Baranik OM - Colorado Blue Spruce and Imbuya
 

Mike's guitars are always at the top of my list to try at every guitar show, and he never ceases to impress. I have 2 Baraniks, with another acoustic on the way some time soon and perhaps an electric as well.

I got to spend quite a bit of time with this guitar at SBAIC, as I did with all the Baraniks. The Colorado Blue Spruce top is very familiar to me, as I have two guitars with that top. To me, this wood always has a nice punch to it but is compliant like Euro spruce. It's a fantastic top wood and no wonder that Mike likes to build with it so much. This OM is wonderfully expressive and oozing with tone. It has cool features like a side port (which helps give the guitar more of a 3D sound) and a bevel on the top.

I'm not sure what part of the tonal spectrum to put Imbuya. To me, the guitar isn't far off from my cocobolo Meridian, but that probably has to do mostly with the Blue Spruce top.

Anyway, here are some nice photos of this killer guitar as well as a sound clip recorded by Dorian Michael. It was one of the best guitars at the show, no surprise.

Check out the ridiculously nice silking on that top!

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/zB...=w790-h1578-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/4H...w1144-h1578-no

Another of Mike's incredible rosettes.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/YK...ca6cw=s1578-no

Super awesome wenge fret board. It looks and feels fantastic!

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/A9...w1046-h1578-no

Here's a shot of the bevel and port.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Ed...w1046-h1578-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/zr...w2384-h1578-no

Killer spalted bindings!

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/yG...w2000-h1578-no

Totally gorgeous back wood.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/1B...=w888-h1578-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/lW...=w758-h1578-no

Unmistakeable Baranik coolness on the headstock.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/B1...w1046-h1578-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/25...w1046-h1578-no

Schertler tuners and simple back carving.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/eV...w1046-h1578-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_h...w2032-h1578-no

Finally, here's the video of Dorian taking it for a spin. Skip past the first cocobolo guitar.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByQ...ZaNFBMbmM/view

That whole guitar is beautiful and sounds wonderful. I wish I had more time with it at the show... But I'm always impressed with his aesthetic.

JR

I too enjoyed this and all of Mike's guitars. When I decide to pull the trigger on my next commission, it will be a Baranik!

Baranik OM
 

What a gorgeous guitar. Thanks for sharing Juston. I love the sound and playability of my Baraniks. They are the guitars I reach for most often to play.

You are right, the top on this OM is spectacular looking. I like the woods Mike used on this one. He has a great design sense. The wenge fingerboard looks fantastic too, as does the subtle arm rest bevel. I have a custom build with Mike (on hold for the moment), but I am going to add that subtle arm rest bevel to my build.

I am so bummed I missed SBAIC this year. Mike's guitars were on the very top of my list to see.

Cheers.

Cool for sure! Wenge fretboard?

Straight up as kool as it gets....🎯 I was blown away by all of Mikes guitars...

Really nice. I used to have one of michaels retreux parlors which I foolishly traded in.

Simply gorgeous!. Is that a three piece back?

Nice, Juston! The wenge fretboard adds a lot of (visual) texture. And the blue spruce looks like some of the best...

Congrats!

Phil

Lovely guitar.
Living in Colorado, I'd love to get my hands on a set of Colorado Blue spruce but I cant find any!

Anyone know where to get it???

To quote Mike--"I bought it all." :)

Not mine, Phil. Just one of the sweet Baraniks I played at SBAIC.

hahahha- looks like mike is the one I need to bribe a set out of!

Very nice work on this one!!

Beautiful. My first "nice" guitar was a 2002 taylor 414ce limited in Imbuia/Sitka. I still play it daily. It's hard to describe tonally, but I would describe it as a mix of walnut and rosewood. In fact, I've heard it referred to as "brazilian walnut" in the past.