Martin 000-15

[Mike Devlin]

After many years of thinking about, considering and talking of learning to play acoustic guitar, I am aproaching 40, so it is now or never......After doing the rounds of all the music stores in Copenhagen and listening to and talking with many different people about a good guitar to start with, I keep coming back to the Martin 000-15. I know it is more expensive than most people would be willing to pay for a guitar to start on.

I have for the last 20 years had a passion for the blues and love living in Copenhagen with it's many live music venues. I hope to learn to play in the blues genre over the next 5 - 10 years.

Is the Martin 000-15 a good instrument for me, or am I just wasting money at this stage ??

All of the reviews I can find are very positive, any input is greatfully appreciated

 

Mike

[opencee]

My favorite guitar, ever. Not my most expensive guitar ever. Great woody and dry tone. Perfect finger-picker. Unique sound and appearance. Go for it. You will not regret it.

[tapeman1]

Nothing wrong with that as your first axe. The reason most people start with crappy instruments is because they buy them when they're young and they don't have any money. You work hard (at least, I'm assuming you do:D ) for the money you have so spend it on nice things. You'll actually be much better off with a high quality guitar bacause they are much easier to play, and therefor easier to learn on, than a cheap one.

I wish I had such a nice guitar when I first started out instead of the shoe box with a 2x4 attached to it that I called a guitar. Enjoy the Martin.



You can't go wrong with a Martin.

[opranks612]

If you can afford it, go for it. Just don't carry it around out of the case much. I know my first guitar got the {censored} beat out of it, because it takes a while to have a subconscious sense of where the headstock and where the ass of the guitar are, and until you get it you could run it into stuff.

And besides, if you buy a good instrument now, it'll be easier to learn (although I'm grateful I learned on a hard as hell to play but great sounding acoustic, everything from there plays easy by comparison), and if you quit, you'll get a larger part of your money back than if you bought a cheap guitar.

[JasmineTea]

I like the sound of the 000-15, but the rosette wares off after a while from struming.

[LDF]

I'd say go for it. Another reason people start out on cheaper guitars is because they're not sure they're going to stick with it. But if you are confident that you'll see it through, there's nothing wrong with an om-15. I have an om-21 which I love, and in fact I think an om-15 would have been better.
Just keep in mind this is a fingerpicking guitar and it probably will not do well with strumming. There IS a big difference in abilities between an om type guitar and a dreadnought.

[kwakatak]

For fingerpicking blues I'd say that the 000-15 is a good place to start. The mahogany top should give you a good tone for that type of music. I tried one once and it really held up well to Travis picking (woody tone with quick decay) but I didn't care for the lack of body binding and decal rosette. It seemed a little chintzy for the $800 that the shop was asking for it IMO.

[theflyingeyebal]

I have a 00015S (the 12 fret slot head one), and it's one of the coolest sounding and looking guitars I've ever heard. Very unique tone. Still has the woody Martin sound, but it's very focused and tight because of the mahogany and small body.

[kinski_paganini]

I, too, have been eyeing that guitar. I noticed that it's a bit less expensive than other Martins. Would I be able to tune it to hell and back and not worry about the neck snapping? I'd also like to play it with a pick in addition to fingerpicking.

-Alec

[54merk]

Originally posted by kinski_paganini I, too, have been eyeing that guitar. I noticed that it's a bit less expensive than other Martins. Would I be able to tune it to hell and back and not worry about the neck snapping? I'd also like to play it with a pick in addition to fingerpicking. -Alec

 

 

Tune it to hell and back? Huh??

 

It's a perfectly fine guitar and the least expensive all solid wood Martin. That said, you should generally NOT tune strings higher than standard tuning, unless you like to live dangerously and risk breakage. The common open tunings are open D, open G, drop D and double drop D. All of these create LESS tension, and if you want to play a song in open E or open A, just use a capo. That's the simplest way unless you want to deviate from a standard light gauge (0.012) set of strings. All modern guitars have truss rods so chances are the bridge and possibly also the top would pull up before the neck it you really abused it!

 

You do realize that the 15 series has a mahogany top? It sounds quite different from the more common spruce top which is used for the 16 series and most acoustic guitars. Mahog tops have a rather distinct midrange tonal character. If you play this guitar next to a 16 series Martin you will hear how different it sounds. I am not making any judgement one way or the other, it just has a unique tone. The knock against the 16 series is that people do not like the artificiall micarta fretboard. Why Martin does not use real rosewood like on the 15 series is beyond me, not that I can feel much difference when playing one, but it just ain't wood. The 00015 is very well suited to playing fingerstyle blues but not the best choice for flatpicking. Still, it's a much better first guitar than most people start with.

[theflyingeyebal]

I love it for flatpicking. Very unique tone.

[kinski_paganini]

Originally posted by 54merk Tune it to hell and back? Huh??

 

 

What I meant by that was that I would be able to tune it in a variety of open-string and non-standard tunings and BACK to standard without any unnecessary strain on the neck.

 

-Alec

[54merk]

That's what I thought you meant, but I was not completely sure, so if you stick with "slack" tunings, i.e. ones which create less string tension than standard, you'll do just fine with any guitar.

[Mike Devlin]

Thanks for all of the input, after reading the reader comments on this site, and talking to various people here in Copenhagen, I have decidded to get the 000-15 !! I got a CD from the Danish importer of Martin guitars that has recordings from many different models playing the same finger picking and the same chords. After listening to it many MANY times........I am convinced that the 000-15 is an absolute bargain......

Thanks again

PS. when I eventually need a pickup for the
000-15, what would be a good choice ??


Mike

[t60 fan]

Sounds like a great choice to me. I really would like to have a 000-15s. I love that slotted head and the volume of the 12 fret body.

[JasmineTea]

Originally posted by Mike Devlin PS. when I eventually need a pickup for the 000-15, what would be a good choice ?? Mike

K&K Pure Western.

[MrSage]

Wow...

I was just going to post on this guitar.

You guys are reading my mind!

I found one for about $300, and that seemed like a killer price. I just wanted to make sure it was a nice guitar (although how could a Martin not be nice?), and you guys have confirmed it!

[Mikeo]

Originally posted by Mike Devlin After many years of thinking about, considering and talking of learning to play acoustic guitar, I am aproaching 40, so it is now or never......After doing the rounds of all the music stores in Copenhagen and listening to and talking with many different people about a good guitar to start with, I keep coming back to the Martin 000-15. I know it is more expensive than most people would be willing to pay for a guitar to start on. I have for the last 20 years had a passion for the blues and love living in Copenhagen with it's many live music venues. I hope to learn to play in the blues genre over the next 5 - 10 years. Is the Martin 000-15 a good instrument for me, or am I just wasting money at this stage ?? All of the reviews I can find are very positive, any input is greatfully appreciated Mike

 

 

Mike, The 00015 is a fantastic guitar, I own a 00016RGT and it's my main living rom axe.

 

You;ll never go wrong with a Martin and the quality of there instruments.

[kinski_paganini]

Are there any samples of the guitar anywhere?

-Alec

[Gerry Nelson]

Originally posted by opencee Not my most expensive guitar ever.

 

 

Dude, you gotta remember the guy's in Denmark. In England, for example, the prices are the same as in the US except they're in pounds so a $1000 guitar costs UKP1000 ($1700) which is ridiculous! In some cases, it's cheaper to fly over to the US, and buy the guitar then!

 

Anyway, I heard Leo Kottke has been touring with a 000-15 recently. As everyone has been saying, it's a great guitar. Congrats!