1983 Robert Laughlin OM-Style Flattop Guitar

This guitar is built well. This Canadian-made box is as old as I am and the top shows only the most mild deflection, the neck is dead-straight (all without an adjustable rod -- it just has some carbon fiber rods installed), and it plays and sounds like a champ. I have to apologize for maybe spoiling it a hair by having it a little out of tune in the soundclip, though.

Outwardly, it looks like a slotted-headstock, boutique-ish 000-size guitar. It handles, however, like a '30s Martin OM due to its long scale, similar body shape and dimensions, and '30s-style, slim-soft-V neck shape and flattish board. It also sounds a lot like a '30s Martin, too, with its lightweight build, full and even tone, and velvety upper-mids and highs. It's not quite as barky as some OMs, but it definitely has the velvet. Maybe the best descriptor would be that it's something like a cross between a rosewood Gurian and a rosewood OM, yet without the more tense left-hand feel of those. It's a sound that I'm familiar with yet can't quite place.

However you quantify the voice, it makes a good flatpicker and an even better fingerpicker and it has a lot of headroom when you dig-in.

Work included: a very minor fret level/dress, seating of the bridge pins, cleaning-up worn "string ramp" slots behind the saddle, a restring, general cleaning, and a setup. The neck is straight, it plays on-the-dot with 3/32" EA and 1/16" DGBE action at the 12th fret, and is strung with 54w, 40w, 30w, 22w, 16, 12 gauges. It had "regular" 54w-12s on it when it came in and the neck was straight in that case, too.

Scale length: 25 1/2"
Nut width: 1 3/4"
String spacing at nut: 1 1/2"
String spacing at saddle: 2 1/4"
Lower bout width: 15"
Upper bout width: 11"

Side depth at endpin: 4 1/8"
Weight: 3 lb, 11 oz

Top wood: solid spruce
Back/sides wood: solid Indian rosewood
Neck wood: mahogany
Fretboard: ebony

Neck shape: ~16" radius to the board, slim soft-V shape

Bridge: rosewood

Saddle: bone

Condition notes: there's pickwear/usewear in evidence all over the top, a classical-style, thin clear pickguard installed, and the center seam looks like it was cleated and sealed at one point. The frets are almost full-height post-work and have tons of life left and feel good. There are very minor scuffs/teensy dings on the back and sides here and there. The finish is satin and has held-up well.

It comes with: a TRIC-type, Canadian-made, flight-style "hard" case.

The headstock, with its fancy veneer of ebony and maple, looks elegant as heck. The carve is light, open, and sculptural but also solid.

The ebony board is spiffed-up with maple "purfling" along the edges for contrast. There are side dots but no face dots.

The body is trimmed in rosewood(or ebony?) binding and maple purfling.

The soundhole's rosette is simple and elegant, too -- matching the top trim.

The bridge is nicely-done, too, and features bespoke ebony pins. The last shop to have this guitar did a good setup job and the saddle is fully-compensated and good to go. It has about 1/16" of extra height above the bridge's "top deck" for adjustment purposes. I deepened the existing string ramps behind the saddle, however, so there would be good back-angle on the saddle even if one had to take the saddle right down to to the deck for whatever reason.

Gorgeous rosewood, no? I love the inclusion of the two bookmatched dark stripes in the grain right down the center.

The back of the headstock reveals the grafted headstock install.

The heel is sharp and cleanly-cut. The whole guitar has nice, refined sculptural details. I find the simplicity refreshing for a boutique-style build -- it shows its build quality without pointing it out directly.

The ebony-buttoned Schaller tuners are excellent machines. They're smooth and accurate.