[Silly Moustache]

Folks, I really get the impression from this and other threads that some folks don't learn/understand the design history of steel strung guitars and the work that was done in the main large companies to design and redesign instruments to meet the rapidly changing demands of popular music

Gibson was a mandolin company that redesigned the mando after violin family standards then applied the same logic to guitars. The Style "O" then the L-3,L04,L-5 l-7 etc.

After tyhe L-3 (wide thick neck, 13 fret, round or oval hole prbably with rhthm for mando and banjo orchesras.

As the Dance/Jazz bands rejected tenor banjo, theL-5 was designed - fine wods, carved topad back, beautiful design - but not for a solo player, or a finder picker. My'34 L-4 is a case in point - remarkably similar to the L-5 but not so fancy. It is an orchestra instrument - not intended o be subtle but incisive- notmuch bass but plenty of high middle. It would cut through a piano, bass and drums easly. It stated many other makers to compete.


Martin tried to introduce archtops but they were not successful,so they tried to redesign the 12fret 000 and dreadnought for ochestral work - not a total success as they had too much sustain and unadequate cut through.

The The did as rewquested by a banjo player and made a "OM" with skinny neck to 14tg and called it the OM as they also called heir first attempts of14fretreads. Niether did the job well soGibsons and Epis got gthe gigs.

My archtop is voiced for cutting through,but ythe much later Eastman AR805 same woods is voiced to a later smoother sound and more like a flat top.

Ironically many liked the OM for fingerstyle (despite the rhythm neck) and it became a favorite for fingerstyle so . The new dread also did well for a strumming box during the folks scare.

It's about the tool for the job