#1
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Elderly Custom 12-fret Martin 00-15
Not a lot of buzz about this (yet), so here are my first impressions.
What is it? Everybody knows the 00-15, right? This is not your ordinary 00-15. Perhaps your granddad's 00-17 might be closer. Take a 1930 00-17: Add a modern truss rod, belly bridge, hybrid scalloped X-bracing, and replace the slothead with a paddle head, and this is what you get.... 2011 12-fret 00-15: Differences from a standard 00-15:
First impressions:
I'm going to reserve comments on the tone till I change the strings, but my first impressions are that it seems similar to the standard 00-15 (and, frankly, I was expecting a bit more bass and volume). The biggest surprise was the bracing. Elderly doesn't specify it on their site, but I was expecting the standard A-frame bracing. The hybrid scalloped bracing forces me to reset my expectations a bit, but I think this will be a keeper. Why did I get it, you ask? I (try to) play mostly fingerstyle blues. I love the mellow fundamental tone of a mahogany top. I've zeroed in on the 12-fret 00 body as the most comfortable for me (works great in a recliner). And even though I like Martin's standard 00-15 1-11/16" nut width fine, the wide nut and wide spacing at the bridge are nice and roomy. And, yeah, it's way cool. Martin hasn't made a production guitar with these features for 80 years or so.
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gits: good and plenty chops: snickers |
#2
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Wow. Ebay a nice surprise. Should be a winner.
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Lady Toni Gibson Hummingbird True Vintage CV Precision Basses (2) |
#3
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But how does it compare to a Blueridge 341?
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#4
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It's a mahogany model 00-15S but with a paddle head rather than a slothead. Same specs as the 000-15M except that it has the following features of a 000-15S - 1-3/4" nut, 2-1/4" string spread at the saddle, and most importantly it's a 12 fretter with a 12 fret body. The 12 fret body is an elongated version of a 14 fret body, with a slightly smaller lower bout. This places the bridge in a slightly different place on the belly of the guitar, emphasizing the bass response. You basically get a bassier 00-15S with OM specs (wider nut and string spaing at the saddle and the long scale), but with the comfort of a 12 fret neck!
The Martin 12 fret 000-15's are AWESOME guitars and I imagine the 00-15S equivalents would be awesome too! |
#5
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Very different in terms of tone and feel due to the mahogany top and different neck profile. One could happily own both for variety.
(Personally, I prefer Martin's neck.) Quote:
(Edit: oops, you already corrected your post, didn't you? )
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gits: good and plenty chops: snickers |
#6
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That's a sweet little blues box you got there. How was the setup from the factory? What kind of strings are you using on it? I love all mahogany guitars especially in that size. I love my trusty 000-15 though.
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#7
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Quote:
Setup was the best I've seen on a new Martin. They used to ship with a pretty high saddle and high action, but they seem to have wised up, and it ships with excellent playability. It came with Martin's Lifespan strings, so it still has a lot of that "new string" sparkle, which doesn't really suit a blues box. I'm hoping they go dead soon. FWIW, I have tried just about every mahogany-top Martin: D-15S, 000-15S, 00-15, and a vintage 0-15. I was hoping for something with a little more oomph than the the 00-15, and not quite as much boom at the 000-15S. I think this may be The One, but I need to let the strings settle down before I know for sure.
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gits: good and plenty chops: snickers |
#8
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Quote:
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#9
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Quote:
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Will |
#10
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I Must Have One
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#11
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mccabe's had a very similar custom 00-15 as well as the br-341, and i agree with gitnoob - definitely a different tone. i preferred the sound the spruce top combined with the mahogany, but i could see getting one of these all-mahogany 12 fretters in the future for variety.
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#12
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Quote:
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Emerald X20 Emerald X20-12 Martin D18 Martin 000-15sm |
#13
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oooh,very nice
hum, some Daddario EJ24 set would sound nice on that i bet thanks for sharing dkc |
#14
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Hey!
One question.....long or short scale????????? It can be a deal breaker with some folks. Getting closer though! Jan |
#15
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Quote:
And I gotta say, this one should be played before anyone considers buying it. Tonally, it's quite different from the production 15-series due to the different bracing. A bit louder, punchier, boxier. A bit closer to the vintage mahogany tone -- it lacks the warmth of the newer 15's. Speaking of vintage, you know that vintage 0-15's are short-scale, right? And quite reasonably priced as far as vintage Martins go.
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