I think I want a 00, with a wide nut.

TimmyO

DavidR said:

Can we keep this thread going please. Learning a lot about 00’s!

:-)

Anyone else got any thoughts about 00’s with mahogany in like the E10?

When we went shopping for acoustics for my sons Xmas present we ended up with a mahogany back and sides Eastman E1 00 - I remain really impressed with it

https://www.maksguitars.co.uk/products/eastman-e1ooss-sb-sunburst

I was much less taken with the Ltd version of it that has an Adirondack top - it may have been newness but it was less responsive, less pleasing to play. 

My own (now only) acoustic is an all-mahogany Martin 00-17SE - the S refers to it being a 12 fret body join. It is by a long way the fullest sounding 00 I’ve tried. The 17 series got discontinued but if you ever see a used or leftover in a shop one they are definitely worth checking out 

earwighoney

TimmyO said:
https://www.maksguitars.co.uk/products/eastman-e1ooss-sb-sunburst

I was much less taken with the Ltd version of it that has an Adirondack top - it may have been newness but it was less responsive, less pleasing to play. 

My Eastman has an adirondack soundboard, and it was a bit stiff to begin with but fine, it took a while to 'open up' though.

BigLicks67

If you can stretch your budget a used Vintage series Martin might be a good compromise. Nut width is 44.5mm and string spacing at the 12th fret, due to the longer vintage style saddle, is almost identical to a classical guitar. The 00-18V would be worth checking out.

Christeafur

If you’re looking in mcr then Forsyths and see if they have an Auden or two in stock. Recently purchased a bowman - their OM - with a shorter scale length - sounds fantastic and plays nicely they have a model called the Julia that is their 00.

menamestom

Christeafur said:

If you’re looking in mcr then Forsyths and see if they have an Auden or two in stock. Recently purchased a bowman - their OM - with a shorter scale length - sounds fantastic and plays nicely they have a model called the Julia that is their 00.

Thanks, will check them out.  They look to have a 43mm but definitely worth a play. 

menamestom

I’ve just tried a few Eastman’s in Mak’s guitars, which is a nice shop. They didn’t have an 00, but tried the parlour, which has the same neck I believe.  Neck shape was nice but that spacing feels wide.  Feels slightly strange on a steel string, but I could get used to it.  The parlour shape felt a bit too small, but sounded really good. 

Also tried an OM, E3OM Deluxe which was really nice.  The nut width and spacing felt more at home, but not sure it’s different enough from my dreadnought if I’m going to have only 2 steel string acoustics.  That said, the size does feel good.

malcolmkindness

The Eastman E10 00 is a great guitar, there was one for sale on here recently at a good price.

SixStringSage

There's a guy in Doncaster selling a very nice looking L-00 1932 reissue for I think £2300

Chiliwailer

DavidR said:

menamestom said:

DavidR said:

Sigma S00R-45VS
Nut Width 46mm

As described above, OM’s are the traditional compromise for players who want to lose the shoulder pain but not a boomy bottom end so it depends on what sort of tone you want. But buying a cheap 00 all-mahogany turned me on to smaller bodied instruments. They’re really OK for the blues/ragtime fingerpicking stuff I play.

This Sigma (all solid Spruce/Rosewood) looks lovely though and I’m hankering after one. Shame they don’t seem to sell an all-mahogany version. I think that might be my ideal instrument. 

After a lifetime of playing FG’s (which are dreads) they now cause neck/shoulder pain. And to a lesser extent my OM28. Grrrrr.

That Sigma does sound good in the clips I’ve just listened to.  Full range but focused, not boxy at all.

Sigma is not a brand I’m familiar with but this ticks the boxes.

Sigma has recently been EXTENSIVELY discussed on tFB specifically discussing the ethics of buying from a source who have been in dispute with their workforce. If you search the threads you’ll find it. 

But essentially Sigma, previously Martin’s cheapo brand, are now a part of the German owned company (AMI GMbH) and they source their instruments from Cor-Tek (massive, South Korean, factories throughout Asia/China).

This ‘trusted brand/Asian manufacture/western marketing’ model is common in the guitar world and has been since at least the 1970’s. It is advantageous to us as players but is sometimes a little opaque. 

In the last few years, Sigma have developed a reputation for good, cheap instruments and are an alternative to similar products from Yamaha, Eastman etc.

In 2024, if you want good instruments but not the crazy prices charged by USA manufacturers and others, Sigma is one of the growing number of alternatives. 

This is for info. Go to other threads for views on Sigma. 

I wasn’t aware of all this dispute stuff,  but recently bought a Sigma, the all solid S00M-18s. It’s like the rosewood one mentioned earlier, just with Mahogany and no fancy inlays. 

I really like it, and much prefer playing it over my old Martin 00-18 or 00-18v. Not saying it’s better, just that I feel better on it - might be a 12 fret thing? 

The Adi top will take longer to break in than Sitka apparently, it was a bit stiff at first, but seems to be loosening up. 

A great guitar for sub £800 IMO. 

guitarjack66

I have a Cort Parlour with a 45mm nut and had a Sigma 000 with 44.5mm nut. What I couldn't find was a smaller Sigma,00 or Parlour,with the same sized nut width. The 000 nut width was very comfortable but the body size wasn't.

Chiliwailer

guitarjack66 said:

I have a Cort Parlour with a 45mm nut and had a Sigma 000 with 44.5mm nut. What I couldn't find was a smaller Sigma,00 or Parlour,with the same sized nut width. The 000 nut width was very comfortable but the body size wasn't.

The Sigma 00 in my post above is a 44.5mm. 

guitarjack66

Chiliwailer said:

guitarjack66 said:

I have a Cort Parlour with a 45mm nut and had a Sigma 000 with 44.5mm nut. What I couldn't find was a smaller Sigma,00 or Parlour,with the same sized nut width. The 000 nut width was very comfortable but the body size wasn't.

The Sigma 00 in my post above is a 44.5mm. 

Thanks. I'll take a look at that online.

guitarjack66

guitarjack66 said:

Chiliwailer said:

guitarjack66 said:

I have a Cort Parlour with a 45mm nut and had a Sigma 000 with 44.5mm nut. What I couldn't find was a smaller Sigma,00 or Parlour,with the same sized nut width. The 000 nut width was very comfortable but the body size wasn't.

The Sigma 00 in my post above is a 44.5mm. 

Thanks. I'll take a look at that online.

Had a quick look and they are a touch above my usual budget,but I'd find a bit extra for something of that quality.

Chiliwailer

guitarjack66 said:

guitarjack66 said:

Chiliwailer said:

guitarjack66 said:

I have a Cort Parlour with a 45mm nut and had a Sigma 000 with 44.5mm nut. What I couldn't find was a smaller Sigma,00 or Parlour,with the same sized nut width. The 000 nut width was very comfortable but the body size wasn't.

The Sigma 00 in my post above is a 44.5mm. 

Thanks. I'll take a look at that online.

Had a quick look and they are a touch above my usual budget,but I'd find a bit extra for something of that quality.

The14 fret version OO from that range is slightly cheaper at £699, still a pinch though. 

I can’t believe I paid £800 for a Chinese made guitar - absolutely nothing against the Chinese/East - just that in my head the prices are still as in the early 2000s, never would have been anywhere near that much then. Great guitar though, nice to have an all solid too. 

menamestom

Has anybody tried the Furch vintage OOM?

similar in spec as the Sigma, but double the price.

https://www.projectmusic.net/furch-vintage-2-oom-sr-26609-p.asp