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,
slotted 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.
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 Vintage style pickguard, Ivoroid Bridge
and End Pins, Custom Hardshell Case and a Limited
Lifetime Warranty. A variety of optional tonewoods,
appointments, hardware and finishes are also available.
