OM, Grand Concert, and Grand Auditorium

Hurricane Bob · #1 11-13-2014, 02:55 PM

What's the main differences between all three? Is the OM louder? I know it was originally designed to be the new loud guitar, before Dreadnaughts came out. It all gets kind of confusing. For instance; would the Eastman AC 422 be as loud as the E20 om?

roylor4 · #2 11-13-2014, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hurricane Bob

What's the main differences between all three? Is the OM louder? I know it was originally designed to be the new loud guitar, before Dreadnaughts came out. It all gets kind of confusing. For instance; would the Eastman AC 422 be as loud as the E20 om?

Bob - That depends on the individual guitar but for the most part - no, a GA usually trumps an OM in the volume department. The bigger the box, the greater the potential for volume.

The GC is the smallest but similar to an OM - least loud. The OM is in between the GC and the GA in size and volume.

There are lots of other factors too (tone woods, type & location of bracing, heavy or lightly built, etc.) but these are generalities. So, while the ac422 is probably louder - the e20om has an Adi top and will have very high headroom for it's size and could be close in volume. The tone is quite a bit different with the Eastman GA's and OM's. Big, lush overtones in the GA - the OM is mor "fundamental" sounding - less of a "surround sound", if you will.

My ac522 is a cannon. It can easily compete with most dreads. My OM is quite loud too, but probably 20% less than the GA.

Of course, different manufacturers and builders all have a great deal of differences in tonal qualities & volume too. Hope this helps and doesn't add to the confusion.

grim83 · #3 11-13-2014, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hurricane Bob

What's the main differences between all three? Is the OM louder? I know it was originally designed to be the new loud guitar, before Dreadnaughts came out. It all gets kind of confusing. For instance; would the Eastman AC 422 be as loud as the E20 om?

Depends heavily on the guitar. The grand concert is the smallest and generally quietest of the lot while the grand auditorium is the largest and typically the loudest of the three. The Om (orchestra model) falls somewhere in the middle generally.

Hurricane Bob · #4 11-13-2014, 03:18 PM

Got it, thanks for the info. I am looking for a new guitar but not a dread that can be heard in my acoustic band. The other guitarist in the band plays a Martin HD28.

roylor4 · #5 11-13-2014, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hurricane Bob

Got it, thanks for the info. I am looking for a new guitar but not a dread that can be heard in my acoustic band. The other guitarist in the band plays a Martin HD28.

No sweat Bob.

You may actually want to consider an Eastman GA in Mahogany and Spruce rather than Rosewood.

Since the other guitarist is playing a big sounding guitar with a lot of rich, thick bass. The brightness of Mahogany will help you cut through the mix a little better IMHO.

FWIW, my ac522 is a LOT louder that a Taylor 314 or 414. A 322 0r 522 may just do the job for you.

Good luck.

Hurricane Bob · #6 11-13-2014, 03:41 PM

Really prefer rosewood and not a cutaway. I like the look of the E20 om a lot compared to the AC422, not into the white binding so much. But I will need some volume to compete- being the lead player.

Hurricane Bob · #7 11-13-2014, 06:31 PM

What about 000 size guitars? What category are they in? I know they vary from Martin to Gibson, but Blueridge either makes a Dread or a 000.

Goodallboy · #8 11-13-2014, 06:43 PM

Bob, you can't lump all of these three guitar body designs together and get any consensus about which one is louder.

It's all determined by the builder and the choice of bracing, woods, etc.

I have had two Grand Auditoriums and one is as loud as a Dreadnaught and the other was far from it. They were by different builders.

Always do the comparison yourself and rely on first hand experience.

firefrets · #9 11-13-2014, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hurricane Bob

Really prefer rosewood and not a cutaway. I like the look of the E20 om a lot compared to the AC422, not into the white binding so much. But I will need some volume to compete- being the lead player.

If you are playing with musicians who can't back off a touch for your lead playing I'd check the classifieds for a band, not a guitar.

Ted @ LA Guitar Sales · #10 11-13-2014, 06:58 PM

Roy covered it pretty well but the part about volume is not a given. A larger guitar will have a different tonal curve, perhaps more bass response, but it might not be any louder than a slightly smaller guitar. In addition the differences will vary quite a bit from builder to builder due to size and shape variations. For instance Grand Auditoriums built by Taylor, Larrivee, and Martin have little in common besides the name.

Hurricane Bob · #11 11-13-2014, 07:12 PM

The true test is to play em with your band and see how they fare. Bought a Martin 00016GT a few years ago and it just didn't cut through at practice. Thanks for all the advice guys, gonna go test out some of these this weekend.

mikealpine · #12 11-13-2014, 07:22 PM

Ok, this may be a silly question, but I just want to be clear that you're talking about a band playing strictly acoustically, right? Generalities, unfortunately, is all you can really get, until you play them. That being said, have you tried the Taylor X16 (or GS) size? Not sure what you budget is, but that could be what you're looking for. It is just a tad larger in the lower bout, and I typically find them to have greater projection. Hope it doesn't add confusion, but it is another option.

jdinco · #13 11-13-2014, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hurricane Bob

Really prefer rosewood and not a cutaway. I like the look of the E20 om a lot compared to the AC422, not into the white binding so much. But I will need some volume to compete- being the lead player.

I've never played with them in a band, so take this with a grain of salt, but I owned a E20OM and now own an HD28. I really liked the OM, but no way could it compete with the HD for volume. Just my quarter....

Sybex7254 · #14 11-13-2014, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hurricane Bob

What about 000 size guitars? What category are they in? I know they vary from Martin to Gibson, but Blueridge either makes a Dread or a 000.

OM and 000 are exactly the same sized bodies. Only major difference between the two is scale length (plus a Martin OM will have a Tear Drop pickguard).

sdelsolray · #15 11-13-2014, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hurricane Bob

What's the main differences between all three? Is the OM louder? I know it was originally designed to be the new loud guitar, before Dreadnaughts came out. It all gets kind of confusing. For instance; would the Eastman AC 422 be as loud as the E20 om?

I agree with the other posters that the GA is louder (whatever that means) than an OM. However, an OM can have better projection than a GA. This is basically due to the relative depths of the guitar bodies. So, while a GA may be louder from the player's perspective, an OM may be more fully and accurately heard from an audience perspective.