[qcasting]

Hello to all,

I've been lurking on this thread for some time and have been really humbled by the insights and expertise represented by other folks who have posted. I was truly blessed by being allowed to purchase Drew's #46 which was already in the build process very near the adi/madi in this post. I've had the SJ for about 6 weeks now but have been traveling on business for about half of that time - so only a few weeks of playing.

The Cedar / Madi is absolutely everything I hoped for. It is not yet quite as alive as my ultra light Sexauer build but continues to open up every time I play it. I wasn't sure how I would like the 12" radius neck but it is awesome! I'm nowhere near as proficient as most on this post but I can tell you for me the neck is faster than my Tippen 000 or Ryan MGC.

I've done the string changing thing looking for "that sound" and have settled somewhere between light and slightly light PB John Pearse. I don't care about longevity and the Pearse PB's enhance the "sparkle" already present in Drew's awesome build -- at least to my ear. I've only played an Olson SJ once for a few minutes years ago but it has always been stuck in my mind -- this Heinonen absolutely checks that off my personal "bucket list"-- its one of those few guitars that have drawn me in and make me want to become one with the instrument.

This is my first "new" custom built guitar and Drew was wonderful at every step of the way -- advising on last minute options and even buying a couple of different pick up end pins to see "which one looked better" at his cost.

Just wanted to reinforce all the good things folks are saying about Drew and his SJ's. For me this was a dream come true -- I hope at some point Drew can get access to some CNC equipment to take away some of the time consuming roughing work allowing his production volume to increase and let more folks have the same experience I've had.

Best to all and play on!