This 1995 Olson SJ continues in the tradition of all of Jim Olson’s guitars, which is to say that this Olson is a fingerstyle fanatics favorite (or soon to be) weapon of choice. The string-to-string balance is superb, and the play feel is gossamer. Dropped into lowered tunings, the strings remain crisp and responsive; let those bass strings rumble when you can, because the lower depths have an awesome dark growl to fill out your arrangements. Freshly brought back to peak playing condition by our very own repair team, this Olson has spot-on intonation and is ready to roll for many more years to come!
The clarity and easy projection typical to Olson guitars is represented in full force here: it doesn’t take much for this SJ to sing. The Indian Rosewood back and sides, paired with a Cedar top, impart a bright and articulate voice that really comes out in the trebles with bell-like overtones. Completed by an Olson-labelled Calton case, this guitar is ready for any and all hijinks your fingerstyling can come up with.
Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, guitarbuilding, jim olson, james olson, james taylor, small jumbo, fingerpicking
Here’s an additional demo with our own Al Petteway: https://youtu.be/7OT7LIQq1aQ
The James Olson SJ and Indian Rosewood and Cedar is an instant classic, well-known to anyone who listens to James Taylor, Phil Keaggy, and so many other players. This one is a beautiful version with an Abalone top border kept in wonderful condition by a Calton case. 
I used one just like this for a while and it is still one of my favorites. I believe that Jim Olson was producing some of his best work in the 1990s and this one proves it once again. | Scale Length | 25.4 in |
|---|---|
| Nut Width | 1.75 in |
| String Spacing | 2.25 in |
| Woods | Cedar, Rosewood - Indian |
This 1995 Olson SJ continues in the tradition of all of Jim Olson's guitars, which is to say that this Olson is a fingerstyle fanatics favorite (or soon to be) weapon of choice. The string-to-string balance is superb, and the play feel is gossamer
The James Olson SJ and Indian Rosewood and Cedar is an instant classic, well-known to anyone who listens to James Taylor, Phil Keaggy, and so many other players. This one is a beautiful version with an Abalone top border kept in wonderful condition by a Calton case.
I used one just like this for a while and it is still one of my favorites. I believe that Jim Olson was producing some of his best work in the 1990s and this one proves it once again. 