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OM 12 string with sitka spruce top,
rosewood back and sidesAloha Jim--
My 12-string arrived this afternoon in top shape. Like the
first guitar, this one really sparkles both in beauty and in sound.
I was a bit nervous when tuning it up initially but once tuned,
it plays beautifully. The decision to go with the shorter "000"
scale and jumbo fret wire certainly paid off -- the feel is much
more relaxed that the 12's I've played before.
Both the rosewood and sitka top are visually beautiful; so is
your workmanship (perhaps a major understatement). I appreciate
the added compensation work on the saddle; the action/intonation
is perfect. Mahalo
Nui for TWO great guitars!
OM with Port Orford cedar top, special
Oahu curly koa back and sidesJim,
Just to let you know, my 6-string arrived today -- well packed
and beautiful to boot.
First of all, I'd like to thank you for acquiring the special
curly Koa wood I had requested. You've certainly managed to capture
the full depth and luster of the wood grain/curl in this once-in-a-lifetime
set. Your superb workmanship and attention to detail is not only
reflected in the gem-like beauty of the finished guitar, but also
in its beautiful acoustic sound. I really like the pairing of
the Port Orford Cedar top with the Koa body in this particular
OM design -- good volume and balance, shimmering sustain and clear/bright
node harmonics.
To sum it up, this is all of the fingerstyle guitar I had hoped
for. I sincerely appreciate all of the time and effort that went
into making this guitar the fine instrument that it is. Gotta
get back to my new guitar...
Aloha/craig
Jumbo with sitka spruce top, honduran
rosewood back and sides, 13 fret neckHi Jim-
I just wanted to tell you how much I am enjoying this guitar.
It is incredibly responsive, perfect for my primary style of playing.
The balance is outstanding, and the trebles ring like bells. It's
just so musical, it sounds like another voice singing with me.
The neck fits my hand like another skin, its very hard to put
it down.
I've always used medium guage strings but I put some light (12s)
strings on it to see how it would respond. Slightly less volume
but improved tone and feel. The slight drop in volume actually
gives me better control, and the reduced string tension is more
comfortable. The look, feel, and tone of this guitar is absolutely
ideal for me, I love it. I've only played it solo so far but I'll
be playing with another guitar player on Thursday night, he plays
a nylon string so it should be an interesting mix.
Anyway, thank you for making such a great instrument, I wish you
much success, Kris.
00 with koa top, back and sides,
abalone and brazilian rosewood trimJim,
So far the guitar is great. Great tone. The action is good; I'll
need a litle more time with this. Do you have a tool for the truss
rod? Also, Can you get me an ivory truss rod cover from vintage
ventures. They will need to know the size and position of the
hole. It should be premium dark ivory.
Do you make a guitar similar in size and shape to the Taylor Grand
Concert? I am thinking of a guitar similar to the one you just
made, but in the grand concert style with a rounded cutaway. I
would want all the extras I ordered for the guitar you just built.
This time with a brazilian rosewood fretboard, bridge, and headstock
overlay. Mike
Classical
steel 12 string with englemann spruce top, mahogany back and sidesI managed to put the guitar down long enough to send out the
message that it has indeed arrived, and in perfect health! The
opportunity to get the string spaceing i wanted was one of the
main reasons for ordering a
custom guitar, and it took only a few songs to feel completely
at home with it.
The balance of tone and the volume are very impressive, love the jumbo frets at all positions, can't think of a down side! It is also a joy simply to look at just sitting on the stand. The smell of the inside, with the cedar top brings Christmas to mind.
I'll send more later, Jim, now it's back to playing! Thanks Jim. -John
OM with englemann spruce top, rosewood
back and sidesHi Jim,
"I've had my new Worland OM 12-fretter for a little over a week now, and I've got to say it's quite a wonderful guitar.
"I've never played a Ryan, Olsen, Hoffman, Turner, Baranik, Kinnaird, et. al. But I can say that this guitar is comfortably in the company of my favorite guitars, including a Brook Torridge, Lowden O-32 and Martin SP00-16RST. In guitars of this quality, I believe there's no "best", just differences among equals. And, one week in, my Worland is among equals in the company of the best guitars I know. Thanks, Jim.
P.S. Oh yeah--delivered just a bit ahead of schedule and at a price that has to be among the best values in guitardom."
Read a full review
OM with cedar top, koa back and
sidesJim-
The guitar is just beautiful and sounds great.
Body and neck (I was worried that I didn't give enough input here)
fit me like a glove.
There's a lot of discovering to do, but, first off, I really appreciate
the level of your work-finish, construction, and all the little
refinements I'm noticing: scarf-jointed neck, binding & purfling,
bridge design, end graft...I know you've gone the extra mile.
THE SOUND
I tuned it to DADGAD, my favorite tuning. The notes just rang
out. I know what you meant by responsive.
It's louder than my other guitar (which I thought was loud), and
the notes are even, clear, and yet complex with overtones. Just
what I was hoping for. Oh, and it makes me play better, too!
Thanks again,
Jim D
Jumbo with adirondack spruce top,
rosewood back and sidesHow's it going Jim-
I just wanted to tell you what a great guitar this is.. It plays
wonderful. Very balanced, great sustain, lush tone. Not only is
it a fantastic fingerstyle guitar but an excellent flat pick and
strumming guitar as well. I have played some high end guitars
that exhibit only some of these characteristics!
I played with a thumb pick for quite some time but stopped using
it a while ago because when I used the pick while playing my previous
acoustic, the tonal qualities of the instrument dissipated drastically-
very disappointing. This Jumbo however, retains all of its tonal
qualities with or without a pick!
This is a stunning guitar in all respects. Thanks for going the
extra mile for me. I really appreciate it!
By the way, I looked at you website recently and I noticed that
you raised the base price of your instruments. I always thought
that $1200.00 for a hand made guitar was too cheap.
Cory
OM with englemann spruce top, mahogany
back and sides
Parlor with englemann spruce top,
mahogany back and sides, red purfling
Jim: Just a quick note to let you know that the guitar
you made for me is really settling in nicely and the tone is exactly
what I hoped it would be. It's a joy to play but sometimes I just
like to sit and look at it...it is so beautiful. My wife gets
a little jealous when she sees me gazing longinly at it! Thanks
for the great job.
Jumbo with adirondack spruce top,
cocobolo back and sidesThe tonal characteristics of the Worland cocobolo/adirondack jumbo cutaway are worthy of admiration. The bass is round and full and the highs have a sparkle to them. The tonal balance is very good, with an emphasis on the extremities, and without honky mids to allow for clarity. This guitar has a surprising response when touched lightly, but does not overdrive when pushed.
Fingerpicking notes on this guitar is a beautiful thing. Arpeggios jump out of the box (moreso than normally for rosewood) with distinction and just the right amound of blending. Single note lines have a defined quality to them, with music in each note. Flatpicking is easily feasible on this guitar as well, though hard strumming tended to produce a slight warp (imbalance) in the tonal spectrum.
Read a full review
Jumbo with port orford cedar top,
myrtle back and sides, brazilian rosewood trimJim Worland makes a mighty fine guitar.
I’m extremely pleased with the guitar that Jim made for me and he deserves my highest recommendation. He is a real professional and his craftmanship is impeccable.
Read a full review
OM with englemann spruce top, mahogany
back and sides
OM with cedar top, walnut back and
sides
OM with englemann spruce top, rosewood
back and sides
Parlor with englemann spruce top,
rosewood back and sides
Classic
steel string with curly maple body and neckMr Worland,
I've just received my order and thank you very much.
I am more than satisfied and happy with the guitar and you surely
did a great job. Not just does it look beautiful but sounds wonderful.
The small body is so comfortable to play for finger picking.
This is one of my best purchase I have ever done. Thank you once again. Keep up the good work!
Yasumasa Y. Kyoto Japan
OM model with Adirondack top, rosewood
back and sides, 12 fret neckJim:
Forgive me for not writing sooner. I have been busy playing guitar!! I owe you a great deal of thanks for your time, dedication, and skill. I am truly pleased with my guitar. In fact, my custom Martin's place as #1 is in serious jeopardy!! I look forward to playing for folks on it, although I don't have any performances lined up yet.
I'm glad if my review generated some interest. I look forward to the day when Worlands are mentioned in the same breath with Olsons, Ryans, etc., and I can say I got the first OM!! Seriously, I hope you have success as a luthier, and that you are soon able to command the big bucks. I will certainly refer folks to you. Who knows? Maybe my wife will let me get another guitar one day!!
Thanks again for your work. It has really been a pleasure. -Shannon
Read an on-line review of this guitar from the Acoustic Guitar Forum.
Classic steel 12 string, curly koa
back and sides with Engleman spruce topThe guitar:
I am very pleased.
I am very impressed with your craftsmanship. The assembly, gluing,
and finish work is impeccable.
The woods are gorgeous. The koa is beautiful. I like the koa on
the headstock. I don't know if that is standard procedure or not,
but it sure is a nice touch.
The guitar has a very pleasing tone to my ears. I am most particular
about the treble sound, and this guitar has a sweet treble. The
treble is also very responsive. I am very pleased with that. None
of my other 12
strings are sensitive to a light touch, or worth a dang for hammers
and pull-offs (they do them, but it is work, and the hammers don't
ring). This guitar is as sensitive to string work as my classical.
Pretty impressive,
and fun to play. The sustain is also wonderful.
I am impressed and pleased. Heck of a nice job, Jim! -Paul
OM Model, Engleman spruce top with
mahogany back and sides, 14 fret neckJust would like to add a note to the Worland Guitar review.
I ordered a couple of OMs in August and they
just arrived, 14-fret joins in mahogany, one cedar and one spruce.
These are both beautiful instruments in
all respects. Understated simplicity, superior craftsmanship,
and gorgeous tone seem to about sum up a
Worland guitar, in my judgment. The price is incredible for a
handmade acoustic, basically two for the
price of one Collins or Santa Cruz or Lowden. If you're looking
for a truly handmade instrument and can
wait a few months, I would definitely check out Worlands. I am
completely satisfied with these
instruments, and if I weren't, I know that Jim would make it right.
Custom harp guitar with cedar top,
curly walnut back and sidesDear Jim.......... My harpguitar is artistry and craftmanship at it's finest. Thankyou for your thoughtfulness and no compromise in every detail that went into the making of this magnificent instrument. You have crafted quite an inheritance for my loved ones. I am forever grateful..........Echo Greywolf
OM Model with cutaway, cedar top,
rosewood back and sidesHi Jim,
Well what can I say. I still have goosebumps on me. I am not even sure how to tell you how wonderful this guitar is. Everyone who has seen it is still in amazement. It is too beautiful for words. I just sit and look at it.
It arrived thursday afternoon and I played it until the wee hours last night. My playing partner could not put it down. We both own taylors and martins, and this guitar easily stands up to their sound, but the craftmanship of the Worland far exceeds any guitar I have held.
I just played a Santa Cruz OM a few weeks ago and it has nothing on your OM. I think the rosewood cedar combination is fabuluos. It is everything I had hoped for. Thanks so much for all your hard and caring work, it really shows. I will be showing the guys at the local music shop this baby! I am in the final phases of recording and there is a song or two that will be on my release with the Worland.
I have conversations on the web with Will Ackerman, founder of Windham Hill Records and I will mention this guitar to him. He is a Froggy Bottom guy but you never know. I will be changing my email address soon and I will let you know of it in case you want to contact me at some point. Thanks again for everything, I will send you a CD when I finish it(maybe X-mas). You and your family take care and may peace always be with you. Neil
Parlor guitar, vintage stylingHi Jim,
Just a note to let you know the guitar arrived yesterday without
a scratch.
The guitar is just great! It looks like it's a relic from the
twenties in mint condition. The shape and size, the inlays, the
cedar top, and the binding and purfling combine to give it a really
old look. It's
just what I had in mind. I love it!
The cedar looks like it's a hundred years old just like you said,
and the purfling turned out nice. I especially like it on the
sides and back. Your diamond and squares inlay on the fretboard
looks great too.
And, the choice of wood is excellent. It all looks great and has
that look of a really old guitar.
The sound is good right out of the box. The treble sounds pretty
sweet, and the bass is kinda thumpy like I wanted. I think after
a few months of settling in, it will sound very nice, and just
get better and better with time and playing.
Anyway, thanks again for taking on this project and doing such
a wonderful job!
Steve
Worland Guitars are featured in "Custom
Guitars-A Complete Guite to Custom Handcrafted Guitars"
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