Martin 000-X2E - Overview and Best Prices

Martin 000-X2E Review
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  • 1 Prices - New from $649 >
  • From Martin's 2020 X series
  • Made in Mexico
  • 6 strings
  • 24.9"'' scale
  • 16" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Spruce top
  • HPL back
  • HPL sides
  • Select Hardwood neck
  • Select Hardwood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fishman MX (Preamp/Active)
  • Select Hardwood bridge
  • Acoustic Performing Artist Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Chrome Enclosed Gear tuners
  • Weight between 4lbs (1.8kgs) and 4.55lbs (2.1kgs)
  • Side-By-Side Comparison
Show Specs
Martin 000-X2E Specifications
Martin 000-X2E
General
Brand: Martin
Year: 2020
Configuration: N/A
Strings: 6
Made in: Mexico
Series: X
Colors: Natural
Left-Handed Version: Yes
Body
Type: Hollowbody
Body Material: Solid Spruce
Sides Material: HPL
Back Material: HPL
Bridge: Select Hardwood
Neck
Neck Joint: Set
Tuners: Chrome Enclosed Gear
Fretboard: Select Hardwood
Neck Material: Select Hardwood
Decoration: Mother-of-Pearl Pattern 28 Style
Scale Size: 24.9"
Shape: Acoustic Performing Artist
Frets: 20 Medium
Fretboard Radius: 16"
Nut: Corian
Nut Width: 44.5mm (1.75'')
Electronics
Pickups: Fishman MX (Preamp / Active)
Hardware
Strap Lock: No
Hardware Color: Chrome

Our Scores and Tone Evaluation

Playability 77
Sound 83
Build quality 71
Value for money 82
Overall Score 77
Tone Evaluation
  • Heavy Metal
  • Hard Rock
  • Jazz
  • Blues
  • Funk
  • Country
Strengths & Weaknesses
Martin 000-X2E
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Electronics
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Mexico
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • Low-Quality Material Saddle
  • Laminated Side Wood
  • Laminated Back Wood
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Price Overview

Its average competitor's price is $800, which means that the Martin 000-X2E is around 19% cheaper than the competition. This takes into account all instruments of the same category in our database with 6 strings and Fixed bridge that are made in Mexico.

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User Reviews & Feedback

Not all instruments are created equally. That's why it's important to have different opinions. Here's what our users who have played this instrument say. If you've played it before, help others by voting below!

Weight

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Tuning stability

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Neck speed (thickness)

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Neck access to high frets

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Neck profile shape

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Fret edges

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Pickups noise

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Pickups power

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Hand Size Comfortability

After taking into account the neck profile, scale size, fretboard radius, and nut width, we can conclude that the Martin 000-X2E's construction favors people with relatively small hands.

Nevertheless, this comes down in the end to personal preference. Make sure you test this guitar—or another one with similar characteristics—before buying.

Big Hands
Small Hands

Beginner Friendliness

The Martin 000-X2E meets 3 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, which means that it's not recommended for complete beginners. 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 to get used to.

New Player Friendliness

Martin 000-X2E
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Soft Strings
  • Locking tuners

Videos

Martin 000-X2E Auditorium Guitar // FULL Review!
The updated 000-X2E
The Martin 000-X2E at Maury’s Music
A full review of the Martin 000-X2 / The Guitar Breakdown
Expensive vs. Cheap Martin Acoustic Guitars | 000-X1 vs. 000-42

How Lightweight is it?

We found that the Martin 000-X2E weighs between 4lbs (1.8kgs) and 4.55lbs (2.1kgs). This was recorded from some online retailers that publish the weight of the instruments they sell.

Playability

Scale Length

Scale length is the distance the strings will span between the bridge and the nut. It can tell you a lot about the overall playability and tone of the instrument. A longer scale length means longer distance between frets, brighter tone and more string tension—which means lower action, but more difficult bending of the strings.

Here's the Martin 000-X2E's 24.9" scale length compared to other common sizes:

Martin 000-X2E Scale Length Comparison
Martin 000-X2E's scale length (at the top) compared to other popular sizes

This is the scale found in most triple-O acoustic guitars. It's still considered a long scale, but shorter than the standard 25.5" scale.

A shorter scale length guitar has a few advantages. One is that it is easier to play because the strings are under less tension. This can be helpful for beginners, or those with smaller hands.

Neck Profile

Martin 000-X2E Neck Profile
Martin 000-X2E's neck profile

The neck profile tells you the thickness (neck depth) and shape in cross section. Every difference will completely change the feeling and comfortability of the neck. This is a highly subjective thing, but most players indeed prefer certain types of necks (like Cs and Ds) because they feel nice in most hands.

It has a C type neck. C-shaped necks like this have been the most popular for the last years. The reason is that they feel good in most hands. It's generally a thin neck that doesn't get in your way when playing fast, but that also has enough mass to give your hands a comfortable grip for chords if they aren't too big.

Thin necks like this make it easier to move your hand across the neck and it helps when playing fast solos, especially if you like to leave your thumb free while playing high on the fretboard. However, thinner necks are also weaker and will need adjustment more often than a thicker neck.

Fretboard Radius

When it comes to fingerboard radius, personal preference will dictate which one is better for you. However, most people seem to agree that a more curved (lower) radius will make it easier to play chords while a less curved (higher) radius is better for soloing and bending.

The Martin 000-X2E has a 16" fingerboard radius.

Here's an image comparing this fretboard radius to other popular choices:

Martin 000-X2E Fretboard Radius Comparison with Fender Stratocaster and Gibson Les Paul
Martin 000-X2E's fretboard radius compared to others

This fretboard radius is really different than Stratocasters, but it's also a lot flatter than Les Paul fingerboards. It'll heavily favor soloing over playing chords. This doesn't mean you can't use it for chords, but it will be more comfortable to play chords without muting strings in a more curved fretboard. Bending and sliding without losing sustain will also be more likely in a flat fretboard like this one.

Compound radius fingerboards give the best of both worlds. Unfortunately, the Martin 000-X2E has the same radius across the board.

More with the same fretboard radius:

Playability compared to main competitors

Martin 000-X2E
This model
24.9'' Scale Length
C Neck Profile
1.75'' Nut Width
16'' Fretboard Radius
24.9'' Scale Length
C Neck Profile
1.75'' Nut Width
16'' Fretboard Radius
24.9'' Scale Length
C Neck Profile
1.75'' Nut Width
16'' Fretboard Radius
25.4'' Scale Length
C Neck Profile
1.75'' Nut Width
16'' Fretboard Radius

Nut Width

Martin 000-X2E Nut Width
Martin 000-X2E Nut Width

The Martin 000-X2E has 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.

Frets

It comes with nickel silver frets, so they won't last as long as stainless steel frets. If you use your instrument a lot, you might need to replace the frets after a few years. But this is unlikely as most people change instruments before this happens.

Fret Size

Martin 000-X2E Fret Size Comparison
Martin 000-X2E's fret size (in orange) compared to other popular sizes

Finally, let's talk about fret size. Some people prefer tall frets because it's easier to press the strings and perform bends since there's less friction against the fretboard. On the other hand, some people like shorter frets because they like to touch the fretboard when playing, or because they got heavy hands and tend to press too much on the string and alter the of the note pitch accidently.

The Martin 000-X2E's frets are Medium size. With medium frets, you can feel the fretboard more than with jumbo frets, but it's still easier to press the strings cleanly than with small frets; notes might change their pitch just slightly if you press hard on the fret. Also, if you need to do some fret leveling after years of playing, you'll have some room to sand them down without having to replace them.

Playability Score

Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 80
Playability 77

Tone

The type of wood and even the shape of the body will have a lot of influence in the final tone of an acoustic guitar. Here's we'll talk about what kind of tone you can expect from its specs.

Wood

Spruce wood pattern used for guitar building
Spruce Top
HPL wood pattern used for guitar building
HPL Back, Sides
Hardwood wood pattern used for guitar building
Hardwood Neck, Fretboard

Spruce Top: This wood 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.

HPL Back and Sides: HPL is a man-made, resistant material made to sound like wood. It's a high-pressure laminate made from multiple layers of paper or fabric that are impregnated with resin and then fused together under high pressure and heat.

Hardwood Neck and Fretboard: This is just a generic hardwood that can come from many species. This type of wood is used to build guitars because it provides a rich, warm sound. The wood also has good structural properties, making it durable and long-lasting.

Pickups

This guitar comes with pickups from one of the top brands: Fishman. So you can expect well built pickups with great sound that shouldn't need an upgrade anytime soon.

Sound Score

Sustain 75
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 83

Build Quality

Country of Origin

Knowing where the instrument is produced is a good way to know how well it's built. Some manufacturing countries are known for having higher quality standards. For example, most expensive instruments are made in the US or Japan, but there are some exceptionally great countries—like South Korea—that are building a good reputation.

The Martin 000-X2E is made in Mexico. This is the country that some American brands choose for building really good, but cheaper guitars. You can expect a guitar that offers a good price-quality relationship, although they don't get the same quality control as the ones built in Japan or the United States.

Bridge

Select Hardwood: The advantage of fixed bridges is that they don't require any kind of set-up. This makes it extremely easy when changing strings because you don't need to adjust anything besides tuning the guitar. Also, the fact that the bridge is directly attached to the body will help to increase sustain. The disadvantage is the lack of versatility since you can't create the same vibrato effects as with tremolo bridges.

Nut Material

Another important thing to analyze is the nut material, as it's one of the most important aspects that can affect the sound and playability of your guitar. A well-cut nut will make sure it stays in tune and will make it more comfortable to play.

In this case, the Martin 000-X2E has a Corian nut. It's a synthetic nut made to be similar to Bone. It's easier to work with for the luthier when compared to Bone, but it's not as hard and doesn't have the same lubricating properties. Still, it's a good material for guitar nuts.

More with the same nut material:

Build Quality Score

Quality of materials 58
Features 85
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 71