Collings OM3 Spanish Cedar G SB German Spruce and Spanish Cedar with Sunburst ID-7869

Collings OM3 G Custom German Spuce and Spanish Cedar with Sunburst

The OM size, nearly 80 years after it was designed, has become the most popular 14-fret model with fingerstyle guitarists who play on steel strings, yet flatpickers also find it appealing. The OM3 model has been a personal favorite for Pete Townsend since he first began using Collings guitars in 2000. The compact shape makes the OM3 extremely comfortable and easy to handle either onstage or sitting on the couch. The relatively shallow body, at just over 4 deep, results in balanced tone and immediate response. This Collings OM3 G features a German Spruce Top combined with custom Spanish Cedar back and sides. German Spruce provides a rich, complex tone and is the perfect topwood for many players who play fingerstyle as well as flatpick. German Spruce is stiffer than Sitka, providing more headroom and power, yet more flexible than Adirondack so that it responds well to a lighter attack.

Spanish Cedar is also know as Cedrela Montana. It is harvested from managed timber forest concession in Peru. There is no clear cutting and it does not come from plantations. It is dense and solid and has all the qualities of traditional Spanish Cedar but, unlike it’s cousin, this cedar species does not ooozz sap from it’s pores. This high elevation species has spectacular color, quality and stability.

We are a big fan of leaving the tongue brace out of these instruments. As people search for the mythical tone of old guitars, this brace comes into scrutiny. Martin added the tongue brace in 1940 and it has become standard every since. The absence of a tongue brace frees the top to allow enhanced vibration and results in a richer, fuller, tone with more low end resonance. It is speculated that Martin added the brace to prevent top cracking, but the years have proven this to have been unnecessary and actually decreases resonation.

Other appointments include a custom nut width of 1 3/4" for those who find the standard 1 13/16" a bit too wide for their playing style.

This guitar is very responsive and will suit the needs of fingerstyle players very well. The German top can also take an impressive amount of flatpicking. Tone is very clear with a vibrant and pleasant high end and just enough lows to balance the tone across the fretboard.

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Specifications:

Shipping Weight: 68 lbs

Serial: 22294

Top Wood: German Spruce

Back Wood: Spanish Cedar

Nut Width: 1 3/4"

Scale: 25 1/2"

Bracing: Pre-war scalloped bracing

Rosette: Select abalone rosette

Neck Wood: Mahogany

Fretboard: Ebony 14"-26" Compound fingerboard radius

Nut Material: Bone

Saddle Material: Bone

Saddle Spacing: 2 3/16" string spacing

Bridge: Ebony

Bridge Pins: Ebony

Tuners: Nickel Waverly tuners with Ivoroid Buttons and 16:1 ratio

Purfling: Black/white wood purfling

Body Binding: Grained Ivoroid

Fretboard Binding: Grained ivoroid binding

Headstock Binding: Grained Ivoroid

Pickguard: Tortoise-style pickguard

Backstrip: 3-Style Mosaic Backstrip

Headstock Shape: Double bound square headstock with volute

Headstock Overlay: Exotic Ebony

Headstock Inlay: Collings Logo

Frets To Body: 14

Neck Profile: Modified V neck profile

Body Depth: 4 1/8"

Lower Bout Width: 15"

Body Length: 19 1/4"

Total Length: 39 1/2"

Case: Hardshell Case Included

Misc. 1: No Tongue Brace

Misc. 2: Medium 18% nickel-silver fretwire

Misc. 3: Fully adjustable truss rod

Misc. 4: 15 degree headstock angle

Misc. 5: Walnut Stain