NGD - Orpheum SS

[HeyMikey]

With all the recent talk of Orpheums lately…

Being someone who prefers small-medium sized guitars with a wide nut I’m always on the hunt. An Orpheum OM-14 mahogany has been at the top my want list for a while but they are few and far between.

In the mean time this nice SS surfaced and I grabbed it. Interesting that the SS-14 is less deep than the SS-12 so it’s not too far off from the OM-14. As such it doesn’t trigger my arthritic shoulder until after about an hour of playing.

The prior owner replaced the pick guard but thankfully kept the original which I will replace at some point. Other than that it is pretty much mint. I don’t have pics yet but will attach something from the prior owner.

I had also just previously purchased a super nice Santa Cruz Grand mahogany which is more similar to the Orpheum OM size I really want. Honestly the SS sounds similar enough and is responsive enough that I put the Cruz back on the market. It’s quite an achievement for Guild and a very satisfying guitar to play finger style. Still looking for the OM-14 but the SS-14 fills the mahogany gap very nicely for now.

More to come…

 

[walrus]

Very nice!

walrus

 

[chazmo]

Lovely, Mike. Looks great. Can't say I dig the PG that someone put on there, but still...

 

[Westerly Wood]

Incredible! I love the trim. That looks like it has a huge sound.

 

[GGJaguar]

A slope shoulder beauty, congrats!!

 

[onlyrockrocks]

Damn, that's nice! Don't like the pickguard either though. But since you still have the original one, it's all good. And I LOVE the look of mahogany on the back of an acoustic guitar. Even more than I love the look of rosewood, at least a lot of times. Congratulations!

 

[Cougar]

Wow! Major congrats! Quite a beauty!

 

[HeyMikey]

Incredible! I love the trim. That looks like it has a huge sound.

You know Woody, being a dread variant with an Adi top and with Guild’s reputation one might expect the sound to be bigger that it actually is.

I am finding it much more balanced and less “boomy”, more along the lines of the GF60 I had which is akin to an 0000 size. Sort of in between an OM/000 and a traditional dread. That was I believe the intent of the SS-14 design and I think they nailed it. The only reason I gave up the GF was the nut width and I think the SS is a great replacement for it staying within the Guild world.

With the Orpheum OM-14 having a slightly wider than OM lower and upper bout, I bet it would be very similar to the SS-14 perhaps only slightly less full when strumming. Just a guess though.

 

[Westerly Wood]

You know Woody, being a dread variant with an Adi top and with Guild’s reputation one might expect the sound to be bigger that it actually is.

I am find it much more balanced and less “boomy”, more along the lines of a the GF60 I had which is akin to an 0000 size. Sort of in between an OM/000 and a traditional dread. That was I believe the intent of the SS-14 design and I think they nailed it. The only reason I gave up the GF was the nut width and I think the SS is a great replacement for it staying within the Guild world.

With the Orpheum OM-14 having a slightly wider than OM lower and upper bout, I bet it would be very similar to the SS-14 perhaps only slightly less full when strumming. Just a guess though.

This is good news, as boominess is why I sold my Santa Cruz dread. Sitka top but scalloped bracing, and so damn light, it was just too bassy. I started to gravitate to the Br more and more as it is way more balanced. Sounds like this Orf is the reason why Ren is so highly regarded as a luthier. He keeps things balanced.

Interesting thought: It's like sub-woofers. I cannot stand sub-woofers and boom cars, it's too much infiltrating bass. I prefer the better stereo balance of the 70s.

 

[richardp69]

Sweetness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[FNG]

Awesome!

 

[twocorgis]

That’s a beauty Mike, good luck with it. I owned the rosewood version for a time, and probably should have kept it. It was last seen with @richardp69, but I think he sold it. I see Orpheums doing nothing but increasing in value as time marches on, so it will be a good investment.

 

[richardp69]

That’s a beauty Mike, good luck with it. I owned the rosewood version for a time, and probably should have kept it. It was last seen with @richardp69, but I think he sold it. I see Orpheums doing nothing but increasing in value as time marches on, so it will be a good investment.

Another one I wish I had kept.

 

[jeffcoop]

Congratulations, and welcome to the Orpheum family!

 

[HeyMikey]

Congratulations, and welcome to the Orpheum family!

Thank you. Honestly I am not worthy, but my playing days are numbered and you only live once…