Members Mike Cafarella Posted February 13, 2005 Members Posted February 13, 2005 Hey Martin D-15 fans and admirers...I always like to play different guitars in a large music store to compare tones of various models, tonewoods etc. I always seemed to go back to the Martin D-15 because of the beautiful bass it produced. Of course the whole of the sound of the D-15 is great so after trying to find a cheaper alternative mahogany model by trying many different guitars made of solid mahogany (top too), I couldn't find what I heard in the D-15 so I finally took the plunge for $630 (almost paid $749, but found it cheaper online). When it arrived I was happy to finally have what I wanted, but I was disapointed in the tone for some reason. I guess tone will vary from guitar to guitar and this particular one just didn't have it. I felt that I wasn't satisfied with it for that kind of money so I returned it for a refund. I tried a couple more all-mahogany acoustics but still couldn't get that tone I wanted. Finally I tried (bought) an Oscar Schmidt OG5SW for under $200 and WOW...there it was! A legitimate Martin D-15 clone! Except for the headstock it looks just like it, but more importantly, it sounds just like a D-15! Great tone and amazing bass. I changed the stock strings and that made it even better. I'm now deciding whether to replace the nut, saddle with bone replacements, and install wooden replacement bridge pins. I'm pretty sure that these mods will further enhance the tone to a point that this guitar will literally be as good as a Martin D-15 for a third of the price! The rest of the quality of construction is flawless including the smooth satin finish. The only other thing is the tuning pegs (vintage Kluson type) are not the best quality but that's like a $35 ticket to install original genuine Kluson tunes. If you want a Martin D-15 and are on a budget or just plain like to get great value for your money, LOOK AT THE OSCAR SCHMIDT OG5SW!
Members J. Posted February 13, 2005 Members Posted February 13, 2005 Cool, I'll have to check one out. I've had a couple cheap all-laminate Oscar Schmidts and they were all crappy guitars, but you never know what you'll find. Every now and then you'll pick up an inexpensive guitar that'll just blow you away.
Members LDF Posted February 14, 2005 Members Posted February 14, 2005 Wow, I don't hear too much about Oscar Schmidts, but they take me back. The first guitar I ever bought was an O.S. in pawn shop for a 100 bucks. I bought coz it was cheap. It wasn't a great guitar, but it was the first I ever learned to play. sniff, sniff, I miss the old girl............ Congrats on your purchase!!!
Members UGB Posted February 14, 2005 Members Posted February 14, 2005 this is a scaled down version of the Washburn WD18SW whereas the Washburn has solid sides and abalone inlay, the Oscar Schmidt has laminate sides and a herringbone inlay: The Oscar Schmidt doesn't have the Grover tuning keys either, but I'm wondering if those laminate sides actually bring some life back into the top end of the guitar and focus the tone a bit. I find all mahogany guitars can get a bit 'mushy' when pushed. I know from hanging out on the Washburn board that the WD18SW is an incredibly popular model. To my knowledge, at $300, it's the least expensive all solid wood guitar out there. Congrats on your purchase! I'm going to have to start broadening my offerings on the Oscar Schmidt line!
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