (to me) Phosphor Bronze sound warmer than 80/20 Bronze. You just need to try a bunch of different strings till you find some you really like.

The guitar has a satin nitro finish. It can be buffed out with something like Virtuoso Polish. I would try a damp cotton cloth moistened with a mild soapy solution to clean the stain.

Current D-15s ship with bone nuts and saddles, and plastic bridge pins. Bone pins generally brighten the sound a little. I always liked Ebony pins for a nice warm tone, but the original plastic pins actually sound pretty good!

You should join the Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum. Nice folks there... http://www.umgf.com/

What's the difference between nanoweb Elixer and polyweb Elixer?

Thanks Bill.

If the D-15 has a satin nitro finish, would it have much affect on the tone if I hit it with a light coat of gloss nitro laquer? I saw one on E-bay that was glossy and listed as a Martin Custom Finish. It looked sweet.

Don't shoot another finish on that. I have a Martin D-1 with the same satin finish. I wore smooth spots on it so I just buffed it out with rubbing compound. Now it's a gloss top!

You can polish satin finishes. They will not quite look like real gloss for a couple reasons,
but they will be closer to gloss than to satin.

From a production standpoint, a satin finish is "finished" as soon as it dries. There is no
need to apply an extra heavy layer to allow for leveling and buffing. There is usually a
fine "orange peel" on the surface of a satin finish. With most of the buffing techniques
for satin finishes, this fine "orange peel" will remain, but they tend to look good in spite
of it.

Also, satin finishes are not "water clear" transparent. No matter how well you polish them,
there is a very slight milky appearance. But here also, this is slight, and buffed satin
finishes can look quite nice.

For the stain, about the only safe thing to use on nitro lacquer is warm water or naphtha.
Water for water base stains, naphtha for oil based stains. A polish may remove it but it
will also polish it. And no longer match the rest of the back.

You can of course polish the entire guitar or just portions (like the top). Martin makes
versions of certain models with only the top gloss, the GT versions.

The umgf.com is a good suggestion. Lot's of information there on exactly this, and many
pictures in many threads of polished D15's and others.

Bone would be among the more darker materials (also micarta). Tusque and
fossilized ivory would tend toward brighter. This is referring to the materials
themselves. Drop them on a hard surface and there is a distinct difference.
Whether they have the same affect on a guitar tone is another matter.

Congrats! I have a 000-15. Most of what you asked has been answered. The finish will shine up a bit over time and cleaning (it looks like the original owner didn't wipe it down a lot) . As for the specs, I believe they changed a bit over the years and some shops had custom versions, so the nut and saddle may be bone or "corian," an artificial material.

As for strings, I've used D'Addario and GHS phosphor bronze 12s. I haven't tried coated versions, as my hands don't corrode metal that quickly (it was the same with my saxes).

You've probably found the FAQ and other information on Martin's site. There's also "Care and Feeding" material. In addition, there is a lot of great info about acoustic guitar care, maintenance and construction on this site:
http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/pagelist.html

The D15s are very nice guitars & yours looks like a good example of that model. They can handle any medium or light gauge strings of your choice. I like D'Addario EJ17 or EJ16s or their coated D'Addario counterparts.

That guitar looks good & I'd just use a soft cotton cloth to wipe it down, string it up & play it & play it some more.

Thanks Bill.

If the D-15 has a satin nitro finish, would it have much affect on the tone if I hit it with a light coat of gloss nitro laquer? I saw one on E-bay that was glossy and listed as a Martin Custom Finish. It looked sweet.

Leave the finish alone on the D-15! it is letting the guitar breathe a bit and as you play it (My Martin D-1, I got new in 1993 has a satin finish...) it will develop a "semi-gloss" appearance over the years, if you play it a lot :wink:

The Nanoweb coating is much thinner (more 'fundamental note' natural string tone, and less of a "silky" or oily feel on the wound strings) than the Polyweb on the Elixir strings. After years (25+) of using D'Addario or GHS phosphor bronze strings (great tone), I switched to Elixir Phosphor bronze (Nanowebs) on my guitars about 4 years ago, and love them.

They have a very similar tone to the D'Addario phosphor bronze strings, but impart much less string noise, and last forever;really hold their tone, IMO

Lots of great advice above and what a great Martin!!!

However, I'm a lil biased. LOL

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k182/IlapU2/Music/DSC_7140.jpg

DW

Thanks all for the responses. Here is what I've learned:
Soap and water or naptha to clean it (I'll try naptha first).
Do not spray it to add laquer, but I could polish it up and get a little more shine.
I'll try the nano web elixers.
I'll look into the Martin forum and frets.com
Play it a lot...

Good choice and you even bought with your ears instead of eyes . :cool:
The D15 comes in Mahogany or sapele . You have a mahogany D15 .
Enjoy .

thanks all for the responses. Here is what i've learned:
Soap and water or naptha to clean it (i'll try naptha first).
Do not spray it to add laquer, but i could polish it up and get a little more shine.
I'll try the nano web elixers.
I'll look into the martin forum and frets.com
play it a lot...

play it like you stole it!!!

The D-15 is a great guitar and you will sure to love. I'm a big fan of satin finish guitars. Like others have said clean it up a bit but but don't coat it.

Cleartone makes a good coated string. I favor them over Elixirs. It's been a while since I've had Elixirs on mine but have had flaking from the coating in the past. It's been a while so maybe they rectified it a bit.

Congrats, those are great sounding guitars!

I agree with the others, just play and polish... it will only get better with time.

My personal preference for strings is uncoated for tonal reasons.

To get the crud off, I'd definitely use Naptha. I would avoid soap. For general occasional cleaning, I use a damp terry cloth towel to wipe it down. I also would wipe it down with a dry microfiber cloth everytime you play.

I like the D'Addario Exp coated strings. I prefer them over the Elixirs. Martin now makes a line of coated strings. I've heard good things about them.

satin finished guitars should buff out to a gloss ... i have a Sigma DV-4 (MIK Martin) that i got to a gloss finish from the original satin ..my elbow is still sore ... 15 years later ... interestingly, selling the guitar with a satin finish saves a lot of hand labor and allows them to sell at a lower price ...