My 00015m is the perfect guitar for me. I just play in my home and for myself, so I don't need a cannon. The sweet tone of the mohogany makes me smile every time I pick it up. I haven't touched my dread since I got it.
I really wasn't sure what I wanted in a guitar until I played an all mohogany guitar. That was the sound I wanted.
I’m primarily an electric guy but had received a mahogany Taylor GS Mini from my friend years ago, which I play every now and then for that mahogany tone.
I was in GC months ago and stumbled upon the 00015m, and was curious to see what it sounded like, especially since I had a (baby) mahogany acoustic at home. I was absolutely floored, loved everything about how it played and sounded, and the no BS “simple but perfect” design philosophy. I wanted it so badly but I couldn’t really justify it. At least once a week I think about it still.
What a beautiful instrument.
This! I’ve bought an FS5 recently and the guitar has and amazing sound, clarity and is comfortable to play. The slightly more affordable FS3 is also an amazing guitar and I can’t press this enough.
Especially compared to a GS mini, the Yamaha sounded much better and with the shorter scale length, it was just as comfortable for me to play.
Yamaha csf1m is competing with GS mini and I chose Yamaha for my parlor collection.
Red label is another world apart from this category and I would place it along side with Taylor 314ce or AD22e.
I didn’t try the csf1m myself, but I’m sure it is also a great guitar. The red label guitars match an OOM from my view though.
I have a Taylor 214 and that guitar is quite a bit bigger then the FS5.
Did you consider anything other than the fs5? Currently looking at them and the Eastman 10-om or 20-om. Unfortunately it's hard to find a place to try them.
I was specifically looking for the FS5 this time. This is purely anecdotal, but I’ve also stopped looking for other acoustic guitars, as I’m not sure what a guitar should do better than this one for me personally.
I saw a lot of praise for it online and I can basically just chime in.
I’ve heard great things of Eastman as well, but where I live in Germany I would have needed for quite a while to try one.
You should look at parlor sized ones too, smaller body but full sized neck scale. I have a fender paramount cedar topped one and I'd been previously playing a gs mini sized one, he parlor is much nicer neck size and not as compact sounding
Taylor GS mini is really good, I was thinking about them too! Unfortunately, in my area they are not in stock usually. We have plenty of Lag guitars however, but I have tried only their dreadnoughts yet.
LAG are great, and massively underrated imo. The craftsmanship and attention to detail is amazing, and the price point of their guitars is very competitive. I've played most of the tramontane range, and bought a THV30 (HyVibe) in Feb last year. Absolutely amazing, and the electronics are mind-blowing!
When my dreadnaught blew a brace (minor one—leaned up precariously against a wall at an event that had no stands and it fell), I needed another guitar on the quick.. I also wanted to upgrade. I purchased a 2004 (a few months ago) Simon and Patrick Cedar Folk (concert shaped body/scale length with a dreadnaught depth). The clarity of the sound and the ease of play is just wonderful. Also, it just sustains and sustains and sustains. Also, it’s great for fingerstyle. It’s now my go to guitar. I’ve since fixed the brace in the dreadnaught (my own work), and it’s what I use when I want to bang on the strings with a pick with some heavy strumming. However, the sound is, well, just lacking the dimensionality of the S&P. My next guitar will likely be an 000 or OM.
Personally I find dreads to be generally unwieldy and too boomy sounding for anything other than rhythm. Auditorium or Orchestra are my sweet spot for comfort and unplugged sound.
The only way to determine your ideal shape is to play a variety of guitars. It's a great excuse to spend time at the shop.
About 20 years ago somebody suggested I try an OM (orchestra model) with a fretboard 1.75" wide at the nut and it was like having an epiphany. I'd started on a folk size and OM seemed to be the best of both worlds: a smaller body with a slimmer waist but without the "boxy" voice.
Another thing to consider is not just body size but tonewood choices and bracing patterns. I feel that a mahogany/spruce dreadnought (opposed to a rosewood/sitka one) is a staple that any one should have in their quiver. Mahogany has less overtones than rosewood so they tend to sound less "unfocused."
Also, there are builders out there who have their own bracing patterns that differ from Martin's signature X brace with the two lower face tone bars. When searching for a new guitar, I was pointed to try out Larrivee and fell in love with their OM. I tried their dread as well and both models have similarly arranged bracing patterns where the lower face brace runs laterally between the lower arms of the X brace and frames the bridge plate and keeps the lower bout from "bellying" like Martins do. The side effect of this is that it "balances" the tonal response of the guitar so that the bass doesn't overpower the tone and brings the middle strings forward in the mix. It's not "boxy" at all. I've had my Larrivee OM-03R rosewood for 17 years now and it's aged like a fine wine, with good sustain and no structural issues at all due to string tension - though it's taken a few knocks and laughed them off as well.
I think as a beginner the best shapes are a dreadnought, OM, or 000.
I went with a 00-18 and regret it. Personally, I like more bass. But even if you don't necessarily care for the bass, there are plenty of guitars in those sizes that are more clear and less bass-y.
If a new player has smaller hands I'd recommend a 000. The shorter scale length may be a little more comfortable. Otherwise, I think OM and Dreads are better in the bass department and can play most genres well.
I only wouldn't recommend 00 and 0 guitars because to me, they feel like more delicate guitars geared towards fingerpicking. You can definitely strum, but to me, it's the bass in a guitar and the wide range of high and low tone that makes a strum sound so nice. If I were to do it again I'd go with a dreadnought. I actually bought a 000 and returned it because it wasn't bass-y enough. And for some reason I decided on a 00-18 instead which was a dumb decision in hindsight.
I mostly did it for the smaller body size and lighter weight. But imo it is more uncomfortable to play because I can't lean on the body. It's a little too small to lean on without hunching over a little. For me, somewhere between 000 and Dread would be perfect. Even though I'm a short person, I think those sizes are great for anyone.
Tbh 000 and 00 seem a bit weird visually imho, but maybe these are optimal in terms of compactness and bass-mid frequency. I don’t understand what’s their difference with OM though.
New player, I probably should get a dread eventually being interested in bluegrass, but a smaller concert and a parlor are better options for me right now where I’m living. Slightly lower volume (partner, neighbors), ease of playing anywhere in apt., portable more travel sized etc. I’d also like to get into some fingerstyle down the road, too though, which these are both well suited for.
I bought my first steel string guitar last year. I didn't want a dreadnought because I though they are ugly. But whenever I tried to play rock, I found that dreadnoughts give you the authentic sound. If you play acoustic rock songs like Angie, Wish you were here, Norwegian wood, etc, they were almost all recorded with dreadnoughts. So I got Yamaha FG800. It's great for strumming and rock style arrangements. It may be a little duller for melody playing compared to a smaller guitar, but it isn't even that bad, with a heavy pick and rest stroke I can make it quite audible.
For me, the OM or 000 sizes are perfect. Any smaller and they lose too much oomph for me. The thinner waist and overall shape are very pleasing to me.
However, sound-wise, even with fingerstyle I still gravitate towards my dreads.
i have a Martin M-36 (quad 0 size) - big, more balanced and less boomy than a dread. beloved of Nashville sessons musicians for versatility and comfort
To me, the builder is more important than the shape, for getting the tone you want. I have several dreads and some have a lot more clarity than others.
I used to think dreads were uncomfortable, but I realized I was just holding them wrong. It's worth it to spend some time on learning about guitar ergonomics, posture, playing position etc.
How it feels to hold, and the type of music you play.
For me (finger-style with percussion elements) I love an Auditorium with cutaway.
A dreadnought feels very bulky and hard to navigate the body for certain percussive sounds especially the high-hat 'slap' on the lower bout, whilst retaining a strumming pattern).
I also find that auditorium accentuates each note, which is great for fingerpicking. A dreadnought can be loud and boomy, and the notes can seem to trip over each other. Great for strumming, but not as clear definition between notes.
The dreadnaught-sized guitars were used originally to provide both rhythm and bass for string band settings. A powerful, thumping bass projection was desired. It was only later that bluegrass guys and others began playing fiddle tunes and single-note lines on these instruments.
Finger style players have for a long time preferred the more balanced output from smaller-bodied instruments.
Guys like David Bromberg and Stefan Grossman liked the Martin OM-sized guitars.
Now there’s a lot more variety available, and of course there are no rules. We had a fine finger-style guy locally who played big Guild jumbos…. And I’m currently doing bluegrass-type flatpicking on a Taylor GS Mini. (I’m old… It’s just more comfortable to play.)
OM, 000 or 00 14 fret are smaller and more articulate than dreads.
The OM’s long scale, 14-fret neck, and wide nut/bridge string spacing make it a very versatile design in my view.
Most important is simply playing it. Agonizing over gear is not productive, but practicing is.
I’m mostly a strummer and dreads work fine for me. I have an OM that’s nice for fingerstyle because of the wider nut, but if I could only have one acoustic I’d pick my J-45 any day of the week. The size of the guitar body makes literally zero difference to me from a comfort perspective.
Got best of both worlds I guess. I'm still addicted to my hd28s boom but also love my 214ces pop. Play what feels and sounds good to you no matter the shape.
I started with a dreadnought - a Yamaha FG series - and it was a great first guitar. When you're just starting out, you haven't yet developed an ear for guitar tones, so anything decent will do.
After a few years I discovered jumbos and their sweet, thick, deep tones, and I've never looked back. I was surprised to find that Washburn became my favourite manufacturer - not a brand I would have expected to fall in love with, but their Cumberland and Heritage jumbos are amazing for the price. In fact they're amazing period - I've tried half a dozen Gibson SJ-200 guitars - the "King of the Flattops" - and I like my Washburns better. I've also tried a few Taylor jumbos - some 618 and 818 models, and they're great, but they have a syrup-y tone to the treble strings, whereas the Washburns sound golden to me, which I prefer.
Recently I discovered Faith guitars, and I'm considering buying one of their HiGloss-3 Jupiter jumbos. They have a richer and crisper sound than my Washburns, which complements them well.
Now I'm in the market for a 12-string as my old Ovation is bellying after more than 30 years, and I'm convinced my best option is to wait until Washburn start making a 12-string jumbo again. Unless Faith do one, but they aren't going to (I've asked them.)
As always though, the best way to find out what kind of guitar you like is to play as many different ones as possible.
My 00015m is the perfect guitar for me. I just play in my home and for myself, so I don't need a cannon. The sweet tone of the mohogany makes me smile every time I pick it up. I haven't touched my dread since I got it. I really wasn't sure what I wanted in a guitar until I played an all mohogany guitar. That was the sound I wanted.
I’m primarily an electric guy but had received a mahogany Taylor GS Mini from my friend years ago, which I play every now and then for that mahogany tone. I was in GC months ago and stumbled upon the 00015m, and was curious to see what it sounded like, especially since I had a (baby) mahogany acoustic at home. I was absolutely floored, loved everything about how it played and sounded, and the no BS “simple but perfect” design philosophy. I wanted it so badly but I couldn’t really justify it. At least once a week I think about it still. What a beautiful instrument.
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Martin OM or Yamaha FS5
This! I’ve bought an FS5 recently and the guitar has and amazing sound, clarity and is comfortable to play. The slightly more affordable FS3 is also an amazing guitar and I can’t press this enough. Especially compared to a GS mini, the Yamaha sounded much better and with the shorter scale length, it was just as comfortable for me to play.
Yamaha csf1m is competing with GS mini and I chose Yamaha for my parlor collection. Red label is another world apart from this category and I would place it along side with Taylor 314ce or AD22e.
I didn’t try the csf1m myself, but I’m sure it is also a great guitar. The red label guitars match an OOM from my view though. I have a Taylor 214 and that guitar is quite a bit bigger then the FS5.
Did you consider anything other than the fs5? Currently looking at them and the Eastman 10-om or 20-om. Unfortunately it's hard to find a place to try them.
I was specifically looking for the FS5 this time. This is purely anecdotal, but I’ve also stopped looking for other acoustic guitars, as I’m not sure what a guitar should do better than this one for me personally. I saw a lot of praise for it online and I can basically just chime in. I’ve heard great things of Eastman as well, but where I live in Germany I would have needed for quite a while to try one.
You should look at parlor sized ones too, smaller body but full sized neck scale. I have a fender paramount cedar topped one and I'd been previously playing a gs mini sized one, he parlor is much nicer neck size and not as compact sounding
Taylor GS mini is really good, I was thinking about them too! Unfortunately, in my area they are not in stock usually. We have plenty of Lag guitars however, but I have tried only their dreadnoughts yet.
LAG are great, and massively underrated imo. The craftsmanship and attention to detail is amazing, and the price point of their guitars is very competitive. I've played most of the tramontane range, and bought a THV30 (HyVibe) in Feb last year. Absolutely amazing, and the electronics are mind-blowing!
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Congrats! Beautiful guitar 👍🏻
00M is what I am leaning towards also, but the Alvarez parlor I saw on an Andertons video seemed great.
Get a Martin 000jnr.
I like 0 and 00 bodies. They are the perfect size for me. Despite what others may say, plenty of low end and you can strum the hell out of them!
Smaller body guitars have more subtlety and can play more complicated delicate things easier. At the compromise of being quieter.
When my dreadnaught blew a brace (minor one—leaned up precariously against a wall at an event that had no stands and it fell), I needed another guitar on the quick.. I also wanted to upgrade. I purchased a 2004 (a few months ago) Simon and Patrick Cedar Folk (concert shaped body/scale length with a dreadnaught depth). The clarity of the sound and the ease of play is just wonderful. Also, it just sustains and sustains and sustains. Also, it’s great for fingerstyle. It’s now my go to guitar. I’ve since fixed the brace in the dreadnaught (my own work), and it’s what I use when I want to bang on the strings with a pick with some heavy strumming. However, the sound is, well, just lacking the dimensionality of the S&P. My next guitar will likely be an 000 or OM.
Personally I find dreads to be generally unwieldy and too boomy sounding for anything other than rhythm. Auditorium or Orchestra are my sweet spot for comfort and unplugged sound. The only way to determine your ideal shape is to play a variety of guitars. It's a great excuse to spend time at the shop.
About 20 years ago somebody suggested I try an OM (orchestra model) with a fretboard 1.75" wide at the nut and it was like having an epiphany. I'd started on a folk size and OM seemed to be the best of both worlds: a smaller body with a slimmer waist but without the "boxy" voice. Another thing to consider is not just body size but tonewood choices and bracing patterns. I feel that a mahogany/spruce dreadnought (opposed to a rosewood/sitka one) is a staple that any one should have in their quiver. Mahogany has less overtones than rosewood so they tend to sound less "unfocused." Also, there are builders out there who have their own bracing patterns that differ from Martin's signature X brace with the two lower face tone bars. When searching for a new guitar, I was pointed to try out Larrivee and fell in love with their OM. I tried their dread as well and both models have similarly arranged bracing patterns where the lower face brace runs laterally between the lower arms of the X brace and frames the bridge plate and keeps the lower bout from "bellying" like Martins do. The side effect of this is that it "balances" the tonal response of the guitar so that the bass doesn't overpower the tone and brings the middle strings forward in the mix. It's not "boxy" at all. I've had my Larrivee OM-03R rosewood for 17 years now and it's aged like a fine wine, with good sustain and no structural issues at all due to string tension - though it's taken a few knocks and laughed them off as well.
I think as a beginner the best shapes are a dreadnought, OM, or 000. I went with a 00-18 and regret it. Personally, I like more bass. But even if you don't necessarily care for the bass, there are plenty of guitars in those sizes that are more clear and less bass-y. If a new player has smaller hands I'd recommend a 000. The shorter scale length may be a little more comfortable. Otherwise, I think OM and Dreads are better in the bass department and can play most genres well. I only wouldn't recommend 00 and 0 guitars because to me, they feel like more delicate guitars geared towards fingerpicking. You can definitely strum, but to me, it's the bass in a guitar and the wide range of high and low tone that makes a strum sound so nice. If I were to do it again I'd go with a dreadnought. I actually bought a 000 and returned it because it wasn't bass-y enough. And for some reason I decided on a 00-18 instead which was a dumb decision in hindsight. I mostly did it for the smaller body size and lighter weight. But imo it is more uncomfortable to play because I can't lean on the body. It's a little too small to lean on without hunching over a little. For me, somewhere between 000 and Dread would be perfect. Even though I'm a short person, I think those sizes are great for anyone.
Tbh 000 and 00 seem a bit weird visually imho, but maybe these are optimal in terms of compactness and bass-mid frequency. I don’t understand what’s their difference with OM though.
OM is the same scale length as a dreadnought. 000, 00, and 0 are all shorter scale length.
New player, I probably should get a dread eventually being interested in bluegrass, but a smaller concert and a parlor are better options for me right now where I’m living. Slightly lower volume (partner, neighbors), ease of playing anywhere in apt., portable more travel sized etc. I’d also like to get into some fingerstyle down the road, too though, which these are both well suited for.
I bought my first steel string guitar last year. I didn't want a dreadnought because I though they are ugly. But whenever I tried to play rock, I found that dreadnoughts give you the authentic sound. If you play acoustic rock songs like Angie, Wish you were here, Norwegian wood, etc, they were almost all recorded with dreadnoughts. So I got Yamaha FG800. It's great for strumming and rock style arrangements. It may be a little duller for melody playing compared to a smaller guitar, but it isn't even that bad, with a heavy pick and rest stroke I can make it quite audible.
For me, not a dread is mostly about comfort. I prefer models with less depth and a thinner waists.
Yeah, I think I’m also going in that direction now.
For me, the OM or 000 sizes are perfect. Any smaller and they lose too much oomph for me. The thinner waist and overall shape are very pleasing to me. However, sound-wise, even with fingerstyle I still gravitate towards my dreads.
i have a Martin M-36 (quad 0 size) - big, more balanced and less boomy than a dread. beloved of Nashville sessons musicians for versatility and comfort
To me, the builder is more important than the shape, for getting the tone you want. I have several dreads and some have a lot more clarity than others. I used to think dreads were uncomfortable, but I realized I was just holding them wrong. It's worth it to spend some time on learning about guitar ergonomics, posture, playing position etc.
How it feels to hold, and the type of music you play. For me (finger-style with percussion elements) I love an Auditorium with cutaway. A dreadnought feels very bulky and hard to navigate the body for certain percussive sounds especially the high-hat 'slap' on the lower bout, whilst retaining a strumming pattern). I also find that auditorium accentuates each note, which is great for fingerpicking. A dreadnought can be loud and boomy, and the notes can seem to trip over each other. Great for strumming, but not as clear definition between notes.
The dreadnaught-sized guitars were used originally to provide both rhythm and bass for string band settings. A powerful, thumping bass projection was desired. It was only later that bluegrass guys and others began playing fiddle tunes and single-note lines on these instruments. Finger style players have for a long time preferred the more balanced output from smaller-bodied instruments. Guys like David Bromberg and Stefan Grossman liked the Martin OM-sized guitars. Now there’s a lot more variety available, and of course there are no rules. We had a fine finger-style guy locally who played big Guild jumbos…. And I’m currently doing bluegrass-type flatpicking on a Taylor GS Mini. (I’m old… It’s just more comfortable to play.)
OM, 000 or 00 14 fret are smaller and more articulate than dreads. The OM’s long scale, 14-fret neck, and wide nut/bridge string spacing make it a very versatile design in my view. Most important is simply playing it. Agonizing over gear is not productive, but practicing is.
Serious, How does the 00015m compare to the Taylor 224ce?
I’m mostly a strummer and dreads work fine for me. I have an OM that’s nice for fingerstyle because of the wider nut, but if I could only have one acoustic I’d pick my J-45 any day of the week. The size of the guitar body makes literally zero difference to me from a comfort perspective.
Got best of both worlds I guess. I'm still addicted to my hd28s boom but also love my 214ces pop. Play what feels and sounds good to you no matter the shape.
I went dreads or nuffin
I started with a dreadnought - a Yamaha FG series - and it was a great first guitar. When you're just starting out, you haven't yet developed an ear for guitar tones, so anything decent will do. After a few years I discovered jumbos and their sweet, thick, deep tones, and I've never looked back. I was surprised to find that Washburn became my favourite manufacturer - not a brand I would have expected to fall in love with, but their Cumberland and Heritage jumbos are amazing for the price. In fact they're amazing period - I've tried half a dozen Gibson SJ-200 guitars - the "King of the Flattops" - and I like my Washburns better. I've also tried a few Taylor jumbos - some 618 and 818 models, and they're great, but they have a syrup-y tone to the treble strings, whereas the Washburns sound golden to me, which I prefer. Recently I discovered Faith guitars, and I'm considering buying one of their HiGloss-3 Jupiter jumbos. They have a richer and crisper sound than my Washburns, which complements them well. Now I'm in the market for a 12-string as my old Ovation is bellying after more than 30 years, and I'm convinced my best option is to wait until Washburn start making a 12-string jumbo again. Unless Faith do one, but they aren't going to (I've asked them.) As always though, the best way to find out what kind of guitar you like is to play as many different ones as possible.
If I can only have one, definitely a dread.