I am amazed at the limits I place on myself from pre-conceived ideas. You don't play OM's with a pick. Right? Right! You play D's and CJ's and SJ's with a pick! OM/OOO and smaller are stricly for fingerstyle. Right? Right!

Wrong....I've been geeting the know the OM2HA I received from our own mwilkins. I am amazed at the tone coming from the OM2HA with a flatpick (Red Bear Style B Heavy). Of course, it is not a bluegrass cannon, but playing the acoustic rock that I love (Layla unplugged, Needle and The Damage Done...etc) it sounds spectacular.

Thank God for an open mind!

Howard

An OM or OM/D is more than satisfactory, it makes an excellent bluegrass player. I flatpick mine, because "I don't know no better", and I love the sound; so balanced,and plenty loud enough.

I flatpick on my 01ASB every day and it sounds amazing. It obviously wouldn't hold its own in a jam, but solo (or miked) it sounds crystal clear but still warm and very full.

I struggled for some time with the idea that if you flatpick you have to play a Dreadnought. That's what all the big time flatpickers play right? I'm only 5'3" but I bought a nice Santa Cruz D Pre war and tried my best to make it work. It was awkward to say the least. My arms are just not long enough. It felt like I was trying to hug a giant red wood.

I flatpick all of my guitars but the OM1AC can really crank out the sound. I don't know if it could be considered a bluegrass cannon but it's got great volume and tone. I even like it for playing swing chords. It's amazing how much better you can play when you're comfortable with your instrument.

It's a fact! Flatpicking on a suitable OM is highly underrated. And nice on the shoulder too

BTW, the cover story in the current Flatpicking Guitar is on James Nash of the Waybacks. Interesting story about James playing at a workshop in April 2003 at Merlefest, and according to Dan Miller holding his own with Bryan Sutton, David Grier and Brad Davis. James' guitar...a 1990 Santa Cruz OM (given to him by his Dad, and his guitar of choice).

Howard:

I'm the original owner of that OM and, not knowing any better, played bluegrass and fiddle tunes on it with a 2mm tortoise pick -- I don't play fingerstyle at all.

I won't invoke any dreadnaught or banjo-killing hyperbole (a Tele and Twin Reverb are better for that), but you have a great sounding OM there.

I wondered how mediums would sound, but never tried them.

Bill

Steve Kaufmann, anyone? I've seen a whole lotta good players flatpicking OM's. I wouldn't own a guitar, myself, that couldn't be caressed or flogged, as the occasion arose. No Freudian implications may be superimposed over the last observation. tom

Not sure who told you not to flatpick an OM but I do it everyday!! I hybrid pick it as well but I bash it at times with no ill effects. Rock on.

Yep. An OM flatpicks just fine. It was designed as a plectrum guitar in the first place.

Mine has to cope with it all: picks, bare fingers, thumbpicks, bottlenecks, capos, dropped tunings... it doesn't have any choice, the poor thing.

Not sure where I got the idea an OM wasn't for flatpickin'. Probably just convinced myself after watching all the bluegrass players!

Bill, the OM sure does sound great and the maple binding on the body, rosette, and backstrip plus the dalmation pickguard really make the guitar look great.

Howard

Howard

It's a very common notion, Howard. Maybe it's a by-product of the time when the OM was adopted by the big-name fingerpickers like Stefan Grossman and Happy Traum in the early '70s?

I love maple binding on rosewood! I ordered that on my first (and only) custom build. Got pictures?

Peghead,

Here is a picture.

Howard