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  #1  
Old 06-20-2013, 06:34 PM
tpaone11 tpaone11 is offline
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Default Strings for a Martin 000-15m?

Hello! Im looking for a string recommendation for a Martin 000-15m. So for those of you who have one, what strings do you like on yours? Also, if you could please describe what you feel your particular string choice sounds like and what it does for the tone of the guitar. Thanks
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Old 06-20-2013, 06:36 PM
jpd jpd is offline
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I liked Martin 12's Marquis..........great bass, smooth response, great sustain.
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Old 06-20-2013, 06:49 PM
Roselynne Roselynne is offline
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I liked the Lifespan SPs that came with my 000-15SM, but I like John Pearse 80/20s even better ... after they've worn in a bit, that is.
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Old 06-20-2013, 08:32 PM
jdwhit jdwhit is offline
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I know many think "silk and steel" strings are junk, but I love these Ernie Ball 2045 Earthwood 80/20 Bronze Silk and Steel Soft Acoustic Guitar Strings on my 000-15M. They sound great and the playability is outstanding.
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Old 06-20-2013, 09:35 PM
jdinco jdinco is offline
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All the strings I've tried on on my 000-15sm sound pretty good, meaning it's not as picky as some of my other guitars. I really like and have been using the DR Rares, full, warm and with good sustain. Watch the guage though, I use Mediums in the DR's, which is a light guage for other brands. If you want to try something special, try some Thomastik Spectrums. Let us know what you find that works well for you. Great guitar you have by the way....
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Old 06-20-2013, 10:41 PM
Montreal 007 Montreal 007 is offline
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What's wrong with the original strings Martin put's on the guitar? (Martin SP Life span) Did you not like those?
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Old 06-20-2013, 10:51 PM
topographic topographic is offline
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I'd suggest light gauge 80/20s; PBs sound too harsh and metallic to my ears. Light gauge is better because that guitar won't be able to take the strain of mediums over the course of ten years or so. I also don't think they sound very good with mediums. Brand? Doesn't matter, except for D'addario EXPs and those Cleartone Martin things. Yeech!! The EXPs just sound way too dead from the get-go, and those Cleartone Martin things are just awful in all respects.
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Old 06-20-2013, 10:51 PM
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D'Addario EJ16.
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Old 06-21-2013, 12:01 AM
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madhat madhat is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Willie Voltaire View Post
D'Addario EJ16.
^this^ and... done.

madhat.
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Old 06-21-2013, 12:11 AM
wcap wcap is offline
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Through multiple string changes, I have concluded that old strings that have been played for quite a while sound best (fabulous actually) on mine. Pearse New Mediums (phosphor bronze was all I tried) were my favorite (I did not care for the Martin strings that I got in a free promotional deal from Martin when I bought the guitar).

Then I tried Elixr 80/20 strings (light gauge is what I had) and actually these sounded pretty good from the start. Not quite as amazing as well played-in Pearse New Mediums, but quite nice, and they have been sounding pretty good for a long while.
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Old 06-21-2013, 12:13 AM
wcap wcap is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by topographic View Post
..... because that guitar won't be able to take the strain of mediums over the course of ten years or so. ....
Why? What is it about this guitar?
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Old 06-21-2013, 01:55 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by topographic View Post
that [/I]guitar won't be able to take the strain of mediums over the course of ten years or so.
This doesn't make any sense to me? Any reason or rationale behind this?
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Old 06-21-2013, 06:02 AM
oxygenman oxygenman is offline
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I don't have mine anymore, but I liked Elixir Nanowebs on it. It just sounded best to me that way, though I heard from a lot of people that they'd never put Elixirs on that guitar because they darkened the tone too much.
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Old 06-21-2013, 06:26 AM
topographic topographic is offline
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Well, Martin recommends using light gauge on the 000-15s, but from personal experience, it just doesn't seem that the thickness of the top and the bracing on the 000-15s responds well to mediums. I've had two over the years---and there's one that I wish I still had ---and I was running mediums on the first one. Its belly became increasingly pronounced over the months, and I could also sense that the neck was not enjoying the experience My luthier also said he didn't like way the top was responding to mediums (they were probably Martin SP 80/20s), so off they went.

I guess the evidence for my opinion is is half empirical and half intuition.

Of course, the neck wasn't going to come flying off like a rock launched from a Roman catapault, but I'm pretty sure the 000-15 would have required a premature neck reset.
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Old 06-21-2013, 10:24 AM
johnbeam johnbeam is offline
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I have used Elixir Nanowebs on mine with good results...

I agree with wcap that old strings that have been played for quite a while sound best..

I don't know why that is ??????
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