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Do I really need a nice OM?

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I have a dreadnought in cedar/mahogany that I live to play. Really full sound, great harmonics, clarity and low end. In fact it's almost a bit of a loose cannon if you really dig in. 

I've been toying with the idea of a completely superfluous purchase, a high end OM in rosewood/Sitka. I'm not sure who really other than the attraction of playing a smaller bodied guitar that might be a bit tighter than my dread.

Any thoughts welcome :)
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Comments

  • usedtobeusedtobe Frets: 3841
    Yes.
     so if you fancy a reissue of a guitar they never made in a colour they never used then it probably isn't too overpriced.

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  • danishbacondanishbacon Frets: 2694
    edited February 2018
    usedtobe said:
    Yes.
    That just about settles it then.  

    It feels like an itch I don't want to scratc but I must .
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  • I had this urge, and was put off the whole idea by actually playing some. Dreadnoughts are massive on me, but I don't find smaller guitars as satisfying tone-wise.

    Although maybe I didn't play sufficiently expensive OMs....... :)
    I'm just a Maserati in a world of Kias.
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  • I had this urge, and was put off the whole idea by actually playing some. Dreadnoughts are massive on me, but I don't find smaller guitars as satisfying tone-wise.

    Although maybe I didn't play sufficiently expensive OMs....... :)
    Well I got to play a few high end instruments of this size at Knighton Guitar. They had a lovely Atkin OM with a light relic. Such a lightweight and personable guitar, waaaay too much £ for my blood. The larivees I played sounded dull and heavy, didn't try any other ones as the picking was slim for OMs. 

    This one I'm eyeing is mail-order only unfortunately but would have an 8 day return if not happy with it.
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  • Have you tried any 000s? I prefer them to OMs.
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  • danishbacondanishbacon Frets: 2694
    edited February 2018
    Have you tried any 000s? I prefer them to OMs.
    I have not, no @Moe_Zambeek . How come?
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  • The answer is ‘it depends’. I find a good Dreadnought generally finger picks quite well - and tackles some stuff smaller guitars aren’t quite as good at. So personally, I’ve never felt able to justify owning both.

    The two best sounding acoustics I’ve ever played are a neighbour’s sunburst 00028 (I think it’s some kind of vintage reissue) and a Santa Cruz Dreadnought. I’d be delighted to own either.... 
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  • That makes sense @richardhomer. The dread I currently have plays a lot of styles very well, from soft to loud. My 'want' came more from having a guitar that with totally different tonewoods and size would certainly sound different. It also has a slightly narrower neck 43mm Vs 45 on my Dread. 1mm thicker neck at the 1st fret, V to c shape on 12th for the OM I'm looking at .
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  • AliGorieAliGorie Frets: 308
    Have you tried any 000s? I prefer them to OMs.
    hu ?, whats the difference - they look the same - only thing I've noticed is 000 tend to lend themselves to flatpick players who occasionally fingerpick and OM's the other way round.
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  • jellyrolljellyroll Frets: 3073
    I'm asking myself the inverse. I have 3 OMs - do I "need" a dread? 
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  • AliGorieAliGorie Frets: 308
    jellyroll said:
    I'm asking myself the inverse. I have 3 OMs - do I "need" a dread? 
    if ya gotta have another guitar - why not a Dread - or what about a (J)OM / deep body.
    That makes sense @richardhomer. with totally different tonewoods and size would certainly sound different. It also has a slightly narrower neck 43mm Vs 45 on my Dread. 1mm thicker neck at the 1st fret, V to c shape on 12th for the OM I'm looking at .

     I just dont get all the 'difference whih woods' & 2mm width / 1 mm depth - for me it's the OVERALL sound and feel which component parts and dimensions OVERALL don't actually figure in my experience - that's 55 playing yrs.
    Like Lewy says on another thread - we need the blindfold approach to sort things out - for real.

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  • Moe_ZambeekMoe_Zambeek Frets: 3419
    edited February 2018
    Have you tried any 000s? I prefer them to OMs.
    I have not, no @Moe_Zambeek . How come?
    Just an observation from trying some of late - Martins anyway. The shorter scale just suits the body shape and sounds less shouty to me. The OMs I tried sounded like a thinner dread with a lack of midrange for strumming applications.
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  • To further confuse me, playing a lower end OM left me a bit uninspired. A higher end one was nice but not really felt it either. I did quite like the size though .
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  • AliGorie said:
    Have you tried any 000s? I prefer them to OMs.
    hu ?, whats the difference - they look the same - only thing I've noticed is 000 tend to lend themselves to flatpick players who occasionally fingerpick and OM's the other way round.
    Historically, Martin 000 were 629mm scale and OM's 645mm scale, nowadays it only really applies from the standard series upwards.
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  • I've got a D28 & an OM18V and they are different beasts, however, if the size of the dreadnought is not a problem for you then I'd stick with that as it is probably the most versatile for different styles and playing techniques. 
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  • AliGorieAliGorie Frets: 308
    OK, heres my take on OM's vs 000's -
    24.9 = 126.37
    25,4 = 131.54
    now for ‘developed’ hands that difference in tension shouldn’t be an issue, heres (broadly speaking) why the typical 000 is better for plectrum work and the OM is better for fingerpicking - it’s to do with the bridge’s position in relation to the X brace system.
    You’ll note that only OM bridge ‘wings’ are over the X allowing the top to vibrate more freely when (lightly) fingerpicked. But it may sound strident / over-driven with a flatpick.
    Whereas the with the 000 the whole bridge is directly ‘in contact’ with the X brace making it better for strumming and ‘lead’ paling with a flatpack.
    the 000


    and a 1930's OM



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  • Very interesting @AliGorie thanks for chiming in. @BigLicks67, do you find that you play different styles on both guitars, or keep defaulting to one or the other?
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  • AliGorieAliGorie Frets: 308
    hey dan-b,
    look here -
    http://www.vintagemartin.com/xbraces.html

    more info pics here -

    https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/theunofficialmartinguitarforum/martin-bracing-library-t847.html
    also
    OM28.com root about on there
    http://om28.com/custom/article/AcousticGuitarNotes-05.jsp

    as for playing styles / guitars, I can and do play all my own 'steel string' on a far east 000, Bourgie JOM, Lowdie L25 and Yairi SJ 12'er no difference cept some 'intricate' pieces are a bit to much to pull off on the 12'er. Don't / cant play other peoples music cept my take on some trad stuff.
    then there's 'nylon' stuff on a Spanish made and a Flamenco I built myself.

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  • JalapenoJalapeno Frets: 6378
    edited February 2018
    Yes.

      ;)
    Imagine something sharp and witty here ......

    Feedback
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  •  I see acoustics a bit differently , I am happy to have say 2 electrics , but for me I wouldn't want more than one acoustic , and I play acoustic more than any other type of guitar, and love that I have this one special guitar which just sounds right when I play it , I find them more alive than electrics and they respond so much to different techniques ,plus you can't hide behind an acoustic, it would feel like I'm cheating lol :D or maybe I just need to get out more!
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