Martin 00-15

This is a brand new, from the factory, 2002, Martin! It's 14 frets clear to the body. All solid mahogany. No pickups. The bridge and fingerboard are rosewood. The finish is satin. The tuners are Martin branded small Shaller style in chrome. I think the ratio is 14:1. It came with a Geib style martin (by TKL) case -- very nice. My only beef with this depression-era beauty is that it has a decal for a rosette. I would rather skip the decal, personally. The saddle and nut are Micarta. The saddle is compensated.

I bought this baby for fingerstyle and light duty slide. I prefer to keep it tuned her in open D or G. The tone is balanced and very warm, almost hypnotic. This instrument sings. It sounds even better after I upgraded the saddle to a precompensated bone saddle and replaced the plastic bridge pins with ebony. I think the sound is phenomenal! This is an amazing value.

The factory setup was between fair and pretty good. The neck relief had to be sligtly adjusted (about a quarter turn tighter), the nut slots I filed down by about 1mm, and the new bone saddle I filed down by about 2mm. Now it plays almost by itself! The fit and finish are rock solid and without flaw.

The absence of binding makes this baby look a bit frail, but it feels quite solid. It will probably outlast me.

I don't know.

I play/own a Tacoma EM9, Fender Fat Strat, Kenny Hill Munich, and Goya G-13. This guitar is played about 50% of the time I play. I love this one. I would definitely buy another if I had to!

made in 2000 in USA of course. 20 frets, 14 clear. all solid mahogany with rosewood fingerboard. satin finish which i prefer. it came with standard martin tuners which i replaced with the more classic looking butterbean style. hardshell case included.

I play mostly play fingerstyle on this guitar but I do strum it quite abusively at times and it still sounds great. At first I thought it was rather weak in the bass department but then i moved to a house with solid concrete walls and its like playing through an amp! the only reason i dont give it a 10 is becaue my martin dreadnought blows it away when it comes to Neil Young style strumming.

Great factory action. After playing my 12-string it feels like an electric. Very easy to play. As i mentioned before i replaced the factory tuners and put the nicer butterbean style. My 00-15 was a scratch and dent item and you can tell in the right light that the finish isnt up to par. However, this doesnt matter to me one bit and I prefer the look of mine after comparing it to a "properly finished" model.

I dont play live but it holds up to my daily abuse. I've had it knocked over with no damage but it did scare the crap out of me since it seems like such a delicate guitar. I regularly hit walls and doorways since i usually pace around the house while playing. ive gotten plenty of dings and scratches but who really cares about that as long as the sound isnt comprimised.

havent had to use it.

I played bass for a few years prior to picking up the acoustic and its now been 3 solid years on the guitar. I also own a guild 12-string, a Martin d1-r and a cheapo yamaha nylon string. I play the 00-15 the most out of my guitars and would definitly replace it if it were lost or stolen. It is definitly my favorite.

This really is a beauty. When I saw it hanging in the shop, it had this rustic look like something that would have been lying around Big Pink in Woodstock! I love the simplicity of it... nothing fancy, but elegant. And the case, as others have mentioned, is actually nicer than the ones that come with the upscale models. The only problem I've had with it was that the tuners on the bottom E & A have been a bit tempermental. I've actually replaced them with gold Grovers, which look much nicer and seem to do the job.

I was looking for something that would sound like Nick Drake's Guild M20... and this is actually a warmer sounding guitar. I'd definitely agree with those who say it's suited to fingerpicking or a bluesy style. I thought slide would be nice on it too, but it doesn't really project. As with heavy strumming, it has a high-end that cuts through, but with such a small body & the mahogany there's not much bottom there. You'd be wanting a dreadnought for that. But if you want something to gently weep, this is the one.

I had a tech put in an intonated saddle (he also adusted the nut), and what was good is now fantastic. There's not a duff note there. I've never played an acoustic that was so perfectly in tune. The mahogany finish is also fab, in that you don't end up sticking to your guitar! I must of wasted a mint on guitar polish in the past, but this one just lets you got on with it!

I've played this guitar at home, and in clubs, and while it does look fragile it isn't. It's a well built, sturdy Martin. I've used it without a backup... not a problem.

I probably should have followed up about the tuners, but didn't bother because I wanted to change them anyway. They should have been GOLD in the first place. My understanding is that Martin is pretty approachable though. How can you argue with a lifetime warranty?

I've been playing guitar for about 20 years. I've gone through a gazillion guitars, including a Martin D-35 & a Gibson Hummingbird. This one is about as good a value as you're going to get. I would definitely replace it if it were lost. It's no museum piece... it's meant to be played and has a wonderful tone all its own.

Mine's a 2001, came with a beautiful hardshell case (which is of better construction itself that most of the instruments I've owned!) I won't go into features much-- you can scroll down and read other reviews for that. Needless to say, though-- it is a gorgeous looking and sounding instrument. A MARTIN. When I first pulled it out of the case and strummed it, it sounded like a damn grand piano! Wonderful, rich resonation and sustain. Just creamy as can be! My wife gets a bit tired of all the instruments I acquire and trade, etc. but she does do a little guitar picking and she was floored by this little 00-15. When first playing it, she actually said "well, you sure can tell where the money went-- I didn't know a string instrument could be so nice!" And to be honest-- it wasn't even that much money-- with the great case included, this guitar is hands down one of the finest acoustic guitar values on the market today. Lovely deep mahogany (it smells beautiful too!)-- no fancy appointments-- it's the working man's Martin, just like Woody Guthrie used to play. Silky satin finish, perfectly dressed frets, great action, great tuning keys-- it's obvious Martin puts as much craft and care into their lower- line instruments as they do their top of the line models. As far as I'm concerned, this is heirloom quality. Unlike some others' reviews have said, this sure feels solid as can be to me! And with no binding or inlays, to me that just means more resonance and less chance of anything going wrong or needing repairs. Even though I am a huge guy, this slightly more demure ax is comfortable as can be to play! I give it a 9 in this category just because it certainly isn't packed with features-- it's just an extremely well made workaday guitar that I'm sure will outlive me with proper care.

I described the sound pretty much above, I think. But it just rings out like a bell. I play all kinds of stuff (none of it very well I'm afraid)-- fingerpicked blues, folk rock, early country/bluegrass stuff all the way to manic strumming punk stuff, and this seems to work for it all! I actually don't see where people get the idea that this is "more suited to fingerpicking than strumming"-- seems good for either to me!

To me, as flawless as I could ask for. I mainly play ukulele, but for the rest of our lives, whenever my wife or I want to play guitar, this is the one we'll reach for!

Haven't played it live yet, but I'm sure I will at some point, and I'm sure it will deliver. Wouldn'r need a backup unless a string broke. Seems eminently solid and dependable.

I haven't ever talked to Martin in person other than a quick email telling them how much I adored this instrument. I received a very quick and gracious thank you from them. Comes with a lifetime warranty. I mean, come on-- Martin has been at this, and been at the top of the game for a century and a half. I'd say they take pretty good care of their customers.

I own another old acoustic guitar-- a really loud booming Regal from 1961. It's nice but hard to play. Also have a cheapo japanese tele copy which I love though it's really noisy and cuts out a lot. My wife has a Rogue mandolin I play around on some, and as I said I am primarily a uke player, and I have an assortment of those.
If this guitar were lost or stolen I would be devastated because A- it's not even paid for yet and B- aside from one high-end ukulele, it's the finest instrument I own (and one of the finest I've ever played--honest!)

Standard features as described below...

The thing that I liked personnaly is the satin finish and the none binding! This makes the guitar really simple but beautifull! The satin finish did give me the feeling it would be rather fragile, but in the end it IS a Martin of course...

I bought the guitar for strumming, which I knew it wouldn't be suitable for. I mostly play plain chords or powerchords and the 00-15 isn't build for that! As I read below it is great for finger picking (which I never do) and less suited for strumming.

I do however like the tone, even when strumming! Of course you can't get a tone and volume which you get with a dreadnaught or a jumbo, but for such a small body it still is quit good! Plus I had to choose between this Martin 00-15 with Fishman pickup or a Ibanez AW-200CE with a Fishman pickup which were about the same price range; the choice was simple of course!

If you want to play chords but can't afford a Martin or Taylor dreadnaught but CAN afford this 00-15, I suggest to still buy the 00-15...

The guitar has no flaws what so ever, though the satin finish sems fragile (I suggest to always keep it in the beautiful included Martin hardshell case). Action was a little high when I got it (even though I bought it used) but was easy to adjust. Also the frets are perfectly placed and the tuners are great...

The guitar is build as a Martin, but still gives me the feeling it is easily damaged. After playing, please put it back in the case!

I would play without backup, because when playing you can't break the guitar. But after playing take good care of it...

Never dealt with them. They do give a life time warranty though, so I guess they are great? I can't judge them as I haven't dealt with them, so no rating here...

I have been playing guitar for 5 years now and I know quality equipment when I see it, and this is a quality guitar! As every guitarst I will probably do sell it one day to buy an even better Martin, Taylor or Gibson but for know this is the best I could have bought.

I further own a Fender USA 40th ann. strat and a customized Epiphone SG. I own a vintage Vox AC-30 and quit some stomp box and rack effects/preamps. I really wanted to buy an acoustic and visited the local guitar stores daily for some months. First I fell in love with a Ibanez AW-200CE acoustic (which is also great value for the money), and I only played on some expensive Taylor's and Martin's realizing that if you want good quality guitars, you should save up cash and get a Martin or Taylor. I found myself in the oppertunity to get this Martin 00-15 for a great price, so I just got it even though it is not suited for my kind of style! The guitar itself is a 10 of course, for my style it's a 9 but since you only want the quality rating of the guitar itself...10 it is...

All mahogany, 20 frets, die-cast tuning machines, smallish frets, small grand concert-shaped body, natural finish (dark brownish)

This is a very loud acoustic. I love it's sound, it's mellow but punchy at the same time, ideal for bluesy rhythms or chord comping. It will cut thru the mix if you're playing with another acoustic (my brother and I jam sometimes, he uses a martin DXM dreadnought, my 00-15 is a lot louder).
Regardless, this is the best sounding acoustic i've heard in a long time.

It was set up well, with 11-gauge strings. it was missing the strap button but the guy at the store just popped a new one in. I notice no flaws with this guitar anywhere, quality control really did their work here. Martins are always high quality

This is a tough little guitar. It could definately withstand live playing, and since this guitar has a dull finish, i doubt that it will wear off or lose it's look. I can depend on this guitar and would use it without a backup as long as i had some extra strings (this guitar makes me want to play hard).

I haven't had to deal with them yet, they've made such a great and durable little guitar.

I own another acoustic, some cheap pawnshop dreadnought, and an expansive electric rig, (two fender jaguars, a Gibson SG, big pedalboard, 2 100-watt marshall heads and a 4x12 cabinet)
but i really wanted an acoustic for playing anywhere. this is a great guitar and i plan to keep it forever. if it were stolen or lost, i'd try to get the original back but if i couldn't i would definately buy the same guitar again.

i love my 00-15

2000-model
Solid Mahogany
Love that finish,it feels like bare wood,so natural!!!
comes with a nice hardshell case.
Quality and simplicity are such a nice combination!

Great Blues sound.
Punchy bass
Loudest 00 I've ever seen
Bass,Mids,Treble are very well balanced

Set up was low for a Martin,perfect for me
No flaws anywhere

Its a Martin,so you know it'll last.
Solid guitar

Every time I've called Martin and asked to speak to a tech they're in a meeting.

Been playing for 13 years
Solo Acoustic Blues-this guitar is perfect for me
I bought a Seagull Grand a month ago and couldn't decide between these two guitars,so I bought both of them!
I love finish and feel of these guitars.
Tried the 000-15 but the 00-15 was a much better guitar for me.I thought the 000 would be louder but it sounded mushy.
I played every guitar I could get my hands on for over a year before buying the Seagull and Martin,and I'm very satisfied with my purchase.
If they were stolen,I'd buy them again.
They are great Blues guitars!!!!!!!!!!!
The customer service at the store where I purchased is unbeatable!
Thanks to Ken Rattenbery and his crew!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the guitar features a really nice case thats included-that makes the guitar a bargain. Solid mahogany top-back and sides, All the rest is standard Martin stuff...tuners etc.. Mine is a left handed model.

I ordered this guitar to set it up for slide playing only. I played one ( right handed) in a store and the warm sound got me. I thought it would be perfect as a slide guitar. I was not wrong. However the tone of this guitar surpasses other Martins I have ( costing lots more) and I have lowered the action back to original now and play it tuned to open E and this guitar is sweeet! I have two other Martins, a Gibson acoustic,a Yamaha acoustic and 5 electric guitars -I play alot and this guitar is fantastic in every way-I am going to use one of my other guitars for slide playing because I dont want to limit the 00-15.

Typical Martin - the action is a little high from the factory-just like every Martin I've ever played - but easily adjusted - the neck- straight-the finish also typical for Martin...in other words flawless.
The finish on even this lower cost Martin is the same as the most expensive Martin-the company has mastered quality control.

I'm sure the guitar will outlast me-Martin has a lifetime warranty and the only thing that will ruin one if it is damaged by someone.

I have bought 5 Martins in the last few years and call Martin all the time ( they are probably sick of me calling) to discuss different issues and they are always very nice. I ask for people by their first names and the receptionist always knows who I want so I get the impression it really is a small company.

I have purchased 6 guitars from www.music123.com and cant recommend them highly enough-shipping is always free and they come through with the lowest price every time-they really make buying Martin a bargian-if you factor in the case thats included and the price music123 sells the guitar for-there really is no other consideration other than Martin-for me.

This a pretty plain-jain instrument: solid mahogany back, sides and top (all satin finished); decal rosette; rosewood fretboard. It's all about elegant simplicity. Even though it's simple, I rate it a 9 just because it doesn't lack anything a good acoustic guitar should have.
I sold a very nice Taylor 414 in order to buy this guitar, solely because I didn't like the neck. The Taylor was a stunner in both looks and sound, so it was hard to part with. Still, I'm glad I did now that I have this 00-15 in its place.
The guitar comes with a surprisingly nice luggage-style case with a brass Martin nameplate -- very plush (I like it better than the molded plastic thing that came with my D-28; I can never get the aluminum extrusion edging on molded cases to line up properly)

I give it a 10, but with a qualification. This guitar is great for fingerpicking and okay for single note flatpicking, but it's much less suited to strumming, especially hard strumming. Natually, due to it's relatively small size it isn't especially loud, but it is SWEET! The sound compresses and muddies quite a bit under hard strumming, so if you like to bang away, get a dreadnought or a jumbo. This guitar has a relatively delicate sound and isn't designed for acoustic power chording.
The bass strings aren't boomy or brassy; they have a crisp but mellow resonance, with excellent definition. The definition is better than on a lot of dreadnoughts I've played (especially on the low E string, which sounds pretty dull on many instruments).
The treble strings are very sweet and warm sounding. Overall, the tone is well balanced and mellow.

It's a Martin all the way! Fit and finish are every bit as good as on my D-28. The action on mine is medium low, with zero buzz (it came strung with Martin SP lights -- I'll probably stick with them since they sound so good on this guitar, though I normally use John Pearse strings).
The neck has a thinner profile than a typical Martin, especially toward the peghead end, but it is EXTREMELY comfortable. I'm surprised I like it so much, since I usually prefer thicker necks (a PRS wide-fat, for example). This is more like the profile on a G&L ASAT Classic than any other guitar I can think of.

Hmmm...its a very light and somewhat delicate-feeling instrument, but the construction is first rate, and so are the tuners. I imagine it should hold up pretty well, like most Martins.

Haven't personally dealt with Martin, but I wouldn't expect any problems given their reputation for standing behind their instruments.

This is an outstanding guitar for what it is: a small-bodied guitar that begs to be fingerpicked. While not fancy, it's a tremendous buy at $550. I'm going to get a 000-15 as soon as my local store gets one, and I may eventually get a D-15 and a J15-12 as well. I think Martin has hit on a real winner with these 15-series guitars. For sound and playability, I think these would be good buys at twice the price. On the other hand, if you like lots of fancy inlay and binding, they aren't going to be your cup of tea. I normally like binding and inlays myself, but there's something really appealing about the all-mahogany concept.
In addition to the 00-15, I've got a D-28, Tacoma DR-20, Ovation Legend, and Calvin Kramer classical. Besides the Taylor 414, I've also owned various Yamahas, a 60's Epiphone and a Seagull SM-6.
Though different, I rate my 00-15, D-28, Tacoma and former Taylor as equals overall. The Seagull was a great value, but isn't in the same league with these four; same for the Yamahas. The Epiphone was a starter instrument. The Ovation is an acoustic-electric cutaway that I use mostly when playing on stage with a band.
I've been playing for 25 years, mostly folk, blues and rock. I play electric 70% of the time. Stephen Stills is probably my favorite acoustic guitar player, and so I play a lot of his stuff (though not very well). Since that involves a lot of fingerpicking, the 00-15 is cool to use, though I know Stills favored D-45's.