If it’s a guitar from Al Petteway’s personal stable of instruments, you know you’re looking at one of the finest pieces of stringed art on the market. This 2011 Circa OM has been on of Al’s favorite guitars for several years now, but it’s time to pass the torch to the next player. John Slobod broke the mold with this OM: exhibiting an incredibly focused voice that manages to combine megalithic bass notes with sparkling trebles, this guitar remains lightly built, and ready for action. The sort of guitar which responds magnificently to both flatpicks and fingertips, this Circa can breathe new life into your Irish fingerstyle arrangements or add some lightning to your Bluegrass licks–again, with a lightweight build that’s effortless to play.
Worried about sheer volume? Worry be gone: this Brazilian-Rosewood-and-Adirondack-Spruce OM projects as though it had its own PA system, without losing any smoothness of the articulation when driven hard. If you’re interested in adding a lion to your own musical menagarie, you won’t find one with quite so rich a roar as this 2011 Circa OM, straight from Al’s hands to yours.
Watch this video for a lesson about playing “Banish Misfortune” with Al: www.youtube.com/watch
Watch this video for a lesson about using E-Bows with Al: www.youtube.com/watch
Watch this video for a lesson about bending strings with Al: www.youtube.com/watch
Watch this video for a lesson about harmonics from Al: www.youtube.com/watch
Watch this video for a lesson about creating acoustic reverb from Al: www.youtube.com/watch
Al can certainly pick 'em. He and John go back, and it's always a blast to hear Al playing one of John's instruments; he can really stir up that vintage crispness of tone that John's so good at exploiting. Also, the set of Brazilian for the back is drop-dead gorgeous, and really lends a clarity to the low-end of the mix. 
This guitar has been my constant companion for the past year, and it appears all over my wife Amy White's new CD. It's one of the best-sounding guitars I've recorded on any album project. I don't have to do any EQ or processing and it sounds awesome. It's also one of the best-sounding guitars I've used plugged in during live performances. It has a McIntyre Feather pickup mounted on the bridge plate, and it sounds almost as good as a good microphone, especially when used with a decent preamp. The only reason I've decided to sell it is because my other Circa, a 000, is back from the shop and I've been more comfortable playing 12-fret necks in recent years. I'm also in the process of trying to get my collection down to a reasonable size. Otherwise, I would definitely keep this one too. | Scale Length | 25.4 in |
|---|---|
| Nut Width | 1.75 in |
| String Spacing | 2.25 in |
| Woods | Spruce - Adirondack (Red), Rosewood - Brazilian |
If it's a guitar from Al Petteway's personal stable of instruments, you know you're looking at one of the finest pieces of stringed art on the market. This 2011 Circa OM has been on of Al's favorite guitars for several years now, but it's time to pass the torch to the next player
Al can certainly pick 'em. He and John go back, and it's always a blast to hear Al playing one of John's instruments; he can really stir up that vintage crispness of tone that John's so good at exploiting
This guitar has been my constant companion for the past year, and it appears all over my wife Amy White's new CD. It's one of the best-sounding guitars I've recorded on any album project 