A powerhouse Olson SJ! This gorgeous 1999 classic in Indian Rosewood & Cedar plays like butter, and likes to be played. We see a lot of Olsons come through our shop that maybe haven’t seen a lot of play time, so it’s a special treat when one comes in that’s obviously not rested on its laurels. This Olson has been extensively played in in the past 20 years, and it sounds oh so alive.

Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, jim olson, james olson, james taylor, fingerstyle, fingerpicking

The Olson party continues to grow! We’ve now taken on a 1993 SJ non-cutaway with additional MOP and Abalone appointments. Indian Rosewood back and sides with the classic Cedar top, this Olson SJ is 100% James Olson–James Taylor tone. This is a particularly well preserved example of Jim’s work from the early 90s, one of our favorite Olson periods, and comes wrapped up in the tweed hardshell case to seal the deal.

Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, jim olson, fingerstyle, sj, fingerpicking, mother of pearl, mother-of-pearl, 405

This 1992 Olson SJ falls in one of our favorite ranges for Jim’s guitars from the 1990s. The voice is sweet and melodic, completely opened up and responsive, and the setup is slinky smooth in just about every application. The original LB6 pickup has been replaced with a McIntyre Feather (you’ll find the LB6 in the neck compartment of the case), and we’re happy to report that it sounds rich and organic, even plugged straight into an amp without additional preamp power. Bill Tippin did some work on this beauty, and it’s in fabulous condition for many more years of good tunes ahead. Indian Rosewood back and sides, Cedar top, the classic Olson sound.

Other keywords: james olson, james taylor, jim olson, phil keaggy, fingerstyle, olsen, doves, tweed tkl, schaller

James Olson hit a great chord early on, and his guitars’ music has only gotten sweeter with time! This 1998 SJ is the classic Olson, Indian  Rosewood and Cedar with bird inlays across the board, and with 20 years’ playing its voice has blossomed handsomely.

Excellent string-to-string balance, with a well-tempered bass response that fills out the voice without overpowering it. The trebles are impressively clear, and fingerstyle arrangements especially will bring out that clarity in spades. A slick setup and slim neck profile combine for deliciously easy playability, and the guitar is overall in great shape.

The Olson SJ is an industry standard in the boutique fingerstyle world, and this ’98 beau is no exception.

If the finish here is satin, then the voice of this Olson is pure velvet. We put this 2002 SJ through every tuning, every genre, every combination of picks and nails we could think of, and each time the voice remained clear, strong, and articulate. The full effect of the classic Olson sound in a Brazilian–Rosewood-and-Cedar package. James Olson has only ever used a satin finish on an extremely small number of his guitars (read: fewer than five to date), further setting this SJ apart from the crowd.

This one’s been babied since birth and has practically no play wear across the body or the neck. In spite of that, the voice is delightfully opened-up and consistent; if played gently the treble overtones swell, if played with gusto the bass revs its engine but doesn’t drown out the other registers. We’re basically looking at fingerstyle perfection with six strings (and oh yeah, an L.R. Baggs LB6 pickup! And a sweet TKL tweed case!). This particular Olson was originally built for none other than DADGAD extraordinaire Pierre Bensusan, and you can see Pierre’s name written on the top if you look inside with an inspection mirror. Hence the satin finish (and maybe we’re projecting, but this Olson does sound stellar in open tunings like DADGAD).

Every Olson has that trademark clarity and playability which has made Jim such a household name in the fingerstyly guitar world–but not every Olson comes so beautifully opened up as this 1997 SJ (#682) in Indian Rosewood and Cedar. As a result of being formerly owned by a professional musician and recording artist, this Olson has blossomed into a sweet-voiced SJ with incredible warmth and depth in the mid-to-lower ranges, and snappy, articulate trebles on the other end.

You can play this Olson as gentle as a lamb and still get an easy richness, or dig for some crunchy Blues and those bass strings can growl in a throaty roar. The setup is slinky and low for fast and easy playability, and a K&K Pure Mini passive pickup is installed, so this SJ is equally ready for the studio as the stage.