We’ve seen quite a number of Wayne’s guitars pass through our shop, but he still manages to pull out new stops with his latest builds, which number into the 800s. In fact, this Henderson OM-41 is the only OM Cutaway we’ve ever seen, and it’s basically right off the bench and here in our lap. #803 was finished in 2020 with gorgeous Brazilian Rosewood back and sides and Adirondack Spruce on top—primo tonewoods being Wayne’s bread and butter. The 41-style appointment package features dark Abalone around the top and soundhole, with Grained Ivoroid bindings and a multicolored zipper backstrip. At the headstock, carved in Wayne’s signature fiddle profile, we have gold Waverly tuners and bone saddle, and an Abalone thistle behind Wayne’s inlaid name.
The soft Venetian Cutaway sets this one apart, and is such a welcome treat for those uppermost frets to earn their keep. The voice is characterized by even, smooth response across the registers. Wayne’s OMs have a more lush and inviting sound than his Bluegrass Dreadnoughts, so usually better equipped for fingerstyle, but honestly we had a great time digging in a bit with a flatpick on this one; it holds up well under a stronger attack. The neck is comfortable and wide with a 1 13/16” nut and 2 3/8” string spacing at the saddle, and the setup is easy on the hands too. We’ve got this OM-41 wrapped up in a Calton flight case to keep it safe and sound.
Other keywords: w.c. henderson, fingerpicking, 41 style, abalone, brazilian, adriondack, red spruce