Martin 0015m vs 00015sm

[Desolationrow]

Hi!
I need your advice. I want an small body hog top acoustic and i want to know the differences between the Martin 0015M and the 00015sm. Im singer songwriter and my style of playing is light strumming and some of fingerpicking, i use the guitar for accompaiment my voice. Thanks a lot for the help!

[Cool555]

Originally Posted by Desolationrow

Hi!
I need your advice. I want an small body hog top acoustic and i want to know the differences between the Martin 0015M and the 00015sm. Im singer songwriter and my style of playing is light strumming and some of fingerpicking, i use the guitar for accompaiment my voice. Thanks a lot for the help!

Both are suitable, I think, for a singer songwriter.

Just a suggestion. You could do a poll, it's easier to see how many votes for either model. I think more here would prefer the 00015sm. Just my guess. But I'm bias and I vote for the 0015m. It would have a more focused tone for fingerpicking and light strumming.

For the record, I have never had the chance to play the 00015sm. It's 1-3/4" nut width vs 1-11/16" for 0015m.

Happy hunting!

[emtsteve]

I have owned the SM and still have the 000-15m. The real big difference is the 1 3/4"nut on the SM and the little bit of extra bass with the SM. I really could have gone with either but sold my SM because it was mint. The 000-15m I kept has some mojo and is well played in. Both are nice to sing to and are very comfortable to play. The Martin 15's are some of their best in my opinion.

You'll likely be very happy with either.

[Goat Mick]

I’m a singer / songwriter and my main two gigging guitars are a 000-15m and a 000-17e. I haven’t played the 00 versions but my 000s cover everything I do perfectly.

[raysachs]

I've owned both and loved both, but my personal preference is for the 12-fret SM. Just that much of a warmer, deeper sound. Also, wider nut and string spacing, which I find really helpful for fingerpicking. The 15M is great for strumming and singing, but so is the 15SM and I liked the SM a lot better for fingerpicking. I don't really like the MLO neck that both of them have, so I don't have either anymore. I'm a Mod-V guy. But if you like the neck, either of them are great, depending on how you want to use it.

Edit - I misread the title somehow. I’ve owned the 000-15M and the 000-15SM, both triple 0 models. I’ve never owned or even played the 00-15M. Apologies to the OP.

-Ray

[DukeX]

Might be a case of which one accompanies your particular voice best.

[zoopeda]

Originally Posted by raysachs

I've owned both and loved both, but my personal preference is for the 12-fret SM. Just that much of a warmer, deeper sound. Also, wider nut and string spacing, which I find really helpful for fingerpicking. The 15M is great for strumming and singing, but so is the 15SM and I liked the SM a lot better for fingerpicking. I don't really like the MLO neck that both of them have, so I don't have either anymore. I'm a Mod-V guy.

You'd love the 00-17 Authentic 1931, I bet. (Killer guitar that seems to check all your (Ray) boxes.)

[stephenT]

I am a fan of 00 sized guitars. I own a 00-15 (LA Guitar Sales custom) and I prefer the size and sound compared to it's slightly larger brother the 000.

IMO the 00 is a better balanced (bottom end to top end) guitar, love the size and the 00 records beautifully.

[Llewlyn]

I played them side by side and have a large preference for 000-15sm tone.

Ll.

[llew]

Having owned both (the 000/OM version twice) I'm way more intrigued with the new Alvarez Yairi all Mahogany OM built with 40+ year old Honduran Mahogany and a 1 3/4" nut. I recently bought the dread version with AAAA Adirondack top and this Honduran Mahogany and it's a great guitar. The main reason for being curious about the all Mahogany Yairi OM. Here is the NGD thread...
https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=604076

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by zoopeda

You'd love the 00-17 Authentic 1931, I bet. (Killer guitar that seems to check all your (Ray) boxes.)

I'd reached the same conclusion and I bought one early last year. But I only owned it for a couple of days before I returned it. It was a very impressive guitar, but I couldn't see it as an all-rounder for me, which it would have had to be given it's price. For one thing a 12-fret 00 was too small for me to fingerpick comfortably. Something about now my arm hit the lower bout, my hand naturally fell well to the left of the bridge, and I really like to be close to the bridge for palm muting, anchoring, etc. It felt really unnatural to move my hand back to the bridge from where it naturally fell. Never had that problem with the larger 000 12-fret or with any 14 fret 00 or 000, but I did have the same thing with a carbon fiber Emerald X7 I also had at the time. Also, the neck was a real handful - I liked the V and I loved the string spacing, but that 1 7/8" nut was a LOT to handle. I very well might have adapted to it, but it wasn't a love at first play kind of thing. And, as wonderful as the sound was for fingerpicking, I thought it was a little weak for healthy strumming - didn't have as much punch as I like.

So I returned it, did a little research and thought the CEO-7 sounded like the next best thing. Bought one of those and knew within 10 minutes that was the one. Insanely comfortable neck, plenty of string spacing, my hand naturally fell right in front of the bridge, where I like it. And plenty of punch when strumming. For just over half the price of the 00-17A. And, to my ears, sounds just as good for fingerpicking, although a bit different. At it's price, it didn't have to be an all-rounder - I could have kept the 000-15SM I had. But after playing both for a few days, I couldn't see when I'd be picking up the 15SM with the CEO hanging next to it. So I sold the 000 and I'm a very content one acoustic guitar guy for nearly a year now.

-Ray

[jschmitz54]

Another you may like to consider is the LA Guitars OM-15 Custom.
It has a 1 3/4” nut,adds binding, a bit wider string spacing and can come in a gloss or satin finish. They did a great job specking this guitar. I got one about six months ago after doing some research on the guitars your considering. Great comfortable OM size, full scale length all Mahogany, love mine.

[birkenweg42]

I’ve owned an OM-15 and a 000- 15s and prefer the sound of the later but the looks of the 14 fret guitar. The 000-15s is so much richer.

[SalFromChatham]

I’ve owned both and prefer the 00-15m.

[Desolationrow]

Why? im interestd why u prefer the 0015. Thanks