:bgrin: What's up guys and gals. I have a question for you all. How many of you OM lovers actually strum your OM's on a regular basis. I have always been a Dread Guy but after my brief OM encounter I came to love the body, but I needed more UMPH from the strum so I got rid of it for another Dread. What are your thoughts about OM's and strumming, string gauges etc...
In the near future I may move to go back to an OM but I want something I can bang on. I really like the ergonomics of OM's. I'm not sold on the asthetics of the L series yet, but they are growing on me mind you. Thanks in advance for all of your advice and information.
:donut :donut2 :coffee
MIX
Sounds like you really want the L!
I've had 2 Larrivee OM's, an OM-03R and my 12-fret hogtop. Both handle strumming well. They can be over powered, there just isn't a big enough air volume to get that dread power, the L gets you closer. I only have my hogtop now and I play everything with it. Light and moderate strumming sound terrific, heavy sounds good too but not as good as an L or D would. OMs have a more focused tone than the L or the D.
I have a Larrivee 0M-03 and it handles strumming pretty well. It's not the unflinching monster that my Guild D40C is or my Martin D28 but it's not wimpy either. There's a guy on the Acoustic Guitar Forum who has several Larrivee OM's and talks at length about the misconseption of OM's being only for fingerpickers etc... They often fit into a group setting better because you don't have the heavy bass scenario and it sits in the mix nice because of the balance. Some OM's ( the Martin OM-28V comes to mind) are little cannons and can out strum some dreads but most of the time it is what it is... I bring both a dread and my OM to my solo gigs but either can cut it in a mixed setting.
Mike :wave
Hmmm. I have begun to like the L series a little better since I first started paying them attention. The OM I let go of sounded good through the sound system when EQ'd right in a band setting. I think Rosewood would probably fit my heart a little better. I'm not knocking Hog at all. My Dread is HOG back and sides but I think Rosewood might fit what I need in an OM. But I'm always open.
What do you guys think about Medium gauge strings on a larrivee OM?
The Larrivee OM's are not what I look for in a struming/flatpicking guitar. They lack the balance of bass to treble I want when I use a pick. SCGC and Martin both make OM's more inline with what I think a flatpicked guitar should sound like. Nothing beats a good dread though.
The last time I put mediums on my OM it sounded constipated. Don't get me wrong it was louder but the airy highs that give it character were muted. It's just something you have to try yourself though.
Quote from: jeremy3220 on June 30, 2009, 04:38:11 PM
The last time I put mediums on my OM it sounded constipated.
From all the millions of arguments about how to 'describe' tone in words, that is the single best statement I have read.
:roll
That's pretty funny!
Due to a bad right shoulder I have been playing my OM03PA which for those that don't know is a 12 fret maple body nad it does just fine with medium string and strumming.I play at home with a friend who plays my J05 and as stated doesn't have the bass of the J it holds its own.
Quote from: BenF on June 30, 2009, 04:42:53 PM
From all the millions of arguments about how to 'describe' tone in words, that is the single best statement I have read.
Thank you Sir
SMixon, I think a L body or a Dred, would be your best option as a strummer, but then again most OM owners on this forum would swear black and blue that their OM is fantastic on strummin'. I dissagree, I am an OM owner myself, and a L owner as well and I find my L's sounds better in strummin'
cheers
fongie
OM is the only... multi trick pony...
Always!...When I've got one!
Right now, I'm OM-less but as soon as I get the cash, I'll have another.
Dan
Mine strums away very nicely, but that is with fingers and nails only. I got rid of my dread mainly because I hate using a pick, and it was a waste of a big guitar.
I use my OM for strumming regularly, but Im a pretty tame strummer. I agree with your view that Rosewwod OMs make better strummers than Mahogany, they seem to have a fuller, smoother sound. (OK my sound description wasnt as good as Jeremy's).
Having said that, If I was predominantly a strummer Id go for an L every time. A Rosewood one. :wink:
Cheers, Scott.
Quote from: fongie on June 30, 2009, 05:49:06 PM
SMixon, I think a L body or a Dred, would be your best option as a strummer, but then again most OM owners on this forum would swear black and blue that their OM is fantastic on strummin'. I dissagree, I am an OM owner myself, and a L owner as well and I find my L's sounds better in strummin'
cheers
fongie
Any OM owner is out of their mind if they think one is a fantastic strummer, that's just silly. They are good, they don't sound bad, but an L sounds better and a D sounds better.
"Any OM owner is out of their mind if they think one is a fantastic strummer, that's just silly. They are good, they don't sound bad, but an L sounds better and a D sounds better."by Bluesman67
Thems fightin words batman a JUMBO blows them all away............
:humour:
Quote from: unclrob on June 30, 2009, 10:20:13 PM
"Any OM owner is out of their mind if they think one is a fantastic strummer, that's just silly. They are good, they don't sound bad, but an L sounds better and a D sounds better."by Bluesman67
Thems fightin words batman a JUMBO blows them all away............
:humour:
Touche!
John Mayer strums his OM just fine, with specific reference to the track "Daughters".
I have noticed on the "Where the Light is DVD" with John Mayer that he does strum his OM quite a bit as well as the Martin Dread he had in the mix too.
Also Mayer has his OM going through a good System. How do you guys feel about OM's strummed when they are EQ'd through a sound system with a band?
If I don't ask I'll never know, but having never really paid alot of attention to OM's what are the -00 and -000 designations that Martin and some others use? Do they have more body depth etc.....
By the way thanks for all the info, you guys are awesome!
Martin's numbering system has been 0,00,000 and 0000 to describe the increasing size of their guitars. 0 is around parlour size, 000 is close to OM size, and the 0000 is also called the M, and is a jumbo sized instrument. Larrivee also make 0, 00 and 000 models. My understanding is that the 000 model was traditionally a 12 fret design, and the OM a 14 fret design, but Martin muddied the waters by making both in 12 and 14 fret designs. Larrivee have the OM in their standard series, and the OM-50/60 traditional (14 fret) and the 000-50/60 traditional being a slot head 12 fret model of similar body size.
I don't know what the difference is between an 0 and a parlour - maybe someone else can enlighten us. Accross various manufacturers, most of these guitars are made in numeroud body depths. My assumption is that the numbers/letters dictate generally the shape and size of the top/back of the guitar.
Hiope this helps
Ben
My OM strums well and can handle a pretty heavy hand. It doesn't have the volume to keep up in a guitar circle.
I recently got the F-III MT and it blows the doors off the OM. I cannot get it to break-up and it is surprising loud, I have not played it with friend and I am not sure if it would handle it or not. Both are great for solo playing and singing. I have a CA dread that is the loudest guitar I have ever heard.
Quote from: iDavid on July 01, 2009, 08:42:37 AM
My OM strums well and can handle a pretty heavy hand. It doesn't have the volume to keep up in a guitar circle.
I agree. I strum my OM all the time...but its a light touch with a pick in a solo situation. When I'm going out to play with a group (like a church sing-a-long) I grab the AJ. That way I don't have to listen to all the bad singers!
Quote from: iDavid on July 01, 2009, 08:42:37 AM
I recently got the F-III MT and it blows the doors off the OM. I cannot get it to break-up and it is surprising loud, I have not played it with friend and I am not sure if it would handle it or not. Both are great for solo playing and singing.
My OM (FI) and the FIII are pretty close in volume....although my OM is hog/spruce and my FIII is all-hog.
You can strum any guitar with strings.
Cool, so what do you guys think about an OM in a band situation when it's plugged in to a Sound System? The reason I ask all these questions is because I play Keys mostly these days but always keep a good Guitar around and right now I have a Martin Dread and we all know that it's loud, but I really like the ergonomics of the OM and the look of the OM's, Mostly if I play guitar it's In my house practicing or live plugged in with a great system and great sound man. So I am curious as to what your opinions are with an OM Plugged in strummed in a band setting?
Thanks again! Mix
It's fine if you don't try to overpower it, no soundman will stop you from overpowering an OM. If you find one, let me know. :smile:
if you want the BIG sound get a big guitar. however the large sound hole om's have a pretty big sound.
roscoe
eureka springs
ar.
Quote from: SMixon on July 01, 2009, 11:02:12 AM
Cool, so what do you guys think about an OM in a band situation when it's plugged in to a Sound System?
The sound system will make the guitar sound louder....
Your plugging it in so in my eye's it doesn't matter.If your not load enough tune up the volumn.
yup, I strum, flatpick, and fingerstyle (bare fingers).
I think they are great for strumming - especially rw. They will not have the same bass characteristics as a dread, but in some circumstances that can be an advantage - like recording, playing live into a microphone, playing w/ other dreads.
They can have a good deal of bass actually, it is just different from that of dreads.
Quote from: SMixon on July 01, 2009, 11:02:12 AM
Cool, so what do you guys think about an OM in a band situation when it's plugged in to a Sound System? I really like the ergonomics of the OM and the look of the OM's, Mostly if I play guitar it's In my house practicing or live plugged in with a great system and great sound man.
think you and Rob answered your questions... you like the size & looks of the OM i would say "go for it".
d.
I think we have to get one thing straight.
"Strummable OM" != "OM with volume of Dreadnought"
A guitar doesn't have to have the "boom" of a dread to be "strummable," depending on the style of music you play.
My OM09 w/k&K pwm sounds great through everything I've played it through. I play P&W every sunday with a full band through a very nice system (PWM to a Dtar Solstice to the PA) with a great sound man. I pretty much strum exclusively. I also played through a pretty cheap system at my little boy's church camp last weekend and it sounded great through that. It even sounded pretty good when I played it unplugged during a worship service at the camp. It sounded plenty loud during the dry run (empty room), but I forgot to take into account the effect of a room full of campers soaking up all those soundwaves. I plugged in after that mistake. One thing I keep noticing is that no matter where I play it, or what I play it through it really just sounds like my guitar, only louder. I guess that's the goal, after all. It's a very balanced sound that works well in a band setting, and stands up equally well solo. I was afraid I'd miss the bass response and clarity of my old dred, but from the first chord I knew it was still there. Its not as boomy as the dred, but the clarity and definition are still there. Hope that helps.
Thanks lefty, and again thanks to you all. This is what a Forum is all about. Great input from everyone and farily unbiased. I may be making my way back to am OM sooner than I thought!
I strum every guitar I have including electric guitars. I strum the OM. Last week I used it to lead worship for 30 people (un plugged).
On Sunday Evening I played with the band and had the guitar plugged in. It sounded mighty fine.
Here is a video on the OM 03R being strummed by me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs_0bDnbh_E
The OM-03R was a decent-enough strummer, though it lacked the volume and the bass of the L-03R that it replaced.
However, my Eastman OM (AC710S) is closer in volume, with a really nice low end, to the L-03R. Guys tell me that a Martin OM-21 is a really good strummer/fingerstyle guitar, so I want to check that model out soon.
Bill
Quote from: SMixon on July 01, 2009, 07:47:57 AM
... How do you guys feel about OM's strummed when they are EQ'd through a sound system with a band?
If you have a UST pickup and you're going through a PA with EQ, it doesn't matter what acoustic body-size you're using. You can make a dread sound like a banjo or a parlor sound like a dread. Severe EQ (and other processing) can accomplish *almost* anything. The thing is, most guitarists that love the tone of their instruments want the sound faithfully reproduced. Godin makes a semi-solid guitar, the A6, which has a cedar top and a UST. I have one. When properly EQ'ed it sounds like an acoustic (not a remarkable one, to my ears), but nonetheless, quite good.
dg
Scott (AtlasHeating)
I enjoyed your D Major Suite very much. That is some great playing.
Dan
Thank you.
I had fun recording it.
I used a Zoom H-2 Recording unit (mic only) via usb to my Mac computer.
I used the built in camera to capture the video. I could watch myself as it was recording.
No problem at all strumming my OM-21. I compared it to a D-1 Lakewood that resides at my place and prefer the OM-21. I definitely prefer it to the D-09 that I had.
And as others have said the F-III, which is the same basic size as an OM is a fine strummer, if setup that way. Mine is Mahogany with an IS top.
Danny's pretty much right on in his comments and experience with his OM-21.
While I use my Martin OM-35 primarily for fingerstyle, I can strum it with no problems and it has more balance and less bass than my D-35 but plenty of volume with no loss of tone or clarity. The OM-35 has a three piece back but is rosewood just like Danny's OM-21 in terms of body size, scale and neck width. As you can see, there are plenty of Larrivee OM fans on this forum too.
I also have an L body Larrivee 12 string which I strum and finger pick. I think the OM and 00/000 body styles are all ideally suited for fingerstyle but if I could only have one Larrivee for all styles, I would opt for the L body. My son's brother-in-law has an L-03R and his buddy has an L-05 Mahoghany that are both versatile guitars. If I want a 12 fretter, I grab my parlor because a Forum III wasn't in the budget this year.
The only thing I find that detracts from an OM's strumming ability is that they have a 1-3/4 nut. I find 1-11/16 nut guitars more pleasurable to strum. So I guess this has more to do with the spacing at the bridge than anything else.
Cheers, Scott.
Quote from: obe-wan on July 06, 2009, 02:02:09 AM
The only thing I find that detracts from an OM's strumming ability is that they have a 1-3/4 nut. I find 1-11/16 nut guitars more pleasurable to strum. So I guess this has more to do with the spacing at the bridge than anything else.
Cheers, Scott.
Scott, do you mean by that it is easier for you to change chords when strumming - I would agree with that.
To stick to the thread, I love strumming the intro to the Stones' "Street fighting man" in B and into E on the 7th fret with a small bodied guitar, you ever tried it? :thumbsup
Quote from: Zohn on July 06, 2009, 02:11:54 AM
Scott, do you mean by that it is easier for you to change chords when strumming?
No, I find that the wider string spacing took some time to get used to, it sounds silly but I found I had to strum a little more smoothly, or gentler to get a full, smooth sounding chord. If I strum vigorously it seems like I can feel the pick striking each string quiet hard. Im probably not making much sense, its hard to explain. It'd be like hitting a ripple strip in your car, the faster you go, the smoother it seems. So the closer spaced 1-11/16 nut is like.....errr...I think that'll do. Now I dont even know what Im trying to say. :wacko:
Cheers, Scott.
Quote from: obe-wan on July 06, 2009, 08:36:42 AM
No, I find that the wider string spacing took some time to get used to, it sounds silly but I found I had to strum a little more smoothly, or gentler to get a full, smooth sounding chord. If I strum vigorously it seems like I can feel the pick striking each string quiet hard. Im probably not making much sense, its hard to explain. It'd be like hitting a ripple strip in your car, the faster you go, the smoother it seems. So the closer spaced 1-11/16 nut is like.....errr...I think that'll do. Now I dont even know what Im trying to say. :wacko:
Cheers, Scott.
"Old-timerz" hey? - let me know when you remember - say, what was the question again??? :humour: (it was a question right, no it was an answer... :? :wacko:)
Quote from: obe-wan on July 06, 2009, 08:36:42 AM
No, I find that the wider string spacing took some time to get used to, it sounds silly but I found I had to strum a little more smoothly, or gentler to get a full, smooth sounding chord. If I strum vigorously it seems like I can feel the pick striking each string quiet hard. Im probably not making much sense, its hard to explain. It'd be like hitting a ripple strip in your car, the faster you go, the smoother it seems. So the closer spaced 1-11/16 nut is like.....errr...I think that'll do. Now I dont even know what Im trying to say. :wacko:
Cheers, Scott.
Scott, I must think like you do, cause I was right there with you up until "errr" ;-)
Quote from: obe-wan on July 06, 2009, 08:36:42 AM
No, I find that the wider string spacing took some time to get used to, it sounds silly but I found I had to strum a little more smoothly, or gentler to get a full, smooth sounding chord.
Scott, what you're describing is exactly what I found when I started using a pick on my classical guitar... easy to pick single note melodies, but strumming the widely spaced nylon strings was a whole different thing and took a while to adjust to.
dg
The austrian artist Georg Danzer has used a OM for all strumming songs and for the other style (please forgive me but i don´t know the english word for it) he used a C-10... a very special C-10, it looks like a custom-look at the beautyful bridge inlays...
Greetings Greg
[attachment deleted by admin]