This Northwood 80 Series Deep Body OM comes from Canadian luthier John McQuarrie’s workshop, whom we have a privileged relationship, where the building approach leaves each instrument with its own identity.
This guitar is a versatile acoustic guitar, more defined and easier to hold than a Mini-Jumbo, but with more low-end than a traditional OM. It takes the Orchestra Model format and adds a deeper body, bringing extra bass and reserve without moving into large-body territory. It keeps the width, balance and precision associated with an OM, with more air being moved and a firmer response under attack.
The construction follows John McQuarrie’s handmade approach, with a solid spruce top, solid rosewood back and sides on this version, a mahogany neck, and ebony fingerboard and bridge. Rosewood adds breadth, overtones and space around the notes. Spruce brings attack, projection and stability when the right hand digs in.
The neck stays in a classic acoustic register, with enough width for open voicings and fingerstyle work. The guitar responds well to nuance, but also handles a firmer right hand without closing up too quickly. The Deep Body adds support in the lower register. It keeps the appeal of the OM format, with a wider base and a more pronounced presence. For vocal accompaniment, the guitar fills the space superbly, especially on open chords and broader strumming patterns.
2-year warranty from our workshop.
