Bass Heavy 000 Style Guitars

[Wellington]

My nemesis on the guitar always seems to be the trebles, if all my guitars could have a fat, rounded and subdued treble I would be happy.
I'm wondering what your recommendations are for a 000 sized guitar (generally that size) that favours the bass and mid but not so much the treble. I know lots of rosewood guitars have good bass, but the trebles also seem prevalent at the same time, but I'm sure there's exceptions. I remember a boucher dread I heard that had nice warm trebles, not bright or overbearing.
I'm more interested in stuff under a grand or two but don't avoid telling me good options in ask price ranges. I'm not in the market to buy another guitar RIGHT now, I'm just inquiring for my long process of deciding on a future guitar, whenever that may be.
Even $500 guitar recommendations is good.

[Terry_D]

My first Martin purchased a couple months ago fits your description perfectly. It's a 000-16e with a sitka top and Granadillo back and sides. It is the guitar that led to me selling my Taylor's and starting down the Martin road. I've since added two more higher end Martins but neither make me want to get rid of the 000-16 or cause me to not play it. It has become my standard tuning guitar.

[jpricewood]

My OM-28 is very bassy, possibly too much on a humid day.

Edit: I don’t thank the 000 15 series are all that bassy. The definitely aren’t bright, but I don’t think they are necessarily bassy.

[Tannin]

Originally Posted by Wellington

fat, rounded and subdued treble

That would be pretty much every jumbo I have ever played. It is the very nature of the beast. They vary, but fat, rounded, subdued .... a jumbo ticks all those boxes.

Of course, they are a practically the opposite of a 000 size-wise. Could you live with that?

[Keith G50]

You might like a 000-15SM.

[ritchie1]

As jpricewood stated, an OM have more bass than a 000, thanks to his regular scale length, so you should look for an OM instead a 000..

[EZYPIKINS]

Originally Posted by Keith G50

You might like a 000-15SM.

My 000-15 sounds like the treble knob is in the off position. If you want treble, look to maple. Rosewood is good, but some find it a bit bassy.

[Silly Moustache]

IIRC, the whole point of the 000 design is that it is evenly balanced not bass biased.
That doesn't mean lacking in bass, just balanced.


The Martin style known as the Bassy guitar was the 14 fret dread.

https://youtu.be/qwx7jv33hvk

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by Wellington

My nemesis on the guitar always seems to be the trebles, if all my guitars could have a fat, rounded and subdued treble I would be happy.
I'm wondering what your recommendations are for a 000 sized guitar (generally that size) that favours the bass and mid but not so much the treble. I know lots of rosewood guitars have good bass, but the trebles also seem prevalent at the same time, but I'm sure there's exceptions. I remember a boucher dread I heard that had nice warm trebles, not bright or overbearing.
I'm more interested in stuff under a grand or two but don't avoid telling me good options in ask price ranges. I'm not in the market to buy another guitar RIGHT now, I'm just inquiring for my long process of deciding on a future guitar, whenever that may be.
Even $500 guitar recommendations is good.

Wellington,
What string gauges are you using on your guitars that you're talking about?

Were YOU playing the Boucher when you heard it, or was someone else playing it?

Do you use fingernails, fingerpicks, thumbpick, flesh, etc?

Most of what you're looking for doesn't have much to do with the guitar.

It has way more to do with the operator.

Regards,
Howard Emerson

[Robin, Wales]

If you get the chance, play some of the Godin makes in 000 size (concert hall size they call it). Seagull, Simon and Patrick and Art and Lutherie all have guitars in that sizing. The cheaper ones have cherry/maple/cherry plywood b/s but there are solid wood options to try as well. In general, their guitars are voiced to be quite woody and mellow, very different to Martin or Taylor or Gibson. They are all quite "rounded" in the trebles. You should be able to find examples to play in the larger guitar stores like GC.

[TNO]

Originally Posted by Keith G50

You might like a 000-15SM.

Yup, that'll do it.

[FingahPickah]

Originally Posted by Wellington

My nemesis on the guitar always seems to be the trebles, if all my guitars could have a fat, rounded and subdued treble I would be happy.
I'm wondering what your recommendations are for a 000 sized guitar (generally that size) that favours the bass and mid but not so much the treble. I know lots of rosewood guitars have good bass, but the trebles also seem prevalent at the same time, but I'm sure there's exceptions. I remember a boucher dread I heard that had nice warm trebles, not bright or overbearing.
I'm more interested in stuff under a grand or two but don't avoid telling me good options in ask price ranges. I'm not in the market to buy another guitar RIGHT now, I'm just inquiring for my long process of deciding on a future guitar, whenever that may be.
Even $500 guitar recommendations is good.

My $1500-ish, mahogany back & sides Larrivee 000-40M has the bass and projection of a dreadnought ... but is very balanced.

I would expect the rosewood version 000-40R has even more pronounced bass.

[Wellington]

Thank you everyone, I will look into all of these suggestions.
For this potential next guitar, I do have a slight preference of a wider string spacing than 2 1/8 at the bridge. I'm not too fussy about the nut, maybe wider would be nicer as this will mostly be a finger picker, but I finger pick on my Guild with the 1 11/16 nut all the time, though it's a little tougher with some songs than my wider Yamaha.

Originally Posted by Howard Emerson

Wellington,
What string gauges are you using on your guitars that you're talking about?

Were YOU playing the Boucher when you heard it, or was someone else playing it?

Do you use fingernails, fingerpicks, thumbpick, flesh, etc?

Most of what you're looking for doesn't have much to do with the guitar.

It has way more to do with the operator.

Regards,
Howard Emerson

It was only on video! The Boucher is out of my price range new, used it's something I could potentially save for but it will take a couple years at least.

I finger pick with my flesh fingers, no nails, sometimes my nails graze the strings, thats about it. I strum with a pick often as well, but for this guitar it won't be as much for strumming as finger picking.

Originally Posted by Robin, Wales

If you get the chance, play some of the Godin makes in 000 size (concert hall size they call it). Seagull, Simon and Patrick and Art and Lutherie all have guitars in that sizing. The cheaper ones have cherry/maple/cherry plywood b/s but there are solid wood options to try as well. In general, their guitars are voiced to be quite woody and mellow, very different to Martin or Taylor or Gibson. They are all quite "rounded" in the trebles. You should be able to find examples to play in the larger guitar stores like GC.

Thank you, yes I'm very familiar with the Godin guitars, being Canadian they are everywhere! I have owned a few, I do currently own a S&P Woodland Pro Folk, its 00 size and all solid, spruce top, hog b/s. I do find the trebles a little too loud, and on guitars that small I for some reason often find the bass muddy, to my ears it almost sounds like it's not intonated right or something. It is very comfortable, but after discovering the horrific fact that since 2006 all Godin acoustic guitars have had and continue to have the necks epoxied I'm extremely hesitant to invest in them anymore.
My friend has an old (pre epoxy) Seagull folk, cedar top, cherry b/s (which needs a neck reset, thankfully it's doable as its pre 2006) but I don't love the sound on that size.

Originally Posted by FingahPickah

My $1500-ish, mahogany back & sides Larrivee 000-40M has the bass and projection of a dreadnought ... but is very balanced.

I would expect the rosewood version 000-40R has even more pronounced bass.

I've been interested in those as I love Larrivee, but I'm concerned about the balanced aspect, I think I'll be left wanting more unbalanced in favour of the bass side of things.

Originally Posted by Tannin

That would be pretty much every jumbo I have ever played. It is the very nature of the beast. They vary, but fat, rounded, subdued .... a jumbo ticks all those boxes.

Of course, they are a practically the opposite of a 000 size-wise. Could you live with that?

Interestingly enough, after acquiring my Guild I've gotten interested in Jumbos, if it were a Guid I might have to go with their overseas made guitars for wider string spacing, i'll watch some reviews anyhow.

Originally Posted by EZYPIKINS

My 000-15 sounds like the treble knob is in the off position. If you want treble, look to maple. Rosewood is good, but some find it a bit bassy.

Good to know, if I could get all hog treble on with Rosewood bass I'd be happy! I'll look into them, I wonder how the 000-10e would fair? All hog (or Sapele I think), have you played one in person?

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Wellington

... if I could get all-hog treble with rosewood bass I'd be happy!...

Martin 000-15SM with Martin Retro Monel MM13's - should be exactly what you're after...

[Lillis]

I agree with all the 00015SM recommendations. Best sounding guitar I’ve ever had. Biggest mistake I’ve made selling it. It bothered my shoulder. I should have done more work on shoulder and kept guitar.