It's hard to believe it's been a year already. After the first month, this guitar really settled in and loosened up a bit. It still has the most headroomof any guitar I currently own and the volume and projection are exceptional. I couldn't have imagined an OM fitting my particular taste more than this guitar. I've always known John was a great builder, but this guitar is great even by his lofty standards. Unbelievable power with a strong fundamental and just enough overtone content to make the guitar bloom, dripping with the sweet, sweet nectar that is the vintage Martin tone. I am totally, utterly, and in all other ways smitten. I haven't played one better.

I have a 000-12 coming up at the end of the year with a Euro top and maple back and sides. It will mimic a similar 000-12 that knocked off my socks, blew me away, and took me to a higher plane of consciousness - a guitar that I played at Schoenberg but lacked a cutaway.

Mr. Slobod, sir, my guitar cup overfloweth.

My circa is the best 15 inch wide at the lower bout OM i have ever played. John Slobod builds amazing sounding guitars with a level of fit and finish that are probably the industry standard. He also seems to have a rarely equalled ability to shape tone to the preferences of his clients and can deliver a guitar that will sound like a replica of the old martins and for anoyher customer a guitar that combines the best traits of contemporary and vintage tonalities.

Thanks for sharing on this. Our builds should be close as I'm expecting one from John this year as well or early next. Plan is to get a Adi/Madi similar to what you described but that Maple/Euro has me thinking! Might be time to put down another deposit!

If I can think of one guitar in recent history that has singularly blown my mind, it's that Euro/maple 000-12. Just fantastic. More about it here.

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=451997

Hey Juston, you're a bad influence! Here I am with world class guitar that arrived just three months ago and now you've got me GASing for a Circa. I really must visit you again!

Col

We all must be bunched together! I'm due to get my name called in the very near future as well. It will be an OM in ziricote and either adi/german spruce. You are all right, though....John has hit a sweet spot with his maple builds. I flirted with that idea as well. I've also been flirting with the idea of a 7/8 dread. The build needs to start so I can be committed!

Congrats on the builds, guys. We're all in for good times ahead. :)


Mark

I'm still enjoying this OM. It is fully broken in at this point, some two years later. It has a little more sweetness than when it was first purchased, with just a touch more overtone content and sustain. The headroom and incredible volume still remain. These recordings are about as representative as I can get. I have a very hard time getting good recordings, as much as I try.

http://jus-tone.com/misc/recordings/...ngie_Circa.mp3

http://jus-tone.com/misc/recordings/...cean_Circa.mp3

http://jus-tone.com/misc/recordings/...ss%20Circa.mp3

I ordered a Euro/maple 000-12c and an OM-18 from John at some point in the last few years. The 000-12c will be coming up soon.

Nice playing!!

Smokin chops, sounds great, GO Slobod...!!!

I gotta give this guitar some props (along with my Brondel OM-42 in another thread). It's been fantastic since I got it in 2016, but it's really bloomed over the last few years. Visiting Schoenberg a couple times a year allow me to play those old Martins to hear the sound that inspired these guitars.

This particular Circa OM deviates a bit from what I've triangulated is the "classic" pre-war OM sound. I had a chance earlier this year to play two 1930 OMs side by side, one of which had something of a cavernous bass and the other of which was more like my Circa. While it has ample bass, it's more mids focused, projecting, and powerful, where the vintage OMs are a bit looser and have more emphasis on the bass.

The Circa is extraordinarily well balanced, has a ton of headroom, and an absolutely beautiful voice. Mids and trebles are super sweet, and bass is just right. It's a cutting, powerful sound and brilliantly executed. I believe John is using a taller X brace to put a little more emphasis on the mid range and give the guitar a power boost. It works very well and without depriving the guitar of exceptional responsiveness and sweetness. It'll be interesting to see how it continues to develop over the years.

Just listened to the soundclips again--that's really a sweet sounding guitar.

Thanks for the update...

Ah, the Juston-rub-it-in thread. Shoulda seen this coming. :)

You well know that AGF rules forbid rub-it-in threads until I play the subject guitar, right?

Seriously, that's a fabulous instrument that I had the privilege of playing. It simply could not have landed in the hands of a less worthy player. Congratulations. :)

Well, I don't think you've played this one, JT, but I agree with you that it's a shame the poor thing is subjected to my playing. But such is that guitar's fate.

Kidding, of course!

I'm just jealous, of the guitar and your playing in those clips. Very nicely done!

Thanks for sharing with us. And, I do need to play this one!

Here are some updated photos of this gorgeous style 30. Howard's purflings are amazing. John's workmanship is, as usual, flawless.


http://jus-tone.com/misc/circa/OM-30..._OM-30-01.jpeg

http://jus-tone.com/misc/circa/OM-30..._OM-30-02.jpeg

http://jus-tone.com/misc/circa/OM-30..._OM-30-03.jpeg

http://jus-tone.com/misc/circa/OM-30..._OM-30-04.jpeg

http://jus-tone.com/misc/circa/OM-30..._OM-30-05.jpeg

http://jus-tone.com/misc/circa/OM-30..._OM-30-06.jpeg

http://jus-tone.com/misc/circa/OM-30..._OM-30-07.jpeg

http://jus-tone.com/misc/circa/OM-30..._OM-30-08.jpeg

http://jus-tone.com/misc/circa/OM-30..._OM-30-09.jpeg

http://jus-tone.com/misc/circa/OM-30..._OM-30-10.jpeg

http://jus-tone.com/misc/circa/OM-30..._OM-30-11.jpeg

http://jus-tone.com/misc/circa/OM-30..._OM-30-12.jpeg

http://jus-tone.com/misc/circa/OM-30..._OM-30-13.jpeg

http://jus-tone.com/misc/circa/OM-30..._OM-30-14.jpeg

http://jus-tone.com/misc/circa/OM-30..._OM-30-15.jpeg

That has to be my favorite (I spelt it specially for you Juston!) purfling and back strip of all time. Such a great guitar.

This thing again?. Ok, every time photos of this come up I'm going to have to say it, I love those purflings and backstrip!!!!.

I agree. I love the colours!

Yeah, a big thank you to Howard Klepper is in order. He made these from scratch. John is currently working on making his own from scratch as well. It's not easy to find colors that don't look like a circus.

Yes, very attractive. Gives me some ideas, it does... :-)

Wow, this thread has over 69,000 views. Crazy.

It's funny how much what I wanted out of John changed in the course of the thread. I went pretty much all-traditional by the time the build was started. Playing various guitars at Schoenberg caused me to completely re-evaluate what I like in guitars. My beloved Brondel A-2c was my first vintage-style instrument.

I've also completely changed how I do commissions. I used to give builders super detailed lists of requirements, thinking they could custom-tune every single aspect of the guitar. I think that (rightfully) makes most of them very nervous. I will give input on aesthetics, dimensions, and wood, but for the most part I give no instructions at all about how the guitar should sound. I want them to do what THEY think sounds best.