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Typically I can find the answer to anything on Google. I'm having a hard time finding a site with some straightforward explanation on the differences between a 000 and an OM. Is an OM just a 000 w/ a 14-fret join? I think the OLF plans are nice and am interested in the OM plan...

000 could be 12-fret or 14. OM, by some standards, has a 25.4 scale and a 1-3/4" wide nut and 14-fret 000 has a 24.9 scale and a 1-11/16" wide nut, but a 12-fret 000 would likely have a 1-3/4" or wider nut with the shorter scale. These are only general guidelines, except that I think you won't see a 12-fret OM by any standard. burbank38743.8237615741

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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There are two type of 000:
- the long body one with the neck joining at the 12th fret
- the short body one with the neck joining at the 14th fret
Typically the 000 "short" body has a 24.9" scale and the "long" body one has
a 25.4" scale.
*But* the 0 and 00 with 12th fret body/neck joint usually have a 24.9" scale.
The OM is a 000 "short" body, neck joining the body at the 14th fret, with
the longer 25.4" scale. Also the OM usually has a larger neck, 1 3/4 at the
nut and 2 1/4 string spacing the bridge (although the OM-18GE has 2 3/8
spacing at the bridge). Hope it's not too confusing…

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

Actually usually the 0, 00 and 000 12 fretters have a 1 7/8 nut width.

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

I stand corrected: the longer body 12-fret 000 does have the longer scale.

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

You're all making this too complicated. The OM has a 25.4" scale, a 1 & 3/4" nut, and a 14th-fret neck join. A OOO can have any of those properties, but it won't have all of them ('cause then it'd be an OM!). You can usually tell at a glance by the pickguard--the OM has a small, "teardrop" shape, and the OOO has a larger guard. Any exception to this would be a special order and shouldn't be considered in a discussion of standard models.

[QUOTE=laurent] There are two type of 000:
- the long body one with the neck joining at the 12th fret
- the short body one with the neck joining at the 14th fret
Hope it's not too confusing…[/QUOTE]

Brain spinning.... try... to... keep... up...
Quick aside: Is the short body on the 14 fret so the bridge will sit more centered on the lower bout?

This is an older post on a differnt guitar forum.

2006-01-26_231401_MARTIN_DIMENSIONS_FOR_FLAT_TOP_ACOUSTIC_GU ITARS.pdf

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[QUOTE=ATaylor] Quick aside: Is the short body on the 14 fret so the bridge will sit more centered on the lower bout?[/QUOTE]

Nope, it's the other way around. The 12-fret neck puts the bridge in the lower-bout sweet spot. In order to keep "normal" body proportions, it's the neck that has to move "up" to achieve the 14th-fret join, dragging the bridge with it.

Ok, they are the 'Martin' original models specs and I do have golden era Martin 00, OOO, and OM guitars that conform to them, and technically these definitions are right.

However, for most of us not building Martin Guitars (that's all of us not called Martin) we tend to use OOO as shorthand for a 24.9" scale 12 fret, and OM for the 25.4" 14 fret. Let's not over complicate things.

Colin

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There's a current and good discussion on this at MIMF entitled "X Brace Angle for a 000"

Actually some OMs from the '30 have long guards…

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

Alan,

Here is another link to an article on the topic.

The OM style guitar

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