Good thread with some good tips too.

Murray, as I said somewhere else, I'm glad you got what you wanted!!! As far as mahogany goes, the sound is a bit different but still an excellent tonewood. Often it has a better taptone than many other woods and its durability is beyond question.

This "finish" thing keeps coming up and any difference you hear is, I submit, in your head and not in the actual sound. The difference is in the amount of work required to finish the instrument and not in the thickness. Lower gloss uses an additive to keep it from glossing......period.

Now I know nobody wants to believe me, but FRANK FORD is as good as they get and his site at frets.com is superb and a wealth of information. At that site you will find THIS ARTICLE (which even has a Martin D-15 picture) about finishes. If you don't want to read it, then at least read this section from it:

Some instruments are finished with a flat, low gloss, or satin lacquer. The dull or satin finish is precisely the same material as its glossy counterpart; it just has a chemical additive to make it dry with a particular degree of sheen. Satin or flat finishes are frequently used on lesser expensive models because they save labor, requiring no final leveling and polishing. Some manufacturers use a satin finish on the neck, and gloss on the body. The low gloss finish is quite popular for use in performance because it doesn't reflect stage lighting. Lots of players simply prefer the look, too.

Spaw