00-15M Standard vs 00-17 Custom - Martin Mahogany Comparison
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- čas přidán 20. 06. 2021
- The Martin 00-15M is a very popular guitar… likely because of the tonewood, the appearance, and the price point. But what happens when we make a Custom 00 with premium upgrades?? Does it blow the standard model out of the water?? Leave a comment.
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You guys have the best channel for acoustic reviews. Part of me enjoys how short and to the point they are but part of me wants some longer more in depth videos!
I think the difference is huge.
The 00-15M is a lot more compressed.
The 00-17 is open and has a lot more body and the sounds more crispy, if it is a term of words that can be used to describe the sound 😊
Thanks to Quinton and Paul for the grate efforts 👍
Qunton, as always beautiful played 👍
The 15 does not stay compressed for long.
Great job, as always. Love my 00-15M!
The 17 sounds brighter but I liked the Rich Mellow sound of the 15. I don’t like the rosette on the 17.
Love the 15. It sounds so rich and smooth.
My wife has the 17 and she loves it. She loves Celtic music and is a finger-picker, and the moody sound of the all-mahogany 17 is ideal. Really evocative sounding. And playability is super.
I have an older D15M and it’s not my primary guitar but I love the sound! Especially nice with Martin Tony Rice .56-.13 the monel brings out something special 👌
Yet another cosmic review! The differences are subtle. If one is shopping "bang for your buck", the 00-15 and the stellar 000-15SM MUST be at the top of your list. These are two guitars (well under $2K) that you would (should) be proud to play anywhere.
The song is "Put your head on my shoulder." God bless you!
Fr. Dave
Paul Anka.
@@auramac Yes, Paul Anka! I couldn't think of that!
I've had my martin 000 15m for six months now and I can honestly say its getting better and better.. easy to play and I think I prefer it to my much more expensive guitars.. best value guitar out there in my opinion.. saying that the 00 17 in this video has a little something extra
Awesome guitars. I have the little 0-15M and that guitar is mighty.
First guitar was a 1949 00-17. Was run over by a car. Still miss it. But love my 21 year old 000-15SM!
The neck profile would be a nice indulgence to have in one's budget.
I've liked every 15 series Martin I've ever touched.
They sound remarkably similar. It's hard to tell from this video, but id imagine the 17 is louder.
But the 17 comes across as somehow higher definition, without being a sonic landslide of "better" that would justify a crazy price gap.
They both sound great.
Both very nice. The 17 sounded to me to be a tad brighter. I have four Martins and one is a D15M and it turned into my go to gig guitar. Love the all mahogany.
I have one of those too. Out of curiosity, what is your setup for it for gigs?
@@williamcatalano1762 I had a K&K Pure Mini installed into my D15M and I use a Fishman Loudbox Artist as the amp. I also have an older Roland AC60 amp as backup. I do folk and Americana, nursing home sets, and some church stuff where I select a few songs to match the sermon subject and hopefully open mic's will start up sometime soon.
@@joedzekevich2407 I was going to roll with a K&K in mine as well when the time came. Thanks for letting me know!
Very similar guitars tonewise. The 0017 has some more punch and separation. The 0015 has a really nice balance for light strumming, perfect for a songwriter. The 17 sounds more complex too, very responsive to the touch: I'd make a good use for fingerpicking.
Less to almost no hand cramping when playing long gigs so modified V neck works for me and is what I look for in a guitar.
I like both, though I prefer the 00-17. I happen to own a 00-15M so i am pretty familiar with that guitar - its as close to a dream acoustic as I can get without going custom shop. It has a warm, but not overly articulate tone that obviously lends itself well to blues and folk music, but I noticed that it also works pretty well for jazz (bebop licks sound especially nice). To my ears the 17 adds on to the overall 15 sound but does not detract from it in any way. There's better midrange clarity in the 17 as opposed to the 15, as well as what seems to be a wider dynamic range in the 17. However, both seem to have the same overall warmer tonal palate. As much as I would love to get my hands on that 17, I think the 15 is good enough for my skill level at the moment.
Love all -mahogany guitars.
15. Prettier, cheaper and sounds better than this custom 17.
Don’t settle. Save longer
Real neat 🎶🎶🎶
the 17 sounds a little brighter in the mid-upper range while keeping warmth in the lower range. Both express in volume comparatively and offer an open, inviting sound through each chord and note.
The 17 sounds slightly better. But I’m suspicious of the V neck. I own the 15 and it is very comfortable to play and sounds so sweet. I went to the store to buy a more expensive guitar and bought the 15 instead.
The 15 is bold but quite new.
The 17 is more open, bit more trebly, fuller.
But the 15 with dead EJ16 strings will surely get my heart and soul
Put Your Head on My Shoulder by Paul Anka. thats the melody at the start of the video
I have owned both in the past. Started with the 15, went to the 17, but found a 15 custom with a 1 3/4 “ nut, binding, and MAYBE a slightly higher grade mahogany. At least it looked that way. I liked all of them but the 15M custom is the one I kept. Thank you for the video.
I’m with you! I have a 0-15 Custom Shop 12-fret, with 1.75” nut & ebony fretboard/bridge pins, and scalloped Adirondack bracing. It’s just amazing, and my favorite acoustic.
@@ZacCostilla Wow! I'd love to get the chance to play one...
Hi Anthony. I own a 00-15M and love that guitar. But I have some undeniable playability issues with it. I feel mainly due to the combination of 1 11/16" nutwidth, the thin MLO neck and the narrower 2 1/8" bridge string-spacing. My hands doesn't harmonize with that setting. 😅
So I'm looking for an alternative which is soundwise quite similar.
Do you ordered your Custom 00-15 directly at the Martin Custom Shop or did they produced them anyway (in which year)?
What is the string spacing on yours? Was it much more expensive than the standard? Would be nice to know a little more..
best regards from Germany
00-17 hands down for me. A full clean sound to my ears.
I want a Martin CEO-7 so bad haha Too much moola for me though. Going to settle for a Gibson L-00 Studio.
The 00-17 sounds a little better to me, but I have a Martin 00 I like to play. Quinton shows the voice of each nicely. Thanks Paul and Quinton.
I was distracted for a moment from video in the final part and sudenly I noticed that I could not tell the difference in sound without looking at labels on screen. Weird. Hope I could get a 00(0)-15 someday.
The 15 is compressed in sound, however it quickly opens up. Like a month or so of causal playing. It has everything you need and nothing you don't. Extremely comfortable neck that I'd say is better playing than my strats or teles. Honestly I wouldn't pay the extra for the custom shop is just get a 15.
My 00-15 retro is different as well......it has an ebony board and bridge......Sipo top, back and sides.....The braces look scalloped to me but the specs say no?
I really like the 00-17 Martin.
Even with my eyes off and on...these are very closely toned listening here with my highend Bose over the ear headphones! But there is a slight subtle increase in volume and definition (like Paul says) with the custom. I agree that the custom sounds sharply brighter, glassier and less compressed, an almost spruce topped tone. But the difference in prices would just be hard to digest according to the tone differences between the two.
I'm putting it on the ebony/rosewood
The 00-17 is more resonant and full in its audible dynamic range. The 00-15 sounds nice, too. Either should please their next owner easily. Despite the increasing difficulty in finding tonewoods these days, Martin, Taylor, Eastman, Olson, Kopp, Collings, etc., are all delivering high-quality instruments to choose from. This is a wonderful time to buy a top-notch acoustic guitar and be an acoustic player. Equally wonderful are the less expensive models offered as well. It just goes to show that when builders put their minds to it, they can build exceptional instruments even if some of them are quite expensive.
the 15 series is the best value Martin offers, hands down - amazing guitars. I still think they are some of the best and best-sounding guitars they make, even compared to the higher priced standard series stuff.
I think Addie braces on the 00-17 might increase headroom but definitely take longer to warm up, especially at lower volumes. If all Martin does is substitute addy for their regular spruce braces without thinking them down I don't see the advantage other than playing louder if needed. To me the 15 sounded slightly warmer finger picked. But if u wanted a loud and punchy little strummer the 17 is just right. Of course playing in person is the only way to really tell.
Does the 17 have a dovetail neck or the improved MT (i.e. "simplified dovetail") like the 15?
Genuine Dovetail neck joint in the custom shop guitar.
@@musicvilladotcom Yeah I thought so. It does contribute to overtones slightly, hard to define. Seems like I read somewhere that the dovetail joint is the single most expensive labor item in the whole guitar, unless maybe you consider finishing as all one labor item. Noted Martin guitarist Spoon Philips has good information on this classic Martin feature. The 15 series is a great value and the 17 bumps up the game, but like always, incremental improvements cost more. They are justified, if you have the money.
Some people drive Corvettes to work when a 2018 Camry would get them there just fine. And does a fly fisherman with $1800 worth of gear catch a lot more than the guy with maybe $350 invested inmore basic equipment? Of course not, but to some people appreciating the quality of something is part of enjoying the ride. Probably why God invented colors :v)
I think Martin, sometimes, is a bit fast and loose with wood use and description of woods used. The 15 series is supposed to be an all mahogany series. That said, at times, the 15 series guitars have been made of sipo, sapele and combinations of these woods, mahogany and sipo, mahogany and sapele, etc.
Yeah "genuine" mahogany is used all the time now and it was supposed to used only for Honduran mahogany which I'm betting these are not.....Im disappointed that Martin SEEMS to be disingenuous with the term Genuine.......I hope it's not
the 15 series has been Honduran mahogany for a while now.
The 17 has a bit of a fuller sound. A bit more rich.
You took the words right off of my keyboard. Exactly what I was thinking.
Sort of sounds like two silhouettes on the wall or something like that?
The 17.
The 000-10e Martin is sapele. The 00 and 000 15s are genuine mahogany. Material difference in sound and price. Surprised Paul forgot.
They used to be genuine mahogany, but not any more. Both the 00-15 and 000-15 are sapele or sipo and have been for a few years now. Hence Paul’s comment in the video. You can get a genuine mahogany 0-15m, which is a special edition for LA Guitars in the US and Westside Distribution in the UK.
@@ricjoorg I’m right now looking at the Martin website and the descriptions of the 000-15M and 00-15M both say “solid mahogany construction”. Conversely, the description of the 000-10e says “constructed with sapele”. Are you saying that Martin & Co. is committing fraud? These days the species referred to as African mahogany is sometimes generically called mahogany (in contrast to genuine mahogany) but I’ve never seen a reputable guitar brand call sapele mahogany.
Further Update: The Martin website description of the 000-18 says that the Sitka spruce top “is married with genuine mahogany back and sides”. I’m guessing that the 15s are made of African mahogany, an inferior species relative to genuine mahogany.
@@danstevens1024 That’s exactly it. Martin are being naughty, to say the least, by referring to all of those woods as mahogany. For some reason they are honest about the 10 series - I suspect it’s because they’ll always use sapele on that series, whilst on the 15 it’ll be sapele or cipo at times. The reality is though, it’s only where they refer to “genuine mahogany” that you are getting the real deal. Sapele is African mahogany. There are loads of posts on the subject on umgf.com and acousticguitar forum. With the CEO-7, Martin have been honest and make it public that they no longer build it with mahogany but cipo instead. Both sipo and sapele are African mahoganies.
@@ricjoorg Thanks for the additional information, Ric! The major players in the guitar industry should get together and agree on some minimum standards of disclosure so consumers loose confidence in buying their products!
That was Paul Anka at the beginning
I'd love to know the specs for the 00-17. I wonder if it has a Dovetail neck joint and standard scalloped 1/4" x-bracing; sounds like 24.9" scale. The 00-15M will have 25.5" scale, simple dovetail with the modified bracing (which I don't think is scalloped). The bracing will have the biggest difference, scale a big difference, and the Dovetail will change things around a lot (true dovetail is a standard series and above thing, but it's what the old 17s had, and the new days 15s never had and never will). The 00-15M sure holds up. I think the differences would be most apparent to the player, but they definitely sound different here too.
Only the genuine Dovetail neck joint available though the Custom Shop so yes, this one has the Dovetail. Also 24.9" Scale and 1/4" Scalloped Braces...
What’s that J-200 in back? Killer! Nice Martins btw 😀
I'll be honest with this one. Neither one impressed me, and I enjoy watching and listening to your reviews. I'm sure both will bring their owners joy, but for whatever reason my ears didn't care for either one.
Well the 15m doesn't have scalloped bracing. Maybe the 17 does and that's why it's brighter?...
17 has a dovetail neck joint. The 15 is a bolt on mortise and tenon joint. That is the biggest difference here effecting tone.
00-17 sounds better with more clarity of individual notes. I suspect much of it may be due to the skinny bridge.
What about the scale?? I think the 00-17 has a shorter scale, right?
Correct... 24.9" on the 00-17 and 25.4" on the 00-15M.
@@musicvilladotcom thank you for confirming! :)
If 0015 is genuine mahogany I don't know but it sounds prettier to me.
To me the 15 sounds so much better. There's some weird slightly tinny sound in the 17 Custom.
Why I chose the dreadnaught for 000 y …jesus I am older lol y this smaller are cool sounding as well
What did those 17's sell for?
Please send me an email for pricing... chad@musicvilla.com
Paul Anka, Put your head on my shoulder :)
17 definitely sounds more open, probably because of the thinner top.
Can’t beat a 00-17 for finger style
I don't think the 00-15M was ever sapele...I think it has always been solid mahogany.
the 000-10 is sapele.
It's Paul Anka...
Very little sound difference. Too bad Martin doesn't make a 12 fret version. Maybe there would be a sound difference.
00015sm is a 12 fret version 😉
@@patrickvanh4601 Do they still make it? And I think it looks kind of strange, like an 0M that they just brought the upper bout to the twelfth fret instead of moving the bridge back to the sweet spot. And even that one doesn't sound special.
@@2628064379 They still make it! Was looking at them a little while back.
@@williamcatalano1762 I did not see this model on the Martin website currently.
@@2628064379 I was really looking for an L-00 style Martin and they used to have a 17 series version of one that was pretty affordable. I was about 2 or 3 years too late and they stopped making them now. Bummer.. They still have the 000-17's though which are awesome but not really the body I was searching for.
Not fond of either, but the 17 is much better.
Prefer the 00-15m !
Dandruff on my shoulders duh
Also " genuine " mahogany is supposed to be Honduran......im betting this is African Sipo which means its NOT genuine mahogany
Always such an awkward weirdly intimate rapport between you two.