Martin TEN515: Review

[MC16]

In case anyone is interested, I have owned the latest Martin tenor for several weeks now and here is my review of this instrument.

First, it is an Elderly Instruments exclusive. I do not live near Eldery, so when I purchased it I was doing so blind. However, the gamble paid off and overall I have been very pleased with this little guitar.


Specs:
Size 5 (Mini) body of solid Sipo, single ring soundhole rosette, morado bridge. 4-string neck, solid peghead with old-style Martin decal, vintage style open-gear tuners with cream buttons and Elderly Instruments stamp on back of peghead. Solid morado fretboard (23"scale, 1-1/4"nut), small pearl dot position markers. Tuned CGDA. May be re-strung for GDAE or DGBE/Chicago tuning.

Approximate body dimensions are: upper bout 8", lower bout 11", maximum depth 3 3/4", body length 15 3/4", total length 34". Satin finish. Martin flattop hardshell case. - as posted on Elderly.com

In addition to the posted specs, the guitar comes from Elderly setup in CGDA tuning with .009-.030 bronze strings.

Sound:
Sound wise, my initial thought was that the instrument was reminiscent of a viola- dark, reedy, and warm. I was concerned that the instrument would be overly boxy, like some small bodied parlor guitars, due to its size. However, that has not been the case. The higher pitched tuning works well with the body size and materials. While it sounds great on its own and can produce a surprising amount of volume for its size, it may get lost when playing with full sized instruments.

Fit and Finish:
My only criticism for the instrument is the wood working on the bridge. It looks like it needed to be sanded for a few more minutes before finishing. The spot is not rough to the touch, but personally I feel like it should not exist on an instrument with a street price of $1,695. Despite the bridge, the rest of the guitar was very well done. It was playable right out of the box and required no tweeking.


Alternatives:
If the nearly $1700 price tag is too much, the offerings from Blueridge are more budget friendly alternatives. However, those guitars have a fundamentally different sounds due to the materials and body size. Compared to the three Blueridge models, the Martin is smaller in body size, it has a thinner neck, and a darker and more mid focused tone. Based on how it is played, I believe the Martin can be both more forceful and sweeter sounding than the Blueridge models. On the other hand, the Blueridge models seemed to have more volume on tap. However, again, they are fundamentally different guitars.

Final Thoughts:
Buy it if you are looking for a great sounding and playing tenor guitar. I liked it so much that I instantly put my other tenor up for sale.

Pass on it if you want to try before you buy and cannot get to Elderly or you are looking for a volume cannon.

Listing Here:
https://www.elderly.com/martin-size-...uitar-case.htm

[Jill McAuley]

Very thorough review, thanks for that! I've been intrigued by these, very tempting!

[bacchettadavid]

I just bought one of these used as my first tenor guitar, and I would like to echo MC16's impressions of the instrument. I too am reminded of a viola in tone.

[pheffernan]

I wanted one of these early last year when Elderly had them as a special markdown to $1395 new. The longing was even more acute when a used one appeared in the classifieds here last month for less and only two hours up the coast.

[thx712517]

Most impressive.

[bacchettadavid]

The longing was even more acute when a used one appeared in the classifieds here last month for less and only two hours up the coast.

I purchased the one posted here last month. The seller also posted over at Ukulele Underground, where I first saw it. Like Pheffernan, I lived within driving distance of the seller, so I had the opportunity to see and hear the TEN515 in person before making the purchase.

The visual and aural beauty of the instrument made an immediate impression upon me, but as MC16 says, you might want to pass if you want a cannon. It is loud enough for solo or small combo performance, but it probably won't cut through the mix in a large group setting.

[pheffernan]

This one just hit the classifieds: http://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/108247#108247

[MC16]

This one just hit the classifieds: http://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/108247#108247

That is mine. I'm planning some home renovation and decided that I wanted, no, needed some more tools. It is a great little guitar, but I'm not sure it will be real helpful for driving nails into crown molding.

[Steve Zawacki]

Does anyone know whether this Martin tenor is made at the Nazareth site or the Mexico site?

[bacchettadavid]

I'm pretty sure they're all from the custom shop. Mine is stamped Nazareth.

[MC16]

Mine says Nazareth, PA on the inside and "Custom" above the serial number.

[Steve Zawacki]

Well, just got off the phone with the good folk in Lansing. A new Ten515 will be winging its way South in a couple days, along with a couple spare sets of D'ad EJ66s. Sure wish most places were as easy to deal with as Elderly.

[Bob Clark]

I'm pretty sure they're all from the custom shop. Mine is stamped Nazareth.

A little off-topic but related, so I thought it was worth posting. I went on the 'Behind the Scenes' tour of Martin's Nazareth plant a few weeks ago. This is not the free, self-guided tour, but the one that must be pre-arranged and is in a group of six or less. It was incredible. It took over two hours and was guided by a man who had worked in the plant for fourty years. Just to see their stash of wood was worth the $25 fee.

This tour includes the custom shop. I didn't see any tenors, but the instruments they were working on were beautiful. The museum was really interesting as well.

If you ever get the chance to go on this tour, don't pass it by. For me, it was a two hour drive each way and having done it once, I am sure I will do it again.

[mandolinstew]

should not be hard to remove the spot on the bridge

[MC16]

It took a while, but here is my attempt at Bach.

Signal chain: Shure SM81, Warm Audio Wa12 preamp, Steinberg UR242 interface, Abelton Live Lite DAW, Reverb mixed 20% wet/dry (I may have added too much reverb).

[pheffernan]

Even though I know it to be a 23" scale, that terz looks so compact under your right arm. It makes me want to take my Size 2 tenor out for a whirl!

[MC16]

The reverb was bothering me so I re-edited the video to remove it. That is the sound 100% raw. No fx or eq corrections.

[Steve Zawacki]

Happy day! The Fedex guy dropped off my new TEN515 this morning. After four hours of letting it get acclimated, tuned it up and ran it through its paces for about 20 minutes. The only word I csn think of right now is WOW!

The folk at Elderly have a true winner with this custom axe. Nirmally, I find myself getting out the round files and doing some set-up work. Not this time. The guitar is feather-touch and smooth, right out of the case. Whoever set it up in Landing, I owe the guy a beer.

Well, back to the fun. I know what I'm going to be doing for the next hour or so.

UPDATE: Just went on the Elderly website and this instrument is no longer listed. Did I get the last one?

[Steve Zawacki]

Well, that was the last one in Elderly's inventory. That's what they just told me. Whether they will reorder more from Martin is anyone's guess. Don't know how big a seller it was, but I sure feel lucky right now.