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Martin 000-18 Modern Deluxe
Martin 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes
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Playability
77
Sound
86
Build
90
Value
69
Score
84
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Playability
82
Sound
86
Build
80
Value
88
Score
83
FIND IT ON:
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Martin 000-18 Modern Deluxe vs 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes

Reasons to Get
Martin 000-18 Modern Deluxe over 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes

Country of Manufacturing
United States vs Mexico
Built with higher quality standards
Fret Material
Gold vs Nickel Silver
Almost as durable as stainless steel with an exotic look
Neck Profile
Acoustic Vintage Deluxe vs Acoustic Junior
Adapts to the natural shape of your hand
Body Shape
Auditorium vs Auditorium Mini
Narrower and shallower than a Dreadnought with less lower tones
Scale Length
24.9'' (632.5mm) vs 24'' (609.6mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone

Reasons to Get
Martin 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes over 000-18 Modern Deluxe

Neck Profile
Acoustic Junior vs Acoustic Vintage Deluxe
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Body Shape
Auditorium Mini vs Auditorium
A compact version of the Auditorium size
Scale Length
24'' (609.6mm) vs 24.9'' (632.5mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Value Score
88 vs 69
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Martin 000-18 Modern Deluxe vs 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes

Back Material
Mahogany vs Sapele
Different Back Material
Sides Material
Mahogany vs Sapele
Different Sides Material
Saddle Material
Compensated vs Ivory Tusq
Different Saddle Material
Bridge Material
Ebony vs FSC Certified Ebony
Different Bridge Material
Neck Wood
Mahogany vs Sipo
Different Neck Wood
Nut Material
Bone vs Ivory Tusq
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Martin 000-18 Modern Deluxe vs 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes

Body Wood
Spruce
Same Body Wood
Fretboard Wood
Ebony
Same Fretboard 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
Nut Width
1.75'' (44.5mm)
Same string separation at the nut
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Fretboard Radius
16'' (406.4mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
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
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

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

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

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Martin 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes Prices

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Martin 000-18 Modern Deluxe is probably the better product overall with its final score of 84 compared to the Martin 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes's 83 score, although not by a lot.

The Martin 000-18 Modern Deluxe wins when it comes to build quality. On the other hand, the Martin 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes has the upper hand when it comes to playability, value for the money.

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?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Martin 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes is the better choice.

The Martin 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Martin 000-18 Modern Deluxe meets only 3. 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.

New Player Friendliness

Martin 000-18 Modern Deluxe
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Soft Strings
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Martin 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Short scale
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • 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 000-18 Modern Deluxe Overview

  • From Martin's 2022 Modern Deluxe series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 24.9"'' scale
  • 16" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Spruce with VTS top
  • Solid Genuine Mahogany back
  • Solid Genuine Mahogany sides
  • Genuine Mahogany neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fishman Gold Plus Natural I (Preamp/Active)
  • Ebony bridge
  • Acoustic Vintage Deluxe Set neck
  • 20 Medium Gold frets
  • Gold Open Gear tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Martin 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes Overview

  • From Martin's 2022 Custom & Special Editions series
  • Shawn Mendes Signature
  • Made in Mexico
  • 6 strings
  • 24"'' scale
  • 16" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Spruce top
  • Solid Sapele back
  • Solid Sapele sides
  • FSC Certified Sipo neck
  • FSC Certified Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fishman Sonitone (Preamp/Active)
  • FSC Certified Ebony bridge
  • Acoustic Junior Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Chrome Enclosed Gear 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

Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony
Spruce wood pattern used for guitar building
Spruce

Ebony is a high-end wood, so it is not cheap. It's only used for fretboards because it's also very heavy. It does an excellent job as a durable material while looking elegant. Find out more about Ebony.

Spruce has a light color with tight grain patterns. It's very stiff but relatively light. It's known for producing a well-rounded tone with a broad dynamic range. Find out more about Spruce.

Woods Used in the Martin 000-18 Modern Deluxe

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 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes

Sipo wood pattern used for guitar building
Sipo
Sapele wood pattern used for guitar building
Sapele

Sipo wood is a type of hardwood that is native to Africa. Regarding its tonal properties, the low end is full and rich, while the highs are clear and articulate. This makes for a very well-rounded sound that is perfect for any style of music.

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 000-18 Modern Deluxe.

Electronics

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

Winner:Tie.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Martin 000-18 Modern Deluxe
Sustain 90
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 86
Martin 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes
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 000-18 Modern Deluxe compares to the Martin 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Martin 000-18 Modern Deluxe is built in United States while the Martin 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes is made in Mexico.

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.

Mexico has been for a long time where Fender has built their semi-premium series. If you don't want to overpay for a wellp-built instrument, a guitar built in this country by a good brand always offers good value for the money.

Winner: Martin 000-18 Modern Deluxe

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 000-18 Modern Deluxe 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 Martin 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes 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.

In this comparison, the Martin 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes is the only one that has stainless steel frets. These frets will basically last for the entire life of the guitar. They will never need polishing nor replacement. And not only that, but some people also notice that bending and vibratos are much easier to perform when they upgrade to stainless steel.

Winner: Martin 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Martin 000-18 Modern Deluxe's are Gold Open Gear while the Martin 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes's are Chrome Enclosed Gear

Winner: Tie.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Martin 000-18 Modern Deluxe
  • Gold Frets
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Electronics
  • Compensated Saddle
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Martin 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes
  • Expensive Wood
  • Ivory Tusq Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Electronics
  • Ivory Tusq Saddle
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Mexico
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Martin 000-18 Modern Deluxe
Quality of materials 86
Features 85
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 90
Martin 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes
Quality of materials 86
Features 85
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 80

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 000-18 Modern Deluxe Nut Width
Both Guitars Have The Same Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, both have a nut width of 44.5mm (1.75'').

This is within the most common range of nut widths for a 6-string guitar. It offers a good balance of string separation at the nut. It's the size that most guitarists prefer as it gives them just enough space to play open chords without muting the strings, but without spreading the strings too wide and making bar chords difficult to perform.

Scale Length

Martin 000-18 Modern Deluxe's Scale Length
Martin 000-18 Modern Deluxe's Scale Length
Martin 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes's Scale Length
Martin 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes'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 000-18 Modern Deluxe has the longest scale: 24.9". The Martin 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes is only 24" long. This is a 0.9'' (22.9mm) 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 000-18 Modern Deluxe Neck Profile
Martin 000-18 Modern Deluxe's neck profile
Martin 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes Neck Profile
Martin 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes'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.

In this case, both have different neck shapes:

The Martin 000-18 Modern Deluxe has a Asymmetrical type of neck. Even though this neck shape looks like a poorly-made job, it's, in fact, the neck that most naturally adapts to the arc of your hand when grabbing a guitar neck. You'll notice that the lower part of your palm makes a more pronounced, deeper curve while the upper part makes a more subtle arch. This is the shape that adapts the best to that natural arch your hand makes while playing.

The Martin 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes, on the other hand, has a C 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 000-18 Modern Deluxe Fingerboard Radius
Both Guitars Have The Same Fretboard 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.

Both the Martin 000-18 Modern Deluxe and the Martin 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes have the same fretboard radius of 16". This fretboard radius is really different from Stratocasters, but it's also a lot flatter than Les Paul fingerboards. It'll favor plating single notes over playing chords. This doesn't mean you can't use it for rhythm, but a more curved fretboard offers better playability for chords. Bending and sliding without losing sustain will also be more likely in a flat fretboard like this one.

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 000-18 Modern Deluxe:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Martin 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Martin 000-18 Modern Deluxe and Martin 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes 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 000-18 Modern Deluxe
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 80
Solo Playability 70
Playability 77
Martin 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes
Bending & Vibrato Ease 90
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 80
Playability 82

Specs Side-by-Side

Martin 000-18 Modern Deluxe vs 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes
General Martin 000-18 Modern Deluxe 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes
Brand: Martin Martin
Year: 2022 2022
Strings: 6 6
Made in: United States Mexico
Series: Modern Deluxe Custom & Special Editions
Colors: Natural Natural
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Hollowbody Hollowbody
Body Material: Solid Spruce with VTS Solid Spruce
Sides Material: Mahogany Sapele
Back Material: Mahogany Sapele
Bridge: Ebony FSC Certified Ebony
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Gold Open Gear Chrome Enclosed Gear
Fretboard: Ebony FSC Certified Ebony
Neck Material: Genuine Mahogany FSC Certified Sipo
Decoration: Abalone Old Style 18 MOP Pattern Custom Shawn Mendes (MOP Pattern)
Scale Size: 24.9" 24"
Shape: Acoustic Vintage Deluxe Acoustic Junior
Frets: 20 Medium Gold 20 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 16" 16"
Nut: Bone Ivory Tusq
Nut Width: 44.5mm (1.75'') 44.5mm (1.75'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Fishman Gold Plus Natural I (Preamp / Active) Fishman Sonitone (Preamp / Active)