Schoenberg OM Deluxe Soloist, Brazilian Rosewood & European Spruce - Pre-Owned

This 1990 Schoenberg OM Soloist is not only a great guitar in its own right, but a representative of the history of the model and the collaboration that brought about its revival. Martin originated the OM in the 1920s in their quest for powerful steel-string guitars, but it was eclipsed in the 1930s by the even louder dreadnought and discontinued. But that first run of OMs had a loyal following, chief among them Dana Bourgeois and Eric Schoenberg, who worked with Martin in the 1980s and 90s to revive the model. Eventually TJ Thompson would take over the project from Dana, and this guitar comes from that transition batch. It bears a stamped plate on the neck block that reads "Made expressly for Schoenberg Guitars by C. F. Martin Co. Custom, Serial # 500083", while the label inside states that Dana personally selected the materials, graduated the top and shaped the bracing, and Eric inspected, played and determined it met his standards (signed by both). The top bears TJ's signature inside, to indicate that he built the top completely in his own shop using hide glue before overnighting it to Martin for completion. Get more in-depth history in our blog post here!

All that said, this is just a fabulous Brazilian rosewood OM, but given the team that made it, that's no surprise. Its tone is rich and complex, but balanced and with the right amount of focus and clarity.