Help me choose an OM

[Carl000s]

I prefer the larrive vs the furch om30sm. I don't try any of them but is my feeling. Another history is the om32sm. This is the one I will buy if I had the money. Perhaps worth wait more time I don't know. I don't earn money with the guitar and my playing is not good enough. Trying to find the right balance beetween needs and money (and enjoyment).
I know stageshop.hu, is the shop where I look at the furch guitars and also the eastman e6om (they have a nice one). The om32sm that have on stock now is a little different that the current model in the furch site (rw freetboard vs ebony) and have a 1 11/16 nut wich I try to avoid. I don't know if I order a new one would be the same price. All I see in other places were expensives.
Nice guitar you have

[MHC]

I own an Eastman E8 OM (Sitka/EIR) that I really love. Great playability, high quality construction, rich tone, all around wonderful guitar.

As far as string spacing goes: Do not think that Eastman guitars always have a narrower than 1 3/4" nut width. The truth is that there is inconsistency so some are a tad narrower than advertised while others are fine. Mine is nearly perfect, about 1mm narrower than 1 3/4" (sorry for mixing my measurement systems). For all practical purposes there is no difference with my Martin CEO-7.

I would go with the Eastman but the Furch is a very, very close second (and I could go either way depending on the day and your mood). I've played a few Furchs and they all had terrific playabilty and feel. It's just that the Eastman had the richness of tone I was after.

Hope this helps

[pbla4024]

Originally Posted by Carl000s

I prefer the larrive vs the furch om30sm. I don't try any of them but is my feeling. Another history is the om32sm. This is the one I will buy if I had the money. Perhaps worth wait more time I don't know. I don't earn money with the guitar and my playing is not good enough. Trying to find the right balance beetween needs and money (and enjoyment).
I know stageshop.hu, is the shop where I look at the furch guitars and also the eastman e6om (they have a nice one). The om32sm that have on stock now is a little different that the current model in the furch site (rw freetboard vs ebony) and have a 1 11/16 nut wich I try to avoid. I don't know if I order a new one would be the same price. All I see in other places were expensives.
Nice guitar you have

1600 EUR for Furch OM-32 is pretty steep, I paid 900 EUR for mine in Prague. They switched to ebony fingerboard this January I believe. 1 11/16 is standard, but you can get 1 3/4 as well.

[Carl000s]

Your're right. Was the price I found for stonebridges om32sm in uk. In thomman or stageshop are rated at 1390€. I will ask Stageshop for the price of a new one with 1 3/4. But.. 900€? worth a travel to prague...
This is what happens trying to make a decission without playing this guitars. One hour in a shop playing all of them will solve it but is not possible.
The thing is that I see a lot of videos with guys playing the kind of stuff I play with larrivees om03, and the recordings sound pretty good. My refereces with the E06om and the om32sm are only a few.
Anyway I will be happy with any of them

Thanks for the feedback!

[Strayslack]

I have recently compared rosewood Eastman OMs to the Larrivee OM-03R. To say the Larrivee won the battle is a vast understatement. It was one of the finest instruments I've played.

[Gypsyblue]

If anything happened to my Blueridge BR183 with the Adi top and Rosewood B&S, I'd get another one without hesitation.

It's my favorite OM that I've owned.

Paid a little better than $1000.

Worth every penny.

[Treenewt]

I actually had the chance to play all three brands in one shop last week. For what it's worth, here is my take.

Soundpure in Durham has just picked up Stonebridge, and he had two OMs in stock. I played a spruce/rosewood OM that was pretty amazing. Very impressed with their build quality. Finish was gorgeous, and the guitar played very well. I preferred it fingerpicked, as it seemed to lose something when strummed. The nut and bridge spacing were wonderfully comfortable. YMMV. The price was in the Martin OM-28 range though, and for me, I'd take the Martin.

They also had a used Larrivee OM-40R that was very nice. I have an L-03 mahogany that I absolutely love, and honestly the OM sounded very similar to my ears, just not as big and full. I was surprised at the similarity in tone between the rosewood OM and my L. If you like a warm, balanced tone, the Larrivee OM-03 will do you wonderfully. Wonderful clarity, and a very clear sound across all strings. 1 3/4 nut width and 2 3/16 saddle spacing, felt identical to my L. Very comfortable for fingers or pick.

I was there mainly to check out an Eastman E8OM. Sitka top and rosewood back and sides. This had the tone I was hunting. More of a vintage tone and look, which I like. More overtone rich than the Larrivee, though not as much as the Stonebridge. There is a sound that Eastmans have that I really like, which I can't really quantify, but this one has it. Vintage power and warmth with just a touch of modernity I guess! The nut was (as is typical of Eastmans) spaced too narrow. The width is 1 3/4, but the slots are too tight. I'm having them make me a new nut to get the spacing I prefer. I ended up going back and picking this one up a few days later.

So, There's my uneducated take on the three brands. I think you'd get a great guitar with any of them.

[Musket]

I ws pleasantly surprised when I played as Eastman for the first time, and when our nearest stockist lost their account and sold off stock half price, I happily added one (granted, a dread' an AC120CE) to my collection.

There again, at £270 inc. hard case, it was a no brainer, yet six months in, I would happily pay up to a grand and feel it good value, its that good.

[superdave]

You can purchase Larrivee OM-03 s all day in Canada for around $1000 CDN ( maybe $700 USD ). They are very consistent throughout the range.

[Carruth]

Larrivee make wonderful guitars that are very consistant. Go with the Larrivee.