This guitar! Where do we even begin? This 2018 OM from Ray Kraut is astounding to both the eyes and the ears. A beauty, features Ray’s “Pale Moon” Ebony for the back and sides, and a pale set of European Spruce for the top. Not content with that already deadly combination, Ray then fashioned the headstock veneers, fretboard, bridge, and heelcap out of more Pale Moon. An abstract rosette completes the luthier’s portrait. Tonally, this OM pours out notes with such presence and definition, it takes fingerstyle arrangements and renders them in crystalline clarity.
The trebles have a faint blooming effect after the initial attack, and the string-to-string balance is superb. We had a lot of fun playing around in open tunings—the playability is likewise slinky and smooth. Just an incredible instrument across the board, and it comes with a Hoffee flight case to keep it safe and sound.
So much wow factor here, you’ll need to take two breaths.
Check out our original demo with Mr. Paul himself here: https://youtu.be/IV71pt9vmP8.
Here’s an additional demo with Al Petteway on this instrument: https://youtu.be/JH8twz3yFzE
Other keywords: raymond kraut, somogyi, ervin somogyi, somogyi apprentice, lutherie, luthier, alternativetonewoods, euro spruce, orchestra model
Raymond Kraut has developed a real eye for letting the natural beauty of very rare woods shine on his guitars. Here Pale Moon Ebony takes center stage and creates a dramatic black and white guitar that is sublime and mesmerizing all at once. The voice is angelic, very sweet yet brilliant and the kind of tone that inspires you to play longer than you anticipated. A fabulous instrument. 
This OM from Ray Kraut is exquisitely responsive, and distinctly gorgeous. Pale Moon Ebony throughout makes for a dramatic aesthetic that really sets this one apart. The voice is a fascinating mixture of roundness and precision; of course an excellent fingerstyle guitar. | Scale Length | 25 in |
|---|---|
| Nut Width | 1.81 in |
| String Spacing | 2.25 in |
| Woods | Spruce - European, Ebony - Pale Moon |
This guitar. Where do we even begin
Raymond Kraut has developed a real eye for letting the natural beauty of very rare woods shine on his guitars. Here Pale Moon Ebony takes center stage and creates a dramatic black and white guitar that is sublime and mesmerizing all at once
This OM from Ray Kraut is exquisitely responsive, and distinctly gorgeous. Pale Moon Ebony throughout makes for a dramatic aesthetic that really sets this one apart 