Martin 000-15SM Review

A Retro Gem

I've owned this guitar a few years now and for what it is, I love it. Dreads have their place and I own several, but so does this guitar here. The slotted headstock was a nice touch on this. If you're concerned about the task of changing strings on one, don't be. A quick YouTube search of how to change strings on a slotted headstock will set you at ease as they will walk you through… read more the simple procedure. It's not worse than a flat headstock, it's just different if you've never done it. I've grown to like it a bit more. So this guitar will take you back to a time when guitars were guitars, not ornaments. I've nothing against ornate, as I own a few of them. That said, adding this to the arsenal was a great decision on my part. It is extremely light weight and design change where the neck meets the body was genius by Martin. That sloping of the shoulders, whoever came up with that, was just genius. It really does affect the sound, in a great way. If you close your eyes, you're in a train station in NE Arkansas in 1930 playing this thing. I take this out frequently and just noodle fingerstyle blues with it. It's worth it for sure. As with all guitars, don't forget to pick up some humidipacks, or some other method for humidity control. Don't learn that lesson the hard way, as I did with a Gibson J-45. That's a lesson I'll never forget. Check out the review I did on YouTube and you can see my guitar and hear it.

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Incredible Sound and Quality

This is my first quality acoustic guitar and I could not be happier with my purchase. I played electric guitars growing up and have moved more towards acoustics after not playing for 10+ years. I've been able to find the passion again for playing. I have not gone a day without playing this guitar since it arrived at my doorstep (after 24 hours acclimating). After hours and countless… read more videos researching guitars, I decided to go with this all mahogany 12-fret. The tone is so warm and well rounded. You will not want to put this guitar down, it just sounds so good. The slightly wider nut makes playing much more comfortable for me. I still enjoy playing my electrics, but this guitar just calls to you. If you are thinking about this guitar, just do it. This is the nicest instrument I have ever owned. You will not think twice about the decision after playing that first note.

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I'll never let this guitar go

This is the finest acoustic guitar I've both played and owned. I agonized over which Martin Mahogany guitar I wanted, did a lot of comparison. I'd watch online comparisons of this guitar with other Martin/Other brand mahogany guitars. I'd just close my eyes and listen, and whenever I heard the tone I really liked, I'd open them up and it was consistently the 000-15SM. So I pulled… read more the trigger and ordered one from Sweetwater. Ordering one of these babies, you're probably going to have to wait until it arrives in stock, but hold out - the wait is worth it. I really only had to wait a couple of weeks in my case, and I'm really, really glad I did. Shout out to Ben Cameron for guiding me through this purchase, keeping an eye on stock, and sending me picks when the guitar was ready. Another shout out to Sweetwater - I've always been 100% happy with any dealings I've had with them. Get this guitar if you want to put something really sweet (and good smelling, no kidding!) in your life.

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My favorite of the 15 series

This is my favorite of the series, probably by a wide margin. The tone is balanced throughout. Not as much spank and definition as the 00015m or D15m, but it's other qualities far outweigh that. It has a softness in its tone that just sounds so laid back. This guitar grows on me the more I play it.

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The punchy midrange of solid mahogany

This is the first nice acoustic guitar I've ever owned. I fell in love with the sound of small mahogany Martins a long time ago, and I'm glad I finally got one. The sound is just right for me. The bass doesn't boom, the top end is slightly dark and easy on the ears, and the midrange is strong and punchy. The neck is a little narrower than I am used to, but the string spacing… read more is surprisingly comfortable to my hands. I mainly play electric, and this is easy to play for me. The guitar is very light and has a smooth satin finish. I think it looks good, and that mahogany smells amazing when I take it out of the case. I was looking for one nice acoustic that wasn't crazy money, and this is everything I was hoping for.

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