Olympia OD-3

Appears to be 2002/2003 Indonesian made, 20 frets if only 17 or 18 comfortably playable, no electronics. I'm no expert on the wood but it looks like it has a rosewood fretboard. Almost no finish but the top is bookmatched much to my surprise. Dreadnought body. Moderately thin neck, very playable to anyone who's used an electric.

I am one of the last living grunge musicians who's in the style and not because it's easy. I also play smooth jazz, a little mainstream and classic rock and a little country. It's brighter than my last guitar, doesn't quite have the perfect low end but the tone and volume are reliable.

Low action is fine with me. I bought the instrument used so I can't really make any calls, but there appear to be no major flaws

I can't say, I haven't had it long, but it seems that this instrument may not be able to withstand going live. That being said, it's not as flimsy as a student guitar. My strap buttons aren't stock, and I've refinished it myself.

No reason to contact customer support.

I've seen what this guitar goes for. It's perhaps the best <$300 guitar out there. If your instrument breaks and you need one ina pinch, don't hesitate to pick one up.

I lucked out at a Guitar Center Memorial Day sale. This thing had a scratch on the top and had been sitting for about a year. I grabbed the discount list they give you, saw there was a $70 acoustic somewhere in the store, and went out to grab it. God, was I surprised...

I'm assuming it was made in '03/'04 in China.. Features are pretty standard for any acoustic of this type/price range. No binding, no inlays, no outrageously expensive woods or anything.. I've always preferred a matte/satin finish on an acoustic, since lacquer really kills dynamics and sustain, in my opinion. Very cool looking bridge keeps it from looking cheap, best tuners in this price range, nice neck profile. But I do agree with the other submissions, give us a second strap button, please?

I play alot of pretty much everything.. I'm a session player and am pretty much expected to be versatile. I actually bought this guitar so I could have something kicking around the house to thrash and strum around on and not have to worry about scratching or denting it. It's very full and can really sparkle with a good set of strings, I personally recommend DR 12's. Fingerstyle playing is a really rewarding experience with this little gem, as it really responds well to picking dynamics and different strumming techniques. Even harmonics come out nicely. I could use a little more low end in some situations, but it's very balanced otherwise and records better than the Martin D-18 it more or less replaced.

It was set up just fine for my liking, as I like my action close. No buzzing, no dead spots, everything was right where it should be. Usually on a guitar in the $200 range, you don't expect much.. Excess glue, poorly finished frets, substandard bracing, etc.. I didn't find any of those present on this guitar. I was really amazed! Just to make sure I wasn't being swayed by the price of the Olympia, I looked at a couple Ibanez', a Fender or two, Yamahas, low end Taylors, etc. All of which cost more than twice as much and didn't sound half as good. Plus, this one was built better and was easier to play. Best $70 I ever spent.

As far as durability, I'm not very concerned. It's fallen off the couch a few times, had the headstock bumped alot, etc.. All without a complaint whatsoever. I know the finish won't last if I keep on playing it as often as I do, but I really don't care. It was cheap, it sounds great, and it'll only sound better with time. I personally like a guitar that looks a little beat up anyway, which is why the gouge on the top didn't bother me a bit when I bought it. And if the bridge or neck decides to seperate or something, I've got other acoustics anyhow. So no biggie. I'll certainly miss it when it falls apart in my hands one day, though..

And to answer the backup question, I never go to any gig without a backup cause you just never know what's gonna happen. But I don't play hard, so if it came down to it, I wouldn't sweat it if this was the only acoustic I was able to bring on a gig.

Never dealt with Tacoma/Olympia.. But now that Fender owns them, good luck! Most of my electric guitars and amplifiers are Fenders, and I've tried to contact them before.. They really don't care. Why should they? They're FENDER!

I've been playing for about 19 years, about 14 of those have been full time professional. I own (or have owned) Martins, Taylors, Ovations, Guilds, Fenders, etc.. The list is huge and I always tend to forget something.. But I will say that this one has a certain charm about it that I really dig. Maybe it's because it didn't cost $4,000! There's a certain sense of freedom you get when you're holding a guitar that cost less than the case it sits in, and just the thought that you could do anything at any given time to it, really brings out interesting emotions. It's priceless, really. I do most of my songwriting on it because I can really unload whatever I'm feeling onto this thing and not worry about harming it. Plus, it's always there, waiting for more. It Stays in tune well, sounds wonderful, and doesn't look anywhere near as cheap as it was!

If it were stolen or lost? Well, Olympia doesn't make this guitar anymore so that's pretty much out of the question. I mean, I sure wouldn't go out looking for a used one... And Like I said, I do have other acoustics (one of which cost almost 100 times what I paid for this one), but this guitar would be pretty much impossible to replace just because of what it brings me. So yeah.. It's special. Plus it was $70!!!! $70!!!!!

Date of manufacturer unknown.Made in China.Twenty frets.Laminated spruce top,mahogany back and sides.Mahogany neck.Satin finish.Full size dreadnaught body.Large,distinctively shaped rosewood bridge and peghead in the unique Tacoma/Olympia styling.No name,smoothly operating tuners.Medium size neck,average size frets.No accessories.

Very well balanced tone,Rich and sweet and amazingly good for the money.
Solid bass and bell like treble tones.Doesn't growl as much as a Martin,but the richness of tone here for less than a $200.00 list price is a bit of a miracle,really.Great for country vocals and bluegrass picking as long as you don't demand as much volume as a Martin D-28 delivers.I am very impressed by the balanced evenness of volume across all six strings.

The guitar store tech set it up for me before I took it home three months ago.Since then the neck has bowed upward very slightly,but is still well within the range of good,comfortable action.Weather here has been brutal these past few months with extreme heat and humidity in my non-air conditioned home and I suspect that may have had a bearing on the minor increase in neck relief.Internal bracing is surprisingly clean for a low priced import.Almost no glue seepage inside.Some final finish or glue build up shows up at heel/bout and fretboard/top join.Simple,basic body binding.Neck not bound at all.

Finish is thin,not at all glossy,but not supposed to be on this axe.The lightly applied matte finish may be one reason why this baby sounds so good.I had to shim the rear strap button with a tiny piece of paper.It was much too loose.There is no front strap button.I probably wouldn't feel secure using *any*guitar in a public performance without a backup.
This is a light weight but I do believe well made axe.

Bought it used.Haven't had to deal with them.

Have played off and on since age 12.I am 64 now.Own two Oscar Schmidt guitars,an OE30 electric and OG6S acoustic and a Pro model Morrell lap steel.Behringer GMX 210 and JMF Spectra 112 amps.I don't know if I'd feel I had to replace any lower priced guitar with an exact duplicate.There are endless possibilities out there for replacement non-collectible type guitars.Love the tone!!!Got a great deal tone-wise for the money.Only complaint is a nit picker that two of the neck position markers on the side(Not fretboard)look wierdly smeared somehow.Killer tone for the bucks!

My OD-3 is a 2003 model---made in China. It is pretty basic
feature wise. Laminated top, satin finished, sealed tuners,
medium neck. Has one strap button at the bottom but not
at the neck. Why many acoustic guitar manufacturers don't
include both strap buttons is beyond me! They are not that
expensive---and I hate having to add them on later!!!!!

The strength of this guitar is its sound! It sounded as
good as some of the lower end Taylors and Martins I tried!
I spent almost 2 hours playing this in the guitar shop
before I bought it. Compared it to everything in its
price range. As one other reviewer said it is a fantastic
value! It did need a professional setup (which cost me
$60.00) when I bought it. Everything was off and it really
needed it. Expect to shell out some bucks to have it play
right! But it sounds Great!!!!

As I said, the guitar from the factory (even though the
literature that came with it says that the Tacoma factory
sets them up before they leave to be sold) needs a professional
setup. There are no flaws in the finish that I can tell.
It is a very light satin finish--but I personally like that!
It seems very well built for a $200.00 guitar. This one
is a keeper---just get it setup properly!

One reviewer said that it is built like a tank and I
agree! The tuners are decent--and I haven't had one
bit of trouble keeping it in tune---especially since
I had it setup. I use it in church--and I have had
people remark how good it sounds!

I haven't needed to contact the company, but I was a bit
disappointed in their web site. There's no place to
register the guitar--a glowing ommission! Olympia needs
to get this fixed if they want to offer good customer
support!

I've been playing for 14 years. I own 2 other guitars--both
of which are electric. I'm primarily an electric player--
but I wanted a half-way decent acoustic to play in
church occasionally--and to write songs at the beach.
I would buy this guitar again for sure! It is a good value
and sounds better than any acoustic in its price range
(and then some!) that I've played. I love the way it sounds
and it plays well. I wish that it had been setup a tad
better to begin with--the action was so high it was almost
un-playable! Plan on spending a few extra bucks to have
it correctly setup--but once you do--you have a great
guitar for the money!

Pretty standard.

The sound is amazing for the price. I wanted a good full sound with nice lows and highs but didn't have the money to step up to a good Martin or Taylor. I strummed this guitar just walking by it, assuming it would be very tinny, and I ended up buying it. Great sound.

Actions a bit low, I do like the finish a lot though.

I dont think ill every have a reliability problem with this guitar as long as it has a humidifier. Hardware is strong, and it is dependable. I wouldn't use it at a gig without a backup unless I had to, but that goes for any guitar.

N/A

Awesome bang for buck on this guitar, I would I highly recommend checking it out to anyone who is looking for a modestly priced guitar with a great sound and feel.

already takes care of see below

i like things simple.

this thing sounds great. the mids are the best part. while struming it has a very warm feel to it, help you get into the music more. I also solo with it alot and it responds to slides and vibrations very well.

very lightly finished :) the back of the neck is finished, but along time it gets worn. this does not bother playability at all.

this thing is a tank, ive droped it over 50 times, and nothing but a few snapped strings. i take this with me everywere, while watching t.v., in front of the comp, etc... i play the hell out of it and im very pleased

na

this is probably the best acoustic for under 300$. its very solid, and sounds great. i wouldnt think twice about telling one of my friends to buy one.

Mine is a 2002 model, and according to the certificate inside the guitar it was made in Indonesia. I won't go over the features since the previous reviews take care of that already. The frets on mine are wonderfully shaped but a bit thin. The tuners are wonderful, this baby will stay in tune (I play in Standard and Eb) for weeks, I love it. The previous reviews did fail to explain the shapely bridge. Most acoustic guitars have rectangular bridges that exert more force on the body. The Tacomas' curvy bridge decreases this unwanted force for an extended life time. But overall for the price you can't complain!

I play a wide variety of music, everything from Bach and Bob Marley to Nirvana and Tenacious D, and this guitar has done me a wonderful job. There is virtually no fret buzz but I have found one position that is basically impossible to get a clear note from. Its from the low e string at the 13th fret, sounds terrible! It's interesting because if you fret the 12th or 14th it sounds perfect. The sound is well rounded and versatile, excellent treble, mids, and bass. I wouldn't think twice about equipping this with Fishman electronics for excellent live sound.

There is virtually no finish but it has this flametop look to it, it's rather interesting. The finish on mine is rather high, high enough where it bothers me. Typical factory setup. Hopefully soon I'll be able to take into a Music & Arts or some store and have them lower it and set it up. Then this guitar would be perfect!

Unless you rig this guitar with electronics that is worth more than the guitar I'd say leave this baby at home and look for something else to take on the stage. The hardware is perfect as far as I can see, I've had no trouble with it. There is no finish so it's prone to get dings and what not. There was only one strap button, as usual on dreadnoughts, but I added a Fender strap button above the neck joint and it's solid as hell. For the price it's very dependable as well, I leave it out all day leaning against a wall or couch (if it breaks I won't die about it, just take that opportunity to upgrade).

Never had to deal with them.

I've been playing for over a year now, in the past I've owned a Fender Squier Strat, a Kramer Focus (for shits and giggles), and currently a Fender Strat Standard. I wanted an acoustic guitar since I consider those more artistic and I love the sound of them, but didn't want to pay an arm and a leg for one (I'll wait till Im older to do that). I love this guitar's professional look, and its sound is definetly up to par with the higher priced guitars. The action gets higher and higher the further you go up on the neck, but nothing a little visit to a guitar tech can't fix. At the time I purchased this guitar I compared it to an Epiphone, that was about $230. The Epiphone's had skinny almost non existant frets, a very thick neck (this Tacoma's is as skinny as a Strat's), and felt akward to play. This Tacoma by far was the best for the money.

Bought this guitar new to keep in the office. China/Korea import for Tacoma. Spruce top, solid. Mahagony sides, I believe some sort of ply. Body is Dread, although thicker back to front than my Martin at home. Standard dread feel, frets. Seems to be well made, and light weight. Nice guitar.

I was looking for an office guitar. Needed to sound good. I began by looking at Seagulls, I've like them. Found a Larrivee dealer, they also were nice. Problem was, they were out of my range price-wise. (Yup, the 'gulls were, too!). This baby was just sitting there, and I was amazed when I tried it. Sounded as good in the store as the Larrivee L-series I was playing. Better than the Normans this store had. Sound is full, rich. Fills the room without being overstrong. Only dislike is that the action is a bit low - buzzing across the neck. But since I play fingerstyle, I can get away with getting rid of it by touch. Nice action overall, though.

It's a cheap guitar, but not cheaply made. Light, but appears durable enough. No flaws. Could have a better finish, though. Seems they skimped on the satin finish. Wood is almost bare. Action is a bit low, too, but playable.

Not a guitar for heavy playing, but for campsite it would be fine. I play it in a computer room, with server noise constantly in the background. It can cut through that with no problem. Like I said before, the finish is thin, it could use a better coat of varnish on the top.

N/A

Overall, for what I want it to do, its a nice guitar. Will I upgrade it in the future. Sure, but I'll probably keep it, too, as a spare.

It is a full-sized satin finished dreadnaught made in CHINA in 2001 (the marketing suggested Korean manufacture.) It features a solid spruce top. Mahogany neck, back, and sides. It has rosewood fingerboard and bridge with a interesting and shapely curve. The tuners are un-marked grover-type non-locking but seam to be of decent quality.The neck has a substantial feel without being overly thick with 20 frets 14 clear. No other features were offered but at the price I was expecting even less.

The sound in a word was Fantastic! This guitar is a Tacoma design hence the "shapely bridge" and features their computer designed bracing scheme and the results are impressive. Nice range of sound both high and low. The bass response could be a bit fuller but overall this is a decent beginner\intermediate guitar and for the price it is one the best I have played in that category.

This is a well made guitar with one fault the edges of the frets were higher than I would have expected from a Tacoma. The Olympia line is made in asia and inspected and setup at the Tacoma WA plant. The fret edges have the feel of being unfinished. I will have to deal with this issue (or not) and shouldn't have to.

The guitar holds tune very well and plays decently. It does not have the heft of some of the other guitars I have played. But it seams sturdy enough. The satin finish does seem delicate compared to the finish to my daughters Hohner. "You could drive nails with that thing and not mark it." Yes I would gig with it but I would want a very sturdy case to and from. It handles use well and abuse poorly.

Haven't needed that yet.

I Have been playing just a short while but have had the opportunity to play many fine instruments including a Martin D-45. Although there is no comarison to the Martin the Olympia OD 3 would hold its own against the likes of the Washburn D10s or Yamaha F-310 and I would judge it superior to the Jasmine S-35. I was looking at an Alvarez RD8 when I first came across the Olympia and decided to same some of my hard earned money and I was not Disapointed! The Price I paid is not typical I just got a lucky bid and have enjoyed the results.