Omega guitar owners

Rainbow · #1 09-07-2006, 08:38 AM

I know that currently the omega guitars website is down. Are there any Omega guitar (by Kevin Gallagher) owners who can show me the pictures of their guitars? I would love to see them.

Anyone knows the dimensions for the GC and MJ model?

ericcsong · #2 09-07-2006, 08:46 AM

here are a few:

Rainbow · #3 09-07-2006, 09:44 AM

Thanx Eric. I like the creation inlay. But I understand that it was only a limited production by Kevin.

Do you happen to have the dimensions for the GC and MJ?

Anyone else care to share your photos?

ericcsong · #4 09-07-2006, 09:55 AM

GC dimensions:
the lower bout measures 15.125" across,
the waist measures 8.750"
the upper bout measures 11.125" across.
The body's length is 19.625"
the depth is 3.375" at the neck block
and 3.750" at the butt end.

I forget the MJ dimensions. maybe Kevin can chime in here

arrowspace90 · #5 09-07-2006, 09:58 AM

That guy sure is a class act builder. As good as they come.

Why is his website down? He posts here so I would think his health is ok. Does Kevin Gallagher have a waiting list so long that he needs to discourage any more orders for awhile?

No question he is one of the premier luthiers in America or anywhere.

Kevin A · #6 09-07-2006, 12:38 PM

Here's a number of detail shots of a custom lefty Omega Mini-Jumbo (MJ-CL) built about five years ago. Wonderful guitar with a great voice. Ultra-thin neck, terrific action and sustain. Some specs: Adirondack Spruce Top; East Indian Rosewood B/S; Koa binding; Abalone rosette & purfling on body, fretboard & headstock; FWI nut & saddle; Gold Gotoh 510s w/ ebony buttons; MOP 'Omega' logo inlay & custim MOP fretboard inlay; K&K pure western pick-up

Rainbow · #7 09-07-2006, 12:44 PM

Hey Kevin A,

How do you describe the tonal change of the adi top when yoiu first receive it and and now being 5 years later?

How is adi/IR as a fingerstyle guitar?

Brew · #8 09-07-2006, 12:47 PM

And here is one in the works, hope it comes soon!!!

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bhland...2000/my_photos

Folkstrum · #9 09-07-2006, 01:45 PM

Here are some of mine--sorry, but right now, my postings on the http://13thfret.com are the last survivors. Posted them here, but they are long gone AFAIK.

I really DO wish Kevin would get an "Omega Website" up and running. Not just for the curious, but for the serious. I would've liked to linked to pix, reviews, progress pix, etc. Meanwhile, we loyalists will use old pix...well, not THAT old...but seriously Kevin, you might be able to use all the eye candy posted here. It is quite a guitar show!

I think you can read the comments on my MJ on the site, and nothing has changed...except the guitar is more of a cannon now than then. It never fails to get "ooohs" and "aaaahs" for it's fit and finish, ease of playability, versatility and SOUND. Eric is a big fan also, and he has a brand new Ryan to compare too. Personally, I think Kevin's builds belong in the same "pantheon" as Olson, Ryan, Bourgeois, Traugott, Thompson, Wingert, Greven...any of them. Different sounds and flavors for sure, but ALL winners!
http://www.13thfret.com/phpBB2/viewt...ighlight=omega

ericcsong · #10 09-07-2006, 01:52 PM

great pics! keep them coming!

Folkstrum · #11 09-07-2006, 01:55 PM

Eric---sheesh! Thanks. About May of this year I went from my trusty "Clamshell" Graphite iBook to my wife's much newer, and run-circles-around-the-iBook Titanium G-4 PowerBook. In the transition, I lost some data here and there...no biggie. But I couldn't locate my "photobucket" pix, and figured they'd expired anyway. Thanks so much for posting the links--heck, I CAN USE 'EM!!!

(problem is, you need that "http://" prefix to make 'em links!

Kevin A · #12 09-07-2006, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Asked by Rainbow Hey Kevin A,

How do you describe the tonal change of the adi top when you first receive it and and now being 5 years later?

How is adi/IR as a fingerstyle guitar?

Rainbow, I'll attempt to describe the tonal change, but bear with me—I find accurately describing a guitar's tone to someone only slightly more difficult than it would be for me to explain how to actuallly build one.

When I first got the Omega, it was, like a lot of newly-built guitars, fairly 'tight' sounding, somewhat compressed—something I've noticed in a number of brand-spanking new guitars I've tried at places like Healdsburg when a good number of instruments are right off the luthier's bench. I was very much impressed by the Omega's tone from the get-go. Outstanding clarity and note seperation— a wonderful attribute for fingerstyle playing (IMO).
Initially, with a soft attack, I found the overall 'volume' of the guitar somewhat subdued. As I increased the aggressiveness of my playing, I found the guitar responded accordingly = greater volume. Not uncommon for a new guitar with a stiff top.

I have noticed a couple of thing over the past five years:
The tone now is much 'softer,' more 'mellow' (less punchy?) than it was right out of the box. Still a very articulate guitar—clear, precise notes— but with a smoother, richer tone.
More importantly, it requires less effort on my part now to get the desired volume, a result possibly in part of the 'breaking in' process of the adi top.

I'm of the opinion that it's more the builder (and his/her experience) than it is the type of wood to achieve the desired tone one is after. I'm sure I'd be equally satisfied with a sitka top had I gone with in place of the Adi top, but I relied on Kevin G. to recommend the topwood for the type of instrument I required—after all, he WAS building it. And I'm am quite satisfied with the resulting guitar.

JohnM · #13 09-07-2006, 02:55 PM

Kevin does awesome work...I really like that maple guitar too... very sweet.

ericcsong · #14 09-07-2006, 10:13 PM

here are two more pics:

an all koa parlor

and I believe this is Kevin's favorite creation series guitar

Plaid Coyote · #15 09-07-2006, 10:15 PM

Absolutely incredible work Kevin. Such beautiful work. Must be hard to leave the house when you have such beautys at home.