2015 Martin 5-15T Elderly Custom Tenor Guitar

I never expected to see a Martin reissue of a 5-15T! I didn't even know about these Elderly Instruments-ordered custom models until a customer of mine dropped this off for sale last week. He bought it new and has been using it steadily since then, but has moved-over to a different type of tenor instrument instead. Hence why this one's here.

My first observation: it sounds really close to the '50s and '60s 5-15Ts that I've worked-on and sold. It's a bit more "modern" in the way it favors punch and cleanliness over woody/mwah with a scooped high, but in a blind test I might be fooled. The benefits of "the modern" also come in an adjustable truss-rod (very useful if you like to string heavily), better-quality StewMac "Golden Age" tuners, and a bridge with a larger footprint (very useful for the same reason).

I still think these size 5 instruments sound best with CGDA (standard) or DGBE (Chicago) tunings, but someone not trying to stand-out in group play will find them perfectly-good for GDAE (octave mandolin) tuning.

Work included: a very minor fret level/dress (1st position was a teensy-bit worn), saddle adjustment, and setup. I have it strung CGDA with 32w, 24w, 14, 9 gauges and the neck is straight and the truss-rod works. Action is 1/16" overall at the 12th fret with room for the saddle to come down a bit if need-be.

Scale length: 23 1/16"

Nut width: 1 1/2"

String spacing at nut: 1 1/16"

String spacing at bridge: 1 3/8"

Body length: 15 7/8"

Lower bout width: 11 1/4"

Waist width: 6 7/8"

Upper bout width: 8"

Side depth at endpin: 3 13/16"

Top wood: solid mahogany

Back/sides wood: solid mahogany

Bracing type: x-braced

Fretboard: rosewood

Bridge: rosewood

Neck feel: slim C-shape, flat board

Condition notes: it looks almost-new except for when you see a few tiny little dings/nicks along the back and top edges and the quite-worn patches on the top to the treble and bass sides of the fretboard extension (the owner strummed it up there). The satin finish has also "buffed-up" a bit in that area and where the arm goes over the top at the lower bout.

It comes with: its original, high-quality, Martin hard case.