Martin USA vs Mexico (000-15M vs 000-15E)

[@westwalnutrecords]

For the record MANY 15 series guitars were made with Sapele. You can check your serial number and write to martin to find out if yours has sapele or Mahogany

[@charlessnyder7624]

I own a 2002 Martin C15E. I absolutely love it.

[@stevelacombe5291]

I have the 000-15M and it’s my favorite guitar to play around the house. It can hold its’ own at a small jam too.

[@macktheknife8443]

The 000-15e also has a short scale and scalloped bracing, compared to the long scale non scalloped braced 000-15M.

[@jeffberdin]

@@macktheknife8443 1-3/4” nut too 👍🏼

[@chrishawyes1476]

With the long scale of the 00015M it should actually be called an OM 15 M

[@raymondharris7746]

The 000 15e and 000 15m have significant differences, in my opinion as a Martin owner. The 000 15e has solid Mahogany top, solid sapele back and sides, scale length 24.9 nut width 1.75 and electronics. The 000 15m is all solid mahogany, scale length 25.4, nut width 1.69, no electronics, and different fret board and bridge material. I agree the sound is great on both !!!!

[@paulhendershott667]

The 000-15E has a mahogany top, and sapele back and sides

[@jhardindrums]

From what I can tell, it's basically just an upgraded 000-10e. Open tuners, mahogany top and switching out all the Richlite with real wood (i.e. bridge/fretboard). Pretty decent upgrades for only a $200 difference.

[@janmichaeljablonsky9847]

I wish these two guys would get their facts straight before making their posts. Thank you, Paul.

[@benjohnstonmentoring]

I love my 2010 D15M incredible guitar!

[@terrymattingly6843]

000-15SM for the win.

[@Guermantes29]

Great guitar too, but I went for the 15M for its 14-fret version though

[@LieuNoir]

but maybe less on stage... 😉😇

[@texhaines9957]

I had a 000-15sm (12-fret mahogany) and a Taylor AD all mahogany. Traded them for a Martin 00-15m deep body (Custom) that sounds and plays great with a K&K mini installed. Thanks, Quinton, Paul, and Chad.

[@markreams3192]

Sapele is a slightly harder more dense wood and has a bit more high end than mahogany. Sapele is an African hardwood that more available and is lower priced. It’s typically used as a back and side wood and sounds great!

[@fredsings1]

For back and sides it's good...don't like the sound of it for the top...

[@aaronmagi]

What's the different between the 000-15E and the 000-10E

[@charleswecker]

Both great guitars, but I think I really like the 000-15 better! It's just got a richness to the sound the Mexican one is missing. That's probably just the sapele vs mahogany bit more than anything.

[@msigersYT]

I'm glad to see they went to 1-3/4" nut width on these. Something I wished they had for the US version other than the SM model.

[@VolkerLindenau]

In my opinion a small difference in sound between the Mexico and USA made. I would prefer the Mexico one due to price. Both are really nice guitars.

[@paulhendershott667]

I’ve had the 000-15M for 4 years and love it to death! I had a Presys installed but would ditch the electronics since I don’t gig…

[@paullanier8280]

So hard for me to hear much difference in mahogany guitars. Both do have a great voice . My choice was leaning USA , slightly. In the end , listening to the whole tone presented, its my opinion that USA was best . Mexico Martin does make quality instruments, but affordable prices.

[@bosse641]

Sounds and looks nice.

[@92kingsly]

The U.S.-made 000-15 certainly has more depth and richness. That said, they pretty much have the same tone. If I were buying this as a second guitar rather than my main instrument, I might save the cash and get the 15E -- more versatile too, with the pickup.

[@ibji]

You only just posted this video a few hours ago, and the website says 'sold out' (000-15E). Congrats.

[@Creelyblades]

This is a no-brainer between these two. The 15m USA-made (Nazareth PA- same factory as a D45), genuine Mahogany back, sides, and neck. Indian rosewood bridge and fingerboard. The 15e is Made in Mexico, with a Sapele (not mahogany) back and sides, Katalox fingerboard, and "select hardwood" neck. The 15e has an entry-level electronic that I would immediately replace. These are night and day from a guitar value point of view (more than the $500 map price difference), but sadly most people would not know it because the nomenclature is so similar, and they look and sound similar.

[@pz9129]

Martin website never says 15 series uses genuine mahogany back & sides. I think it's probably African mahogany. Only in 18 series. Neck material are all "select hardwood" even in 18 & 28 series.

[@Creelyblades]

@@pz9129 you’re right about the net Wood I looked at the specs on Sweetwater and it said mahogany, it’s possible that something they changed recently. It is not African mahogany because that is the name they give to. sapele. I’m sure it’s real mahogany but it’s probably not Honduran mahogany.

[@pz9129]

@@Creelyblades You probably got confused with African Mahogany (Khaya Mahogany) and Sapele. Sapele is grown in Africa but it’s a total different species from Mahogany. African Mahogany or (Khaya Mahogany) is the same species as genuine mahogany. Larrivee for example uses Khaya mahogany. Martin 18 series uses Genuine Mahogany.

[@ia5662]

I don't think it's a no brainer - I own the 000-15M and this new one holds its own easily. There is no much comparison here as they are so similar. Price point is great, Martin Mexico build quality is fantastic and have gotten even better, of course the genuine Honduran mahogany will sound slightly richer, but it's not as if the sapele suddenly sounds bad or "worse", just slightly different in its own vibe. The 000-15E is a killer guitar in its own right and to my ears, the differences are quite subtle and barely anything to discuss.

[@fredflinstone3173]

@@ia5662 And if a short scale with a 1.75” nut is important, then the 15e is the no brainer. I’m waiting for a comparison between the 10e and the 15e…both short scale and 1.75” nut.

[@jeffberdin]

Does mean the end of the road for the Road series 000-10e sapele?

[@cooloutac]

On the website it says it has a mahogany top and sapele back and sides, but yours has a sapele top?

[@paulhendershott667]

I played every guitar Martin had at their factory players room last summer, and I believe the most Amazing sound came from the 000-16 Streetmaster with the torrified spruce top and mahogany back and sides. Sounded way better than the 000-18, and 000-28HD hanging on the wall, and was under $2000.

[@Lkkskdz44]

000-16 street master top-spruce back and sides-rosewood dude... not mahogany

[@sc12100]

I have a 2019 000-15M and it has a genuine mahogany top with Sipo back and sides - for anyone interested in what woods are used.

[@Jam-m7m]

Is the 15e pickup a piezo under saddle 😎

[@JimmyWilliams-fc8nt]

Damn things sounds just as good as the American made period !

[@alexandregregoire1396]

Honestly no, at least to my ears. I heard a thinner sound, brighter

[@richardharding9975]

Nice. Sounds good . Compare it with the ooo-10e at $300 lower in price .

[@drewheyman7173]

I have the spruce top mini Martin e that l played the dickens out of. Made In Mexico.nothing wrong with it at all. Great little gigger

[@ia5662]

This new 000-15E is the finest value Martin has offered in years, but it blows away any of their competition too. I'm SO glad they ditched the Richlite for using an actual solid wood fingerboard and bridge and I really don't see why they can't do that for any of their other guitars. Even the X-Series mostly ditched the Richlite in favor of solid woods for those pieces, hoping to see this trend continue.

[@Emilysponyandartsandcrafts]

Yamaha custom shop ls series stuff is a lot better than martin at the same price point and I love martin guitars but yamaha if made in Japan is a killer sound

[@jasper_north]

Boucher just managed to torrify back n side Mahogany on the BG42-T. Breaking News?

[@jimdoner3443]

Is the Mexico guitar made with layered back and sides ???

[@USNAVDC]

BOTH GUITARS HAVE A SOLID MAHOGANY TOP! The 000-15M is all solid mahogany....the 000-15E has a solid mahogany top with sapele back and sides. 000-15E 5 out of 5 Customer Rating $1,199.00 As the newest member of the 15 Series, the Martin 000-15E is an acoustic-electric guitar Body Size: 000-14 Fret Finish Top: Satin Construction: Mortise & Tenon Neck Joint Back and Side Finish: Satin Bracing Pattern: X-Brace Scale Length: 24.9" Brace Shape: Scalloped Fingerboard Width at Nut: 1 3/4'' Top Material: Indian Plantation Mahogany Neck Shape: PA Profile Back Material: Sapele Neck Taper: High-Performance Taper Side Material: Sapele

[@DanielMartinez-cs8fg]

Martin 000-15E vs Taylor AD22E. VIDEO NEXT PLEASE !!!!

[@Jam-m7m]

I own a Taylor ad22e it is the size of a 00-15. My Taylor sounds fantastic. I’d like to hear the difference between the Taylor ad22e and the Guild m-20 which is a 0-15 concert and the Martin 000-15m and 000-15e which is a short scale 14.75 😎 😊

[@rmzzz76]

I didn’t expect the USA version to sound that different, but it is night and day to acclimated ears. Why oh why Martin are you putting 15 series branding on a made in Mexico product

[@servethesongs]

pass whatever you're smoking. since when has american actually meant better? its all smoke and mirrors that fools the sheep

[@rmzzz76]

​@@servethesongs Yeah, so I have two things to say to you. 1.) Founded in 1833 C.F. Martin is one of the oldest companies in the United States and probably the definitive company when it comes to "Americana" the 15 series has been around since the 1940s. It's always been the entry in the the USA built lineup. I realize we live in a time when most of our consumer products are no longer built in the US, but C.F. Martin is deeply rooted in America, a family owned business and it's separated it's USA built lineup from it's Mexican built lineup all these years. That means something to a lot of people even if it doesn't mean a damn thing to you. So action of stamping "15 series" on Mexican built C.F. Martin guitars is a big change for the company 2.) I'm not saying C.F. Martin couldn't built a 15 series in Mexico just as good as the USA quality if they wanted to. I own many imports and many USA built guitars. In this case look the spec sheet, they've made several compromises on materials. Indeed, is there any materials at all that the 000-15e and 000-15m share? I think not and of course you can hear a difference. Which sounds better is subjective, but you have to have pretty unacclimated ears for acoustics to not hear the distinction. Objectively the 15 series going back to the 1940s is made of the same materials the USA built 15m is today, so this is what a 15 series historically has been and C.F. Martin isn't Taylor, their value is entirely in their tradition, heritage and legacy. Ask anyone to size up the company's market position and they would tell you, that's where C.F. Martin shines and where it finds its customer base. For these reasons I think this is a serious misstep. They have been building very nice entry level even mid-range guitars in Mexico, but keeping them distinct in branding.. This is clearly testing the waters with building their USA series in Mexico, but they aren't even doing it right.

[@banjo1434]

The Mexican is a little brighter. Richer bass on the Nazareth model. Both very nice. Depends on how much cash you want to drop. Either way you get a great guitar.

[@JonnyBoss83]

My Dad plays a 00015M. Fantastic guitar. I play a cheap j200 copy. Not a fantastic guitar.

[@Caarloscig]

O captador sob a sela tem uma tendência a interferir no timbre acústico.

[@jeffhildreth9244]

000-15 E pickguard is "off" .

[@kennybluet5527]

I think the sapele looks better.

[@monkeysweeperguitar]

The M stands for modern. They started using the M designation when they stopped using “genuine mahogany.”

[@ia5662]

they still use genuine Honduran mahogany most times as it is available to them

[@WysteriaGuitar]

I have a J-15 and J12-15 and they are both monster mahogany jumbos - they no longer make them.

[@startreker8591]

They’re both made in Mexico ❤ but it doesn’t matter as long as you buy Mexican that is labeled

[@janmichaeljablonsky9847]

More than a bit of a difference. The Mexican version lacks the US version's warmth, depth, and bass.

[@ratwynd]

No comparison. Sounds like any import Alvarez or what have you from the Mexican made one. The real USA Martin sounds a ton better and has a lot more resonance and clarity. Electronics are a BONUS, not an excuse for poor acoustic performance. Crap pickups a waste of time. Currently own 3 USA Martins for comparison and previously owned a 000M USA-made from the '90s. Current favorite is a 2019 OMC16e Ovangkol, so much richer and more balanced than my 000M was, great for solo vocal backing. I prefer it to my D35 because of the tonal balance, no midrange scoop. More comfortable to play as well.

[@Yomommahouse6801]

I’ll buy a used 000-15m for the same price as the 15E

[@BobWadeGuitar]

Mahogany beats Sapele every day

[@frederickthompson8686]

I'm not sure where these guys ended up, here. If you're expecting a true comparison, you won't find it in this video...

[@stevebernard221]

Neither one of them are hand built, so why not calibrate the machines, use the same wood thickness for braces, make them structurally the same (don't have to be the same woods.....Sepelle is just fine) but build it to play and perform the same as the USA stuff... the difference wouldn't be so far apart....then when people buy a Martin from the Mexico factory they can feel that they actually have a guitar that gives you what the Martin is supposed to give you.

[@letitbe978]

mahogany better

[@thomasolsson489]

Check the inside build quality!!! everything else is cosmetics...🤷🙄