Swap
Swap
Martin 00-15M
Taylor AD22e
VS
Playability
73
Sound
86
Build
87
Value
77
Score
82
FIND IT ON:
Sweetwater logoAmazon logo
Playability
77
Sound
86
Build
84
Value
77
Score
82
FIND IT ON:
Sweetwater logo
Add more to comparison

Martin 00-15M vs Taylor AD22e

Reasons to Get
Martin 00-15M over Taylor AD22e

Pickups Brand
Fishman vs None
Pickups from a renown brand
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm) vs 1.75'' (44.5mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Scale Length
25.4'' (645.2mm) vs 24.9'' (632.5mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
16'' (406.4mm) vs 15'' (381mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend

Reasons to Get
Taylor AD22e over Martin 00-15M

Release Year
2021 vs 2015
From a more recent year
Nut Width
1.75'' (44.5mm) vs 1.688'' (42.9mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Scale Length
24.9'' (632.5mm) vs 25.4'' (645.2mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
15'' (381mm) vs 16'' (406.4mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings

Other Key Differences
Martin 00-15M vs Taylor AD22e

Back Material
Mahogany vs Sapele
Different Back Material
Sides Material
Mahogany vs Sapele
Different Sides Material
Saddle Material
Compensated vs Synthetic Bone
Different Saddle Material
Bridge Material
East Indian Rosewood vs Eucalyptus
Different Bridge Material
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood vs Eucalyptus
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Bone vs Ivory Tusq
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Martin 00-15M vs Taylor AD22e

Body Wood
Mahogany
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Mahogany
Same Neck Wood
Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Hollowbody
Warm tone, lighter and acoustic sound
Switch Positions
0
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
0
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
0
Same tone control
Number of Frets
20
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Type of Frets
Medium
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • Solid Top Wood
  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • High-Quality Nut
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Locking Tuners
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

SET PRICE ALERT

Taylor AD22e Prices

SET PRICE ALERT

These are affiliate links. We may earn a fee if you purchase after clicking. These prices are prone to error. Make sure you're buying the right product after clicking on a link from our site. We are not liable if you buy the wrong product after following these links. As an Amazon Associate site we earn from qualifying purchases.

Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that both instruments scored 82 out of 100, which makes them similar in terms of quality.

The Taylor AD22e wins when it comes to playability. On the other hand, the Martin 00-15M has the upper hand when it comes to build quality.

If you got small hands, none of these instruments will make a big difference when it comes to comfortability.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

Both meet 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players. If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, you can't go wrong with either of them.

New Player Friendliness

Martin 00-15M
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Soft Strings
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Taylor AD22e
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Soft Strings
  • Locking tuners

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

Martin 00-15M Overview

  • From Martin's 2015 15 series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.4"'' scale
  • 16" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Mahogany top
  • Solid Mahogany back
  • Solid Mahogany sides
  • Mahogany neck
  • East Indian Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fishman Gold Plus Natural I (Preamp/Active)
  • East Indian Rosewood bridge
  • Acoustic Modified Low Oval Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Nickel Open Gear tuners
  • Weight between 3.45lbs (1.6kgs) and 3.55lbs (1.6kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

Taylor AD22e Overview

  • From Taylor's 2021 The American Dream series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 24.9"'' scale
  • 15" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Tropical Mahogany top
  • Solid Sapele back
  • Solid Sapele sides
  • Tropical Mahogany neck
  • Eucalyptus fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Expression System 2 Electronics (Preamp/Active)
  • Eucalyptus bridge
  • Acoustic Taylor Standard Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Taylor Nickel tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Sound Quality Comparison

The most important thing that will determine the tone of an acoustic guitar is the wood. Let's take a look at the differences between both .

Woods Used in Both

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany

Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.

Woods Used in the Martin 00-15M

Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.

Woods Used in the Taylor AD22e

Eucalyptus wood pattern used for guitar building
Eucalyptus
Sapele wood pattern used for guitar building
Sapele

Eucalyptus is not a common tonewood, but it's becoming more popular recently. There are many species around the world, each with its own characteristic, so it's hard to describe the tone it produces without knowing the exact species.

It's similar to Mahogany in both color and tone. It can produce warm tones, and it's known for its beautiful figured grain patterns. Find out more about Sapele.

Winner: Martin 00-15M.

Electronics

Both come with electronics that allow you connect them to an amplifier or interface for recording.

Winner:Tie.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Martin 00-15M
Sustain 90
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 86
Taylor AD22e
Sustain 90
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 86

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Martin 00-15M compares to the Taylor AD22e.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in United States.

The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.

Winner: Tie

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

The Martin 00-15M has a Bone nut. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.

On the other hand, the Taylor AD22e comes with a Ivory Tusq nut. Ivory used to be considered the best material for guitar nuts due to its beauty, durability, and the rich harmonics and sustain you could get from a guitar with it. However, the way to obtain it is simply unethical. Enter TUSQ ivory nuts, which are made synthetically to imitate ivory. Technically, it's better than ivory because it is consistent piece-to-piece, while natural materials can vary a lot, even if they're made from the same.

Winner: Tie.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Martin 00-15M's are Nickel Open Gear while the Taylor AD22e's are Taylor Nickel

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Martin 00-15M
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Electronics
  • Compensated Saddle
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Taylor AD22e
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Ivory Tusq Nut
  • Electronics
  • Synthetic Bone Saddle
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Martin 00-15M
Quality of materials 86
Features 85
Quality Control 90
Build Quality 87
Taylor AD22e
Quality of materials 86
Features 75
Quality Control 90
Build Quality 84

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Martin 00-15M Nut Width
Martin 00-15M Nut Width
Taylor AD22e Nut Width
Taylor AD22e Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Taylor AD22e has the wider nut with 44.5mm (1.75'') vs 42.9mm (1.688''). This is a 1.6mm (0.062'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Taylor AD22e, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Martin 00-15M's Scale Length
Martin 00-15M's Scale Length
Taylor AD22e's Scale Length
Taylor AD22e's Scale Length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

The Martin 00-15M has the longest scale: 25.4". The Taylor AD22e is only 24.9" long. This is a 0.5'' (12.7mm) scale length difference.

This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.

This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.

Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the guitar sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Martin 00-15M Neck Profile
Martin 00-15M's neck profile
Taylor AD22e Neck Profile
Taylor AD22e's neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

Both the Martin 00-15M and the Taylor AD22e have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

Martin 00-15M Fingerboard Radius
Martin 00-15M's Fingerboard radius
Taylor AD22e Fingerboard Radius
Taylor AD22e's Fingerboard radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

In this case, the Taylor AD22e's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Martin 00-15M's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the Martin 00-15M.

Still, both tend to favor soloing over chords, so if you're looking for a guitar for playing rhythm, you might want something else with a radius closer to a Stratocaster's 9.5''.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both in this comparison favor small hands .

Martin 00-15M:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Taylor AD22e:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Martin 00-15M and Taylor AD22e Frets Size
Both have a similar Medium fret size

Both have a Medium fret size. If you like feeling the fretboard when you play, but also appreciate some easiness to press down the frets, this size offers a good balance for that.

Final Playability Scores

Martin 00-15M
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73
Taylor AD22e
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 80
Playability 77

Specs Side-by-Side

Martin 00-15M vs Taylor AD22e
General Martin 00-15M Taylor AD22e
Brand: Martin Taylor
Year: 2015 2021
Strings: 6 6
Made in: United States United States
Series: 15 The American Dream
Colors: Natural Natural
Left-Handed Version: Yes Yes
Body
Type: Hollowbody Hollowbody
Body Material: Solid Mahogany Solid Tropical Mahogany
Sides Material: Mahogany Sapele
Back Material: Mahogany Sapele
Bridge: East Indian Rosewood Eucalyptus
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Nickel Open Gear Taylor Nickel
Fretboard: East Indian Rosewood Eucalyptus
Neck Material: Mahogany Tropical Mahogany
Decoration: Abalone Diamond and Squares Short Pattern 4mm Dot Italian Acrylic
Scale Size: 25.4" 24.9"
Shape: Acoustic Modified Low Oval Acoustic Taylor Standard
Frets: 20 Medium Nickel Silver 20 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 16" 15"
Nut: Bone Ivory Tusq
Nut Width: 42.9mm (1.688'') 44.5mm (1.75'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Fishman Gold Plus Natural I (Preamp / Active) Expression System 2 Electronics (Preamp / Active)