Olson Small Jumbo

Jim made my guitar as a spec guitar. He added Brazilian Rosewod trim around the edges of the guitar, and the soundhole, with double binding on the neck and headstock. He dropped a passive Baggs LB6 under the bridge at my request, and added a strap button. The Calston flight case is one tough beast.

I am a professional musician, and have been playing Martins, Taylors, Gibsons, Larivees, Collings, Breedlove, Santa Cruz. I have two 50s Martins (00-G8 and 00-18), a new D-41S, Taylor 714. I've been playing/recording for three decades, and never in my life, from coast to coast like butter and toast, have I played or heard an instrument like the Olson. I have the Sitka spruce top with Indian Rosewood and some nice inlays. I played it for one of the top collectors in the PNW, and he nearly fainted when he played it. The common reaction seems to be: "What in God's name is this thing?" It's like having a stradivarius violin. Why do stradivarius violins sound so unique, with such accurate and rich voicing?

I play both like Stephen Stills and James Taylor, so I switch between Travis picking and some pretty aggressive chord attacks and lead guitar. The harder you puch it, the more pronounced the tone -- rich and precise across the spectrum. Its sound seems to change if played hard, or just mildly strummed. This is the guitar you get when you die and go to heaven.

Jim Olson did the set up for me. It plays better than my '78 PRS gold top. The woodwork is so equisite, I thought of hanging it on the wall as art. Jim is an artist; I have guitar number 1169, and each guitar is birthed with tender love in Jim's shop in Minnesota.

This guitar is the "mst have" for best touring muscians in the world. Listen to David Wilcox record with it on his "myspace" website. It will change your concept of what a guitar really can sound like. The five-piece neck gives it a feel of having a steel bar for a neck. Like Jonatha Brooke, I would use this as my only guitar on the road....no backup required. Jim has built these to last a thousand years in the right hands.

Jim will repair your guitar free whether you purchased it second hand or from Jim himself as I did. He's very attached to his progeny of guitars, and wants them all to be cared for, and he is the sweetest guy in the world.

I've been playing the clubs like the Main Point in Philly since 1973. You can check out my music on www.myspace.com/karlvalentine and see what you think of my style (I recorded the acoustics with the Martin 00-18, D-41S and Taylor 714. I've had the Olson for a month, and can't wait to get it into the studio, but have played a gig in San Francisco with it and it was amazing. If the guitar was stolen, I would buy another from Jim in a heart beat. Trust Jim, and pay the $12,500 and you will never need nor want another guitar in your life.

1997 Adirondack top, Indian Rosewood back/sides
Standard Olson - everyone gets the same configuration pretty much
65cm (~25.4) scale/1.75 nut width
Schaller tuners with tortoise buttons
5 piece laminated neck, mahogany/maple/rosewood/maple/mahogany (very strong)
abalone with black lines rosette
abalone top trim
#1 fingerboard inlays
ebony with famous 'O' logo headstock
Florentine cutaway
14-fret to body, ebony fingerboard
no pickup, no strap pin. simple end pin.
Of course the rating is dependent on what you like as an individual. Very personal.

Very personal of course, but it has that great melodious olson sound.
Reasonably loud (a good dread should be louder). It has light strings on it, so not as loud as it would be with mediums on it.
Super duper balanced. Extremely balanced. Incredibly balanced. The most balanced guitar I have ever heard. Nothing is too loud, just nice and even across the whole spectrum. The individual sound is somewhat rich. Though this is 97 model, it has obvious not been played. I was told about 1-2 hours total, so it need some playing to open up.
Finger picking is great - what it is designed to do. This is why James Taylor plays this baby. With a pick, WOW! The adirondack top really really sings. I initially wanted a cedar top, cause my guitar heroes (Phil Keaggy and David Wilcox) play them, but started developing an allergic reaction to my current cedar top guitar (lowden and mcilroy). I've come to realize that cedar tends to break up with heavy strumming. You need a light touch to really play a cedar guitar, while spruce, particularly adirondack has a extremely high headroom. You can bang away on adirondack, and it just keeps giving and giving. It'll probably take a few months of playing to really open up the adirondack so that it truly sings with a light touch. I have my nails done to give me better tone (also for classical playing), and even right now, the Olson sounds amazing. I can't wait till it truly opens up.

Incredible set up. Super low. Almost like a electric (except the strings are thicker). The best action I have personally seen on an acoustic (and I have played many of them). Meticulous bookmatched top, and craftsmanship is flawless. No glue anywhere to be seen. Almost Perfect. There was a little something around the endpin that I can't identify, so it might be the finish or could likely wax (luthiers often use wax when screwing something into a guitar like endpin or a strap pin). The "O" had a little imperfection near the top, but not sure if it was like that originally. So not perfect, but as good as CNC produced guitars like Taylor, Martin, Santa Cruz, etc. Inlay work is flawless (except for the O). Cleanest neck inlay work I've seen in a long time.

It's been in storage since 97, and it plays like its brand new. The hardware is all high quality stuff so I'm not particularly worried abou it. The guitar feels really solid, so I think it should last. From what I've heard from others, and from reading, it should last a long time. No guitar lasts forever with a neck reset or something, but as guitars in general go, I believe this is as reliable or as durable as any other top well-built guitar should be.

Just got it, so no repair experience. The warranty is limited lifetime to the original owner I believe. I'm pretty confident that if it just exploded or the bridge fell off or something ridiculous to that effect, Jim Olson would kindly fix it. I've personally spoken to him, and he is a very friendly and helpful. He has his entire build process on his website, and is very open with other builders from what I've seen.

Been playing for 16 years or so. Worship Leader for about 12 of those years. I used to be a keyboardist/pianist, but fell in love with the 6 string instrument. I'm primarily a fingerstylist at home, playing James Tayloresque, Wilcox, some alt tunings, classical, and getting into more solo fingerstyle work. I have also developed an unhealthy obsession for fine guitars. I'm working my way up as you can see from my progression: Lowden Jumbo O10, Morgan GC VC, McIlroy AJ25, Larrivee Parlor 0-10, Langejans R-6, Langejans R-12, Marc Maingard OM (Cocobolo), and Olson SJ. I don't know if I would replace it if it were stolen (frankly, it was hard enough justifying this purchase), but I have it insured, so if it is stolen, I would search high and far to get a comparable Olson. I kind of wish it had a pickup like an i-beam sunrise combo, but I would probably want to change it, so it's probably good that it doesn't have that.

It's strange. The difference between a $1000 to $2000 is pretty vast and huge, and from $2000 to $3000 pretty large as well, but from $4000 to $10000, the differences are subtle and unique. I know for a fact that 4 years ago, this guitar was available for $5000, and what gives me hope that this will continue to rise, is because Olson's new line of James Taylor guitars are $15000 to start, and custom orders will most likely be more, when he is available to build more. Traugotts are $26K and up, Somoygi's are $14K and up, etc. and don't even get started with how much classical guitars can get. I would never recommend buying a guitar for investment sake, but hey, if I ever really need the money, I'm pretty confident that I'll make all my money back and likely more. That's the good thing about buying a premier high-end guitar...

SJ Cutaway. Think its a 99 model. Average wood selection. Not at all anything special for the price! YIKES, it's an investment right?
Head stock is a tad large and funky looking. Action is good, neck is a bit slower that some of my other guitars.
Nothing real fancy here. Ebony is black and the rosewood back and sides are again average. Cedar top is very tight grained with some darker lines acroos the spread. Top has slight runout.

Likes fingerstyle! Can't flatpick it at all breaks up. Sounds somewhat muted when played hard. Too much bass present, slighly out of balance. This guitar doesn't project as well as expected.

Good craftsmanship, on par with my Martin and Tacoma. Finish has a few swirls. One spot appears to be a very very small binding gap, but can't see it unless you know its there.

Its heavily built...very solid I must say. Almost too solid!

Probably won't keep it long enough to find out. Never used a warranty in 30 years anyway.

This is a nice guitar but really not what I expected for the money. It has its own character but nothing that really stands out in the tone department. I've always heard they were one of the greatest acoustics built. I can't agree. I guess you can only do so much to make a great guitar. This one is overpriced for sure.
Hope I can get my money out of it!

1996 Straight out of the box Olson Small Jumbo (SJ). Cedar top with herringbone rosette and Indian rosewood back and sides. Gold Schaller locking tuners and a Baggs Olson installed pickup. Olson trademarked m5 peice neck. Alalone dots on fretboard with 1 7/8" nut. Ordered a tortoise shell pick guard after Jim promised it wouldn't affect the sound. Upgraded tweed case.

Great for finger style and wonderful tone overall. Never understood the Olson mystique but do now. I cannot put it down and cannot say that about my Martins or Goodalls. Very bight balances sound with rich highs and lows. Not boomy like some.

The name Olson should say it for the guitar. It is made with tolerences like a Swiss watch.

Solid as a rock!

Jim Olson always answers his telephone. He is wonderful and will talk your ears off if you let him!

This guitar soundlike no other. Take your Collings, Ryans, Goodalls, Martins, and enjoy them. Jim Olson has only built 800 guitars. The others have huilt many more. I took this to a local Dallaas luthier and his assistant said he had only had the chance to play 2 Olsons; the owner's and MINE! They are very expensive but you have to play one to understand.