[revive]

But why BR-163? Why not another dread, perhaps a rosewood dread?

I love my AJ-500M and I'd expect it to be a better strummer than the 000-15M. I'm actually not too fond of the 15 series, but I'm sure I'm an anomaly. If I were you, I would keep AJ-500M and see how the 000-15M will work out for you.

If I actually like the 15, I would look to eventually replace the AJ-500M with a rosewood dread.

If I actually dislike the 15, I would look to replace the 15 with a rosewood 000 / OM.

That way you'll have a pretty diverse collection: two body styles, two different woods. That will surely cover a lot of grounds.