Picked up a Martin DJr-10E, today. I played it at the guitar store and liked the relatively big sound and tone from such a tidy little guitar. Stuff I like about it:
The size. Great for playing on the couch or at my desk.
The size. Great for taking it somewhere (e.g., friendās house, gig, whatever)
The volume and tone for a guitar of this size. It sounds good.
The fact that I can take it somewhere (e.g., a gig, a bar, a party, etc.) and not worry as much as I would with some of my other guitars (e.g., the OM-35 or my Alvarez-Yairi).
It has a Fishman pickup, so if we end up at a gig or open mic or something I can plug in if I want to.
The look/feel. Itās solid wood, and has what Martin is calling a ādistressed finishā that looks slightly worn, but not what Iād consider relicād.
No dislikes so far. I guess weāll see.
Iāll post a pic, but probably not until tomorrow. Maybe Iāll record something with it, too.
D-15s are fine instruments. The most obvious difference is the size. The D-15 is a dreadnought, so itās bigger, and probably louder with richer low end. The DJr-10 is quite a bit smaller, has a shorter scale length, narrower nut, and a different neck taper. Material-wise, theyāre both solid wood guitars, but the DJr-10 is sapele and the D-15M is mahogany. Those are (very) similar woods, but mahogany is considered the premium wood of the two. There are other areas where the D-15 has slightly higher quality materials. For example, the D-15 has a bone nut compared to the DJr-10Eās corian nut, and the D-15 has a rosewood bridge compared to the DJr-10Eās Richlite bridge. Same story for the saddle: D-15 has bone, DJr-10E has Tusq.
Mainly due to the size difference, in a head-to-head comparison of tone and volume Iād expect the D-15 to come out on top. But the small size and playability is the big draw for the DJr-10, so itās all about what youāre looking for and the right guitar for a given situation or role. For recording, Iād probably almost always pick my OM-35E over the DJr-10E. But for grabbing a guitar to play on the couch while watching TV, or taking to an open mic or jam session Iād pick the DJr-10E.
When I recorded with it this afternoon I discovered that Iām not a fan of the pickup. Itās got the quack. Iāve been spoiled by the pickup in the OM-35. Not a deal breaker, of course, but definitely noticeable.
