Olson Acoustics ... what are your thoughts?

[JoeCharter]

Things are worth what people are ready to pay for. Plain and simple.

[ukejon]

Mau, you are right on the mark here and the fact that there are not merely several but indeed hundreds and hundreds (if not more than a thousand) very content Olson owners proves the point.

[runamuck]

I think it depends on the specific guitars you're comparing:

does this particular Olson sound better than this particular Martin?

I've heard a few Martins that were absolutely gorgeous; I've heard
a few very expensive instruments from high end builders including
Olson, that were hum drum.

[Fsgeek]

Martins are great guitars for the right music... I have played several prewar examples...

Olsons have a very different voice, they are modern sounding, very hifi, smooth, shimmering. lots of sustain.. They also hold their value pretty good... If you like those qualities then they are worth the money...

[Fngrstyl]

Originally Posted by JoeCharter

Things are worth what people are ready to pay for. Plain and simple.

Yup.... Just like Traugott guitars. I have never played one but just listening on Youtube I can't hear how they should cost twice as much ( or more ) than other great builds but if he can sell them for that, more power to him. I do love the looks of Jeffs guitars though and if I was one rich dude I would have one....of course I would have one from just about every Luthier too

[Fsgeek]

Originally Posted by GibbyPrague

Its all in the eye of the beholder ...

or maybe in the ear

[Fsgeek]

Originally Posted by Fngrstyl

Yup.... Just like Traugott guitars. I have never played one but just listening on Youtube I can't hear how they should cost twice as much ( or more ) than other great builds but if he can sell them for that, more power to him. I do love the looks of Jeffs guitars though and if I was one rich dude I would have one....of course I would have one from just about every Luthier too

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YaX_gwSZss

this may change your mind

[ukejon]

Man, Martin Simpson's guitar has great reverb...must be some crazy kind of bracing inside!

[Fngrstyl]

Originally Posted by Fsgeek

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YaX_gwSZss

this may change your mind

Yea, thats a good video. I've watched that one a lot. I'm not saying it sounds bad at all, but I dont think it sounds any better than a lot of guitars for less than half.. I just cant hear how that guitar should cost 4 times as much as this one....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmkPhKdjQ-Q

I'm sure that Traugott is Brazilian too which would obviously cost a lot more, and the fact it is a one man shop.

[Richard Mott]

First, I want to agree whole-heartedly with Hans that discussing how a custom-built instrument differs from a factory-made one is at the very heart of this forum. Besides provoking the usual human frailties (lust, greed, envy, etc.) this kind of question also seems to inspire a lot of cross-purposed responses from well-intended folks on this forum. I see at least three questions bound up here and probably best teased apart.

First is whether top-shelf luthiers like James Olson consistently deliver instruments that perform at a higher or more refined level than typically less expensive factory or small production shops do or can. I think that is somewhat of an objective question, there's really no question that the answer to that is a Yes. Certainly there will be outliers, but the answer is Yes.

By contrast, whether that extra increment is worth the additional cost builders of that echelon can command feels entirely subjective, and depends on one's financial resources, outlook, and aspirations. Some musicians will play a single passage for days to get the sound exactly right to their ears, maybe something no one listening can easily detect, so it is not surprising if they seek the same kind of perfection in their guitars.

Then there is a question of whether James Olson's guitars are the right one for a particular buyer. I've only played a couple, and while they were definitely not my thing, they were astounding instruments--lush, balanced, etc., and he just wrung an incredible amount of sound out of his materials. My sense is (and Olson owners can correct me here) is he focuses on small jumbos and a particular kind of sound, whereas other builders might be more eclectic/experimental.

Finally there is a related question of value/price, etc. Most luthiers on this site know how important a high-profile endorsement from a top guitar player can be and how it can increase their build list and price point. James Taylor's association has surely been a great thing for Olson, and one could say a lot of the full value of his guitars is now "priced in." His build list was closed for quite a few years and his prices took a leap or several. All good. There are other great luthiers without that type of event or public recognition yet priced in.

In sum, Olson produces superlative instruments, not for everyone, but they hit a sweet spot for a certain clientele that leaves their owners in a kind of heaven.
--Richard

[Fsgeek]

Originally Posted by Fngrstyl

Yea, thats a good video. I've watched that one a lot. I'm not saying it sounds bad at all, but I dont think it sounds any better than a lot of guitars for less than half.. I just cant hear how that guitar should cost 4 times as much as this one....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmkPhKdjQ-Q

I'm sure that Traugott is Brazilian too which would obviously cost a lot more, and the fact it is a one man shop.

Doug is one of my favorite players...

I think the cost of the guitar is decided by laws of economics, supply and demand... rather than how they sound...

[wcap]

Originally Posted by Bern

The point is that some people can't make a distinction between good, average and bad tone some guitars have to offer, aside from it being a subjective choice to begin with.

I agree with everything you said here, though when it comes to Olsons the viewpoint often seems to be expressed that if you don't adore them it must be that you just don't have refined enough tastes or a sophisticated enough ear to see the truth - that they are obviously superior to most all other guitars.

Maybe when I get a chance to spend more time with an Olson I'll be a fan too. Thus far though I'm not convinced they are the best option for me.

[jackaroo]

I've played two.

They both were not for me.

I had money to spend and could have afforded them, they just don't do what I like guitars to do, they don't feel like an extension of my musical self. I'm happy someone can make a living bringing instruments into the world, and even happier that those instruments make music and joy.

I've tended to think the best guitars were older ones...prewar martins and Gibsons always just had that sound and feel I felt was the most moving. That said, if I found any guitar at a price I was able to afford that knocked me out, I'd buy it. No question about that. Point in fact I'm interested in a few new builders that I'd never had considered until I heard and played some examples of their work that showed what they could do.

I'm excited to be alive during this time of great builders and nice vintage instruments. It's great.

Cheers,

Jack

[JoeCharter]

Originally Posted by Fsgeek

Doug is one of my favorite players...

Me too.

Originally Posted by Fsgeek

I think the cost of the guitar is decided by laws of economics, supply and demand... rather than how they sound...

There's certainly some correlation between quality and price, but otherwise you are essentially correct.

Originally Posted by wcap

I agree with everything you said here, though when it comes to Olsons the viewpoint often seems to be expressed that if you don't adore them it must be that you just don't have refined enough tastes or a sophisticated enough ear to see the truth - that they are obviously superior to most all other guitars.

I've never read posts that suggest that Olsons are better, leave the rest. If that kind of opinion was ever expressed here, it would've been by a handful of excited fanatics.

Certainly not the kind of opinion expressed by Jim or by any seasoned player.

On the other hand, I think there has been a lot said about Olsons offering better resale value than most -- but that's another discussion altogether.

[MikeD]

What I don't get is how collectively we agree that recordings over the Internet are terrible at best, then people say they listened to so-and-so's guitar on YouTube and didn't think they sounded good.