Details
If you've been considering a vintage Martin guitar, but the condition, the quirks, and the price are off-putting, here's an alternative. Although not constructed in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, this OM1 is a very careful reproduction of a particular '39 000-18, and captures the tone and more importantly the feel of those iconic models. This example is 8 years old, but has seen so little use, and such careful handling, that it could almost pass as "New Old Stock" status. Here's how this model came about:
The OM1 JL signature model is the result of a long collaboration between Julian and the late Bill Collings, and has a number of significant differences when compared to a Collings OM1 Traditional Series model. Although it doesn't bear the "T" in the model code, the JL is very much a Traditional Series model, just one with even more differences. Of course you could say that all Collings Traditional Series models are inspired by 1930s Martins, but the OM1 JL is based on a unique guitar, Julian's 1939 000-18. After hundreds and hundreds of hours playing that particular 000, Lage was looking for a contemporary mahogany 000 of that same size but with a neck that felt like "home," and the JL model is the result. The JL neck has the same slightly asymmetric "worn in" feel as Lage's '39 000-18, but with the longer 25.4" string scale.
Other differences are the thin satin-gloss lacquer and the blind-end saddle slot (instead of the through-cut saddle on other Traditional Series models). This type of saddle is easier to adjust and change, and also allows a wider range of pickup options for players who need to plug in. The last touch is the headstock logo, which is the same pearl lettering script that Bill Collings hand-cut for his earliest guitars. We've found that players are delighted when they first try an OM1 Julian Lage model. It's very light in weight, incredibly responsive, and the neck has the feel you rarely find in a new, or in this case "newish", guitar.
Specs
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Back sides
Honduran Mahogany
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Binding
Tortoise with custom wood purflings
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Bracing
Custom Traditional Series scalloped X-brace (no tongue brace)
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Bridge
Ebony
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Fingerboard
Ebony
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Finish
Custom Satin Nitrocellulose Lacquer
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Frets to body
14
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Inlay
Gold MOP Short Dots
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Neck material
Honduran Mahogany
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Neck shape
OM1 JL
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Nut width
1 11/16"
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Rosette
Custom Wood Rosette
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Saddle spacing
2 3/16"
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Scale length
25 1/2"
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Top material
Sitka Spruce
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Total frets
20
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Tuners
Relic nickel Waverly with vintage oval buttons (16:1 ratio)
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Year
2019
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Case bag color
Black
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Case bag interior
Plush
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Case type
Hardshell
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Serial number
29300
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SKU
COLOM1JL-29300
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UPC
142210
