Cedar OM Build

Here is a quick summary of another small OM build I completed a few years ago. It had a cedar soundboard, african mahogany back and sides, white plastic trim, rosewood bridge and fretboard. Very simple appointments, and a nice warm oil finish. The body shape was my first iteration of an OM style guitar, although this model was made with a 12th fret neck joint rather than 14th. I wanted the guitar to sound mellow and relaxed. A 12th fret neck joint and short scale length, as well as the cedar top, helped achieve this.

The x-brace and bridge plate were kept quite big and heavy to give the thin cedar top the strength it needed, but I opted for a single tone bar to help the bass response along. The bass frequencies need big open areas of the soundboard in order to generate and sustain. The back bracing was relieved in the center with an arch to get the back moving a bit more and contributing to the sound.

The finished guitar had a great pared back look, with a straightforward mellow tone. The finish was a semi-gloss oil. A nice 'simple' guitar. Although some people might recoil at the idea of decorating a guitar with white plastic, I think with the right woods it can look absolutely beautiful. Clean and crisp. I also used jumbo MOP fret dots as these give a retro and charming feel.