Maple, isn't that interesting.

I haven an mp3 of another borges. Made by roadrunner on acoustic guitar forum. Uncertain how to post it, but it's a good quality recording and sounds amazing also. If I figure it out I'll post.

I heard a fair bit about the magic of one of his guitars in Miami this year. Supposed to be amazing sounding. A hog OM as I recall, that RickS spoke very highly of. Wish I could hear that one too.



Stuart

Stuart,

I'm still in the honeymoon period with my OM-28, but I will say this. I've made numerous comments here over the past couple of years to the effect of, OMs do lots of things OK but nothing perfectly. This Borges is a dead-perfect fingerstyle guitar in both standard and dropped tunings, and I suspect if one were to give it a chance with a flatpick it would be equally up to the task.

The tone is incredibly deep and rich and it will sustain for as long as you like (without being lush at all, like some of the modern builders). It's the OM equivalent of my 000-42 Blazer, and for most types of playing I prefer it because it's a tad bit more balanced (not as heavy in the mids).

I have a maple Blazer OM due in a couple of years and I'm really looking forward to seeing what Willi and Rudy do with that wood in that body. Should be interesting.

Anyway, if you can get your hands on a Borges I strongly recommend that you do. I have several small-bodied guitars, but this is the instrument that convinced me an OM is worth having.

maple is my favorite tone wood,

The OM is my favorite box, that and the 00 size, ironically I currently have three 00's and am (temporarily) without an OM, though I've had several. I'm looking for one again. I waited three years for my Borges and am a year into waiting on my Collings archtop, next guitar I get will be already made.

You got a great guitar Mike, play hard,

I am off to Santa Fe plaza to play mine.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Robert Forman,

Robert
That 00 Borges sounds fantastic. (nice playing as well). Even with that recording you can tell that it's a little monster.
Tom

Yes you can tell that much about the 00,

I'm not sure Borges is buidling regularly right now or for the past two years. I had heard he was ill, but since he was in miami was hoping he had recovered and was expecting to see more of his guitars about.

But since he seems to work through stores taking his orders, he can't be producing much as the only Borges I see is the one at Music Emporium, priced high.

Anyone know what's up, and anyone played a mahogany.

thanks,

And Mike, I'm glad to hear that your're enjoying it so much. I have a feeling about Borges. They are not the easiest guitars to sell because he has not had many out of late (out of site out of mind), but neither are Blazers in North American. Still two of the best builders out there.

If you know the scoop on Borges let me know.

I don't think cotton has received one in ages. Though I've not been on their site for a while.

I'm due for a Franklin some half a year away or so, but will also pick up a fourth. Was thinking an old martin, but hard to forget buiders like Borges.


Stuart

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Stuart,

Don't know how Julius is doing, but it does seem that a fair number of his guitars go directly to Japan, so that may explain it. Also, with his reputation and waiting list, it's questionable whether he really needs to sell through the shops in any event.

Stuart,

The last time I checked there was a Borges L-00 (I believe it was) at Gryphon and a couple at Blue G. Kim has had two in the past year or so but they were both used guitars. There have been a couple of Barndances at Dream Guitars in the past year as well, and Tom (flatfoottmt) picked up one of them.

I'd not heard that Julius was ill. I'll ask Kim if she knows anything.

Agreed that it's about as hard to get hold of one of his as one of the Blazers. Both of these builders are beginning to get more exposure, though, and people in Europe are crazy over the Blazers.

Still, both of these shops are enough out of the limelight that you buy them to play them, not to bank them. Having finally gotten accustomed to the neck profile on the Blazer, I'm very glad I stuck with it.

As for a mahogany Borges, Elambo has the one that used to be at Cotten. I played it in March and that's the main reason I ended up with the one I have now. Both of them are tremendous.

Cheers

Thanks,

The history behind mine is I wanted a Walker L-00. I asked Cotten Music to order a Walker for me. Kim @ Cotten said it would take years to acquire a Walker, and recommended Julius Borges as a luthier building in a similar style. And that's how I ended up with a Borges L-00. It still took three years, but it is well worth the wait. Amazing instrument!

The Borges L-00 is even more rare than the Borges OM. I got the second or third L-00 he made, and I would guess that there are less than ten in existence.

Mine has a 1.75 nut width, the one @ Gryphon has a narrower nut.

The Borges that haunts me is an all koa 000 that I played @ Healdsburg in 2003.

Don't know about Julius' health, and won't venture to spectulate. He did, recently, do a setup on the L-00, turned it around in a week. Now that I recall, he said he had recorded it while it was in his possession, and that the recording was going to be posted to his website. Last I checked the recording hasn't been posted, and on his website he doesn't even list the L-00 as a model he builds.

I have also been under the impression that a lot of his guitars go to Japan.

Speaking of maple OM guitars, I noticed Acoustic Music Works has a maple/german Collings OM. I have been eyeing that guitar, but can't currently afford it.

anyway, I don't mean to hijack the thread, sorry Mike,

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Robert Forman,

I emailed Julius with a couple of questions after I recieved my Barndance, and he responded very quickly.
Tom

quote:

Originally posted by Stuart:
If you kown the scoop on Borges let me know.

I don't think cotton has received on in ages. Though I've not been on their site for a while.

I only know of two that have ever been at Cotton (although I'm sure there have been others) - Wilkins just bought the latest and I bought one a few months ago. Mine is a Golden Grain Mahogany and supposedly it's the brother of the guitar Julius showed in Miami this spring, which I didn't get the chance to play. I have to say that I think the mythical reputation is deserved.

I hadn't heard about Julius's health - I hope that's not true.

Robert, you played that 000.

I didn't play it, but I've listened to the recording of a borges 000 KOA at Dream Guitar. That recording has haunted me for some time. I saw a Borges 000 KOA at Blue-G about a year or so ago. I get the feeling these could all be the same guitar. I emailed them a few times back then, but was concerned about the shipping.

They had another Borges at Cotton about 18 months ago that sold quite quickly. It was priced just a little lower than the guitar you bought Mike.

I presume the mahogany you bought elambo was recently received by Kim? Before you bought it that is.

It's hard to keep track of the passage of time with reference to guitars in inventory. I've investigated quite a few, but one was a golden grain mahogany at Kims. Just thought it was a year or so ago.

Then there was that burst at Dream Guitar - an OM as I recall. That sounded really nice also. Went down to try it out. The day of, my van broke on the way to dream, and the one day I had set aside from my family to go to Dream Guitar was gone. Such is life. Never would have bought the Walker if I'd bought a guitar then.

There are one or two at Luthier's collection, but Mike does not always take a commission if he originally sold the guitar, and he tends to push some guitars over others, so they have sat there for a long time. I think one recently sold.


Stuart

Stuart, I think the one Eric bought from Kim had been there for a while. I had never heard the name before last year (my ignorance, I'm sure) and had never played one of his instruments until I was visiting her in March. I was there in August as well but I don't know if it was there then or not.

It was my March visit that made me think that perhaps I shouldn't paint all OMs with the same brush. She got the rosewood OM in (used) a month or so after the Golden Grain Mahogany went out the door.

I don't think she has any on order for the shop (as she does for Collings / Cruz / Goodall / whatever). I think the buyers just have the option of going through her to get an instrument built, because Julius isn't taking orders on his own anymore. There are 3-4 shops he works through and hers is one of them.