Quick Martin 000-15M and 000-15SM Q: Weight & light bracing?

[PTL]

Helping a friend shop for guitar long distance in terms of things to look for. Ended up with a Martin 000-15M and raved about it. So got me reading a bit.


Quick questions if I may:

1. I read somewhere that these guitars weigh about 3 lbs with some coming in a touch under? Seriously? Or is that a mispost?

2. How is the tone of these for fingerstylists with a soft touch - do they 'release' a full tone with light playing or are they more like Martin dreadnoughts which I find need a bit of input to bring out the tone. I am wondering if they are braced lightly or is it just the nature of the mahagony top?

3. Any comments between the 15M and 15SM?

Thanks.

[SKYHIGH]

See links below for reference. Click on “compare all x” to see the weight.

To answer your questions:

1. These are light guitars to begin with at average of 3.5 lbs. Although one might find one under 3 lbs I would say that more of anomaly than typical.

2. Every Guitar Center I have visited this past year had one ore more in stock. If you have GC around you the best thing is to go try it. OMs are typically braced with thinner bracing (1/4” vs 5/16”) so I don’t think it’s necessarily Mahogany top thing... and to address other comment, No I personally do not think Dread means you need more input. It’s builder builder and builder...oh and individual guitar.

Happy hunting!

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...mahogany-burst


https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...-dark-mahogany

[zoopeda]

I’d bet that was a scale error. My 000-15SM weighs 3lbs7ozs. The lightest similar new Martin I’ve ever held is the 00-17 all hog Authentic. That model weighed 3lb3pz when I weighed it. For comparison, the standards are all over 4lb. The 15 series is surprisingly light, but no way they’re found under 3 lbs. also interesting, if you look these up on the sweetwater website, they publish the weight of each guitar in stock so you can see for yourself. Last I looked the SMs were all between 3lb6 and 3lb10.

[beatcomber]

Originally Posted by PTL

How is the tone of these for fingerstylists with a soft touch - do they 'release' a full tone with light playing or are they more like Martin dreadnoughts which I find need a bit of input to bring out the tone. I am wondering if they are braced lightly or is it just the nature of the mahagony top?

Sometimes I play my 000-15SM early in the morning or late a night, which requires me to play softly with bare fingers, and I have never thought that the tone suffered. The nice thing about this guitar is it sounds gentle, expressive, and fulsome when played with a light touch, and can produce a nice bark when picked with a stronger attack.

Any comments between the 15M and 15SM?

The 000-15M is said to have a more mid-centric focus, whereas the 000-15SM has fuller bass. Most seem to prefer the 000-15SM.

There are a few good videos on YouTube directly comparing the two models.

[Jaden]

I can’t speak to the weight issue as I don’t have an accurate scale, but with regard to responsiveness it’s a good idea to try out as many in person, and if you are unsure/ inexperienced it’s best to have someone experienced try them out for you. What to look for is one that rings out over the top end especially with no constriction of the plain string harmonics. I previously owned a M that new, exhibited a hoarse bark when strummed - constricted voice due to variance in top wood and/or bracing.

The 000-15m will have the 1 11/16” nut and slim profile neck, the combination of which yields a super fast feel/ playability that is extremely popular out in the real world and not in accordance with the vocal minority online that tends to prefer fat vintage or wide string spacing.

[bufflehead]

Part of the broad appeal of the 000-15M is its light weight. It's an absolute joy to play, and its playability is superb.

During the first month I owned an 000-15M, I kept asking myself how I was getting so much sound out of a guitar that was so fun to play.

[DukeX]

Both are light.
Both use 5/16 non-scalloped sitka X-bracing.
Both are light, soulful, and responsive.
Both share the same 25.4 scale.
The sm is a 12 fret.
The sm has a 1/16 wider nut and 1/8 wider string spacing at the saddle.

I don't think you can go wrong with either.

[zoopeda]

Originally Posted by DukeX

Both are light.
Both use 5/16 non-scalloped sitka X-bracing.
Both are light, soulful, and responsive.
Both share the same 25.4 scale.
The sm is a 12 fret.
The sm has a 1/16 wider nut and 1/8 wider string spacing at the saddle.

I don't think you can go wrong with either.

To be clear, the 15s are the only series to still use AFrame bracing. The website says everything is x bracing, but A-frame 15s are braced a lot differently than the standards. Pretty light, only 1 tone bar, no popsicle brace, 2 side tone bars instead of 4. I think they hit a jackpot when they combined Aframe bracing with mahogany top. So sweet.

[DukeX]

Originally Posted by zoopeda

To be clear, the 15s are the only series to still use AFrame bracing. The website says everything is x bracing, but A-frame 15s are braced a lot differently than the standards. Pretty light, only 1 tone bar, no popsicle brace, 2 side tone bars instead of 4. I think they hit a jackpot when they combined Aframe bracing with mahogany top. So sweet.

Thanks for the additional info. Good to know. It also helps explain the responsiveness of the hog top.

[PTL]

Just to answer my question and provide one data point. The 000-15SM I weighed, rounded to nearest ounce, is 3 lbs 5 oz.

[Slothead56]

I think the sm comes in a bit lighter because it has holes in the headstock.

[zoopeda]

Originally Posted by PTL

Just to answer my question and provide one data point. The 000-15SM I weighed, rounded to nearest ounce, is 3 lbs 5 oz.

That’s the lightest one I’ve heard of. Awesome.

The authentic 1931 is only two ounces lighter! And that one has a lighter ebony rod and smaller body! I do think the ultralight finish on the 15s is a big deal too.

[PTL]

I did read somewhere that slot heads give shorter sustain. i wonder if anyone ever tried adding mass to the back of the slot head and see the tonal changes that happens. This is going beyond this original thread.

[big jilm]

I just weighed my 000-15m, and it's showing 3 lbs 9 oz. It was the lightest (and best sounding) of the four I tried before I bought it.

Mine sounds great played softly or strummed harder.