Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce has long been a prized combination of tonewoods. What you get is the warmth and fullness of Brazilian along with endless power and clarity from the Adirondack. If you are after an OM that has all the gears and can produce both angst and beauty, this is one for you. In mint condition, this is a truly a Dream OM.

When we tell you an instrument is just about perfect, you know we’re not kidding. This 2005 Bown OM? In order to be more dynamic, it’d have to two guitars. For the singer-songwriter looking for an OM-size guitar that accompanies their voice with a strong, vigorous tone that doesn’t upstage their own pyrotechnics, this Bown fits the bill. For the accomplished fingerstylist who needs pianistic articulation and crisp resonsiveness, look no further. For the session player at the local Jazz or Blues jam, this Bown’s got room for smoking solos on the trebles, and a meaty low-end for vamping and steady basslines.

One of England’s finest luthiers, Ralph Bown’s work is always welcome here–but the problem is they keep running back out the door! If you’re even remotely interested in this Cuban Mahogany-and-Spruce OM, strike while the iron’s hot (if you’re thinking about taking it home, chances are someone else is, too).

Ralph Bown is an English builder with clients such as John Renbourn, Martin Simpson and Clive Carroll. This beautiful instrument is Ziricote and Spruce for amazing drive and power. It’s always amazing to us just how much tone Ralph can coax from mere wood. In addition to the tone this one is beautiful ornate with 45 style abalone, inlaid headstock, fingerboard, bridge and pickguard. A rare gem, at once inspirational, playable and collectible.

One of Tennessee’s finest builders, Chris Bozung has been churning out knockout instruments for the past 10 years, ranging from traditional Dreadnoughts and Banjos to his Git-Jo (a 5-string banjo neck on a cutaway 000 body) and Resonators. Today we’ve got one of his “Vintage J” Slope Dreadnoughts in the shop, and it’s easy to see what all the hype is about: this guitar’s can cruise in high gear for flatpicking tunes without topping out (you’ve got to feel this calibre of projection in person), it’s got trebles that are crisp and very present, and the sustain is rich and resounding, thanks to the chocolate-dark Brazilian Rosewood back and sides and sunburst Adirondack Spruce top. Chris’s take on the classic 1930s Slope Shoulder Dreadnaught is a great example of a contemporary builder’s preservation of the aesthetic and tone of a bygone era.