#46
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I have a Collings OM and a Collings D1AT. I would hate to part with either and luckily I dont have to. I got the OM when I was having shoulder issues and thought I wouldn't miss the dread. But after a while bluegrass flatpicking was not the same without a dread. I love the OM for fingerpicking and fiddle tunes, but the dreadnaught also does those things well (the tone and immediate response of the OM makes it fun to play). A good dreadnaught has a balanced bass and the trebles are resonant. I think a good dreadnaught covers more territory than even a good OM but can be harder to play if you have physical problems. The OM is Brazilian/Adi and the Dread is Hog/Adi. Even at twice the value, if I could only keep one it would be the D1AT since I had my shoulder repaired and can play without pain.
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#47
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That's me, I want to love smaller guitars because of the comfort and variety, but I im always unhappy sacrificing bass, I love a good full bass presence. I probably finger pick 75% of the time, the rest strum. All folky singer songwriter stuff. I can't get enough of dreads, so versatile, can do everything!
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#48
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Personally, I think that there is something quite magical about an OM sized guitar flat picked. It is such an "old time" sound. I bought a cheap second hand Art & Lutherie Legacy recently and it does this earthy tone style of "down from the mountain" flat picked song accompaniment sooo well. An OM or 00 is such a fun size of guitar to flat pick and, for me, much easier to sing across than a dread.
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I'm learning to flatpick and fingerpick guitar to accompany songs. I've played and studied traditional noter/drone mountain dulcimer for many years. And I used to play dobro in a bluegrass band. Last edited by Robin, Wales; 11-21-2020 at 02:01 AM. |
#49
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I've been a dreadnought player all my life, nylon-strings aside. Two years ago I bought my first OM, an Eastman E10OM. Based on my experience, I'd say two things:
1. There's something I get from a dreadnought that I can't get from the OM, and it's not as simple as just "loud and boomy". I would compare it to different kinds of water. A dreadnought is like an ocean or a big, wide river; as a singer, you can float on it, and it will carry you, though if you're not careful it may also drown you. An OM (and again, this is based on just one, so take with as many grains of salt as needed) is more like a little winding river in the countryside you can wade in or go fishing in. It has its own kind of energy, sweeter, quicker and livelier than that deep tidal surge of the dread. 2. They both record well, but differently. The OM has been a revelation for recording strummed parts that play a supporting role in complex mixes. The guitar just fits right in, with almost no EQ needed. With a dread, this is always a more complex task, because the guitar makes so much sound that I always have to trim it and sculpt it a bit. OTOH, if the strummed part is the bedrock of the mix, and everything else will work around it, the dread is sometimes just the ticket. At the other extreme, both can record well for solo parts or sparse mixes, but the OM works better for songs that have a more intimate or delicate feel. I think saying the OM is "better balanced" is kind of begging the question; it depends on how you define a balanced sound. To my ear, the full bottom and shimmery but contained top of a dreadnought is the natural sound of a steel-string guitar. The OM still sounds a bit mid- and treble-heavy to me; a little unbalanced, though in a very euphonic, appealing way. |
#50
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I love the way a good dread sounds...but dreads are uncomfortable for me to play. So, for that reason and that reason alone...I play smaller body guitars. They will never have the volume and punch of a dreadnought...but my comfort in playing them makes up for that. And, because I'm not a performer, and won't ever be...the only one I'm out to impress is me.
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#51
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I was a Dread-Jumbo player always looking for that larger guitar..even entertained a baritone to find that ultimate wall of sound that I like to emerge myself in.... It comes from my days of playing Electric with a SF/BF'd 73 Twin Reverb.
But after finding my current guitar, whatever kept me looking or should I say what was lacking in the big guitars, I found in an OM/Concert Hall Seagull Momentum..Solid Cedar Top/ Cherry Lam back and Sides...1.8in neck. The only desire/gas..is for a Jeff Bridges BreedLove... and a Yamaha L36-56 So now I'm a happy OM convert |
#52
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I used to rule out OMs but no more, a good one is wonderfully balanced. Martin, Eastman and Furch all do great OMs. |
#53
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I have been playing dreads forever (since 1969). A couple of years ago i was worrying about ease of play and I went shopping at CME for an OM. However i was seduced by a used Collings D1. I now am having neck and shoulder pain so i plan to look again for an OM. I will have to wait and do my exercises until I can actually get into a store and play the guitars. That is at least half the fun. Maybe next spring.
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Ron Martin D28 (1988) Guild JF30 Voyage Air MD-02 Collings D1 Bourgeois vintage OM |