I posted the following to the rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic
newsgroup on October 26, 2000.
Here are my first impressions of my new Olson SJ (Cedar top).
Executive summary: my new Olson exceeds all my expectations and was definitely worth
the wait!
I find myself a bit intoxicated by this whole experience and hope you will enjoy reading
my semi coherent ramblings. If you're not into "new guitar love stories" you can stop
reading now. :-)
For the record, since we are passing around "baby photos", mine is: a Red Cedar top SJ
with abalone sound hole, snowflake fingerboard inlay, chrome Schaller tuners, clear
pick guard, B-Band pickup w/mike, and Cedar Creek case.
I heard the sliding door clunk at the top of the truck before the UPS man even had a
chance to ring the doorbell. I went running to the front door and opened it, before he
even walked up the walkway. I said hello and thank you and lugged the box into the
house. I carefully brought it into the family room and got an implement to open the box,
along with my new box of goodies from FQMS (capos, dampit, etc.) I was strangely
calm as I opened the box and slid the cloth covered tweed case gently out onto the floor.
I took a quick look in the box to see if there was any paperwork (not there but I soon
found it) and set the box aside. I had waited over 22 months for this day, and read
several other RMMGA stories about new Olson guitars in that time. Mine was finally
here!
I opened the case. Wow! The brown crushed velvet was quite nice. The guitar is quite
snugly cradled in there, a perfect fit. Jim has the cases made to the exact specifications
for his guitars. I left it in the case and turned up our track lights to have a good look.
Shiny, spotless, and immaculate in every detail. I lifted the guitar slightly looking in the
"pick case" under the neck for the receipt, but only found papers on the B-Band.
Heavens, I hope Jim didn't forget to send my receipt! He didn't. I found it a few moments
later after I gingerly lifted the guitar out of the case.
I spent several minutes just looking at it. The fret ends smooth against the neck, the
snowflake inlay, the tuners, the 5 piece neck, the uniform narrow grain lines in the cedar
and the rosewood. Then into the sound hole to check out the electronics (I don't have
any in my other guitar). I noticed Jim's stamp on the back center brace and smelled the
wood. Mmmmmm. Then I finally started playing.
After the first few hours with my new Olson, my first thought is that I whole-heartedly
agree with David Wilcox' statement that "Olson guitars have more songs in them." I've
already started writing something. I was just noodling around, my first time playing the
Olson after taking it out of the shipping box and case. I started off by playing a few
minutes in standard tuning to see what it sounded like, then I tuned it to open C to try out
some of my favorite Wilcox tunes. About 10 minutes later I was playing something I had
never played before. I hope I haven't heard it before either :-). When I realized what was
happening I went to get a mike for my computer and dug around for my recording software
(both unused in quite a while). I recorded the new tune and sent it to my husband to let
him hear how great the guitar sounded. This was particularly appropriate since the Olson
is my 10th anniversary gift.
Later that evening, my husband checked out the guitar. He doesn't know how to play but
he looked it over, strummed the open strings and listened to all the resonance and sustain.
He asked questions about guitar construction and compensated saddles that I could only
give brief answers to (I didn't realize there was going to be a quiz) but he was quite
happy with the guitar. Then he told me he listened to that mp3 file over and over for
about half an hour after he got it. I couldn't believe he was that impressed, but I am
pleased that he is about as delighted with my new guitar as a non player could get. I
know I'm lucky to have such a great guy!
Today I showed the Olson to a colleague, who also happens to be a very good guitar
player. He's known about this since I ordered it, and since he had never played or even
heard an Olson before I don't think he fully realized what was coming. His response was
overwhelming to me, and so much fun to watch. He held it up to the light and inspected
the impeccable workmanship. His first comment was, "these are the prettiest snowflakes I've ever seen." For the first few minutes, after each few things he played he could only sigh "oh
geez." Then he plugged it in to his Carvin amp so I could hear the electronics (B-Band
core w/mike). We didn't have the Y cable so we played it mostly through the undersaddle
pickup (we did play with the cable and get the mike only for a few minutes, but went
back to the pickup later). It was great. He played in several different styles and said
"everything I try sounds good. I can't make anything sound bad with this." Believe me
that was the truth! He also said, "notes just keep popping out that I've never heard
before." After he played it for about an hour(!), he said, "I never thought a guitar could
sound this good." That is an incredible complement coming from him, since he has
played many guitars over the years in addition to the five he owns currently (three
Taylors, a Bourgeois and a Godin).
This experience has definitely sparked a GAS attack in him. Ten minutes after I left his
office he knocked at my office door. He told me he's going to put a B-Band in the
Bourgeois very soon. He knows he has to wait if he decides he wants an Olson, but he
sure is thinking about it. I could see those wheels spinning!
Jim Olson told me (before he installed it) that this was his first B-Band installation. He did
a perfect job. I've recently read several posts here in RMMGA about the balance
problems that some folks are having with their B-Bands. I think the B-Band sounds great
in my Olson, certainly due in no small part to the guitar that's driving it and Jim's careful
work putting it in. He truly has a gift.
I can't believe you read this far! Now I have a question. I also recently got an Intellitouch
tuner, and I'm trying to find the ideal spot on the Olson headstock for it. Some spots pick
up the vibrations better than others. I'm still getting used to the tuner (I've always used a
pitch fork and my ear in the past). Do any of the other RMMGA Olson owners have the
IT? Do you have a favorite spot for it (other than in it's case)?
I hope to have digital pictures up some time next week (I need to borrow a camera that is
currently unavailable). Feel free to stop by and
check out the guitar link next week. You can check it out this week, too, but the pictures
aren't there yet :-)
I'd love to hear how the uncles are enjoying their new Olsons. Pete? Malcolm? And
thanks again to Tom Loredo (did you get my email?), who let me try his Olson SJ about
two years ago on Thanksgiving (say, I know a song that has that line... :-))
Amy
You may safely ignore anything below this line.