Professional Series
Vintage OM
click on any photo for a closer look.
Vintage OM / Red Adirondack spruce top.
Indian Rosewood Back & sides.
You can think of the Vintage OM as a smaller version of our Vintage D--or maybe it's the other way around. The OM, you see, is really where it all started. Here's what Dana has to say:
"Back in the early 80's I had a great opportunity to work on very many pre-war OMs. Due to their lack of metal neck reinforcement, almost all were totally unplayable. They had probably been so for quite some time, which would explain why, as a group, they appeared to be in otherwise
spectacular condition. In spite of appearances, however, most of these guitars didn't sound as good one would expect. Over time I found that stabilizing the rigidity of the neck and setting it to the proper complimentary angle--relative to the degree of flexibility of the top (or it's present state of deterioration, in some cases--could transform a ho-hum OM into a monster. Remember, these are small guitars. I found that the best OMs can sound almost as big as a dreadnought, but you've got a much narrower window in which to make all the parts work as a unit."
Our Vintage OM is a culmination of Dana's two decades of experience in repairing, restoring and building the legendary Orchestra Model. It comes
standard with an Adirondack spruce top--just like the originals--and is appointed identically to our Vintage Dreadnought, with ivoroid binding, herringbone top trim, short pattern squares and diamond inlays, tortoiseshell pickguard, vintage style top toner, and nickel Waverly Tuners. Premium quartersawn, straight-grained Indian Rosewood is the standard material for the back and sides, and Brazilian rosewood is offered as a popular optional upgrade. The OM is the only model in which we scallop both sides of the X brace, as a result of its natural need for a little extra help in bottom register.
Because of its characteristic superb balance, clarity of voice, and sustaining top register, the OM was once thought of as the quintessential fingerstyle guitar. It still is. It's not surprising, however, that more than a few players have begun to realize that these same characteristics are also highly employable for a diverse variety of applications. (We have, in fact, built a reputation on our ability to make Dreadnoughts sound like giant OMs--which is exactly what contemporary bluegrass players are screaming for.) If you don't need to compete with fiddles, banjos and mandolins, however, the Vintage OM might be just the guitar you've been looking for.Below are some examples of Custom Bourgeois guitars with the OM body style. Click on any photo for a closer look.
Below are pictures of the OM in Adirondack & Mahogany with Tortoise shell binding and simple dot inlay. This guitar also features our Ebony Belly bridge.
The next custom OM is Adirondack and Figured Mahogany with Curly Koa binding and Herringbone top border. (this particular guitar was built for Ricky Skaggs and features optional Long Pattern Squares and diamonds & optional Ebony Belly bridge).
This one shows the Vintage OM in Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack with Optional Cutaway with traditional Ebony Pyramid bridge.
Except as noted, all Bourgeois models include the following features:
25.5" Scale Length, One piece Mahogany Neck, Bone Nut & Saddle, Ebony Fretboard & Bridge, High Gloss Body and Satin Neck Finish, Mother of Pearl Bourgeois headstock inlay, Bourgeois Premium Tortoiseshell style pickguard, Ivoroid Bridge and Ed Pins, Deluxe Hardshell Case and a Limited Lifetime Warranty. A variety of optional tonewoods, appointments, hardware and finishes are also available.These guitars are available at one of our fine retailers.
Vintage OM List price: $3895
Feature Description Body Style OM Head Style Square Nut Width 1 3/4" Top Adirondack Spruce Rosette B/W Vintage Back and Sides Indian Rosewood Backstrip ZigZag Body Binding Ivoroid/Herringbone Fretboard Binding Black Fretboard Inlay Short Pattern Squares, Diamonds Headstock Binding None Headstock Veneer Rosewood Bridge 2 5/16" Ebony Pyramid Tuners Nickel Waverly Finish Natural Additional Ivoroid Heel Cap and Butt Wedge. Available with 1 23/32" nut & 2.2 Ebony Belly bridge for no extra charge.
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Page last updated: March 25, 2010
