Thomsley OM Mahogony

Made in Vancouver, British Columbia in year - approx. 2005. It has mahogany back and sides, flamed maple bound body and fingerboard, solid one piece mahogany neck, gold Gotoh Machine heads 16:1, 1 3/4 " nut width, ebony fingerboard with silver position markers, solid sitka spruce top, abalone rosette, foward shifted X-brace, ebony headplate veneer with mother of pearl Thomsley logo, ebony bridge, Graph-Tech nut and saddle, and it came with a Datt hardshell archtop case.
I rate this guitar high for the features specifically because the level of craftsmanship and detail on this guitar is second to none!

It fits my playing style to a tee - fingerstyle with some strumming. Also sounds great for jazz. It has no pickups, just purely acoustic guitar.
The sound - very smooth, deep, rich. With medium strings has a surprisingly deep sound but very balanced tone. The highs are superb, not twangy, just perfect.
Sounds better to me at least than most high quality guitars i've tried.

Well, I bought this guitar from a family member, I think he may of had it setup. He bought it directly from Heath Thomsley Hales. Again, the craftmanship and quality are superb. Does not feel like something that came out of a factory, has painstaking handmade detail. No flaws visible to the naked eye. The woods chosen are superb, I have never played anything else that has a fretboard this nice. The flamey maple binding adds a stunning contrast. Finish is excellent, glossy, very smooth/solid. High quality gold Gotoh tuners hold the tune nicely. Can't find anything to be critical about.

I would only keep this guitar at home. It is too nice to gig with. As far as the quality goes, i'm sure it will last, very solidly built.
I have been playing it daily for a year, can't see any scratches on the finish. Once again seems like the finish is very solid/durable. It didn't come with strap buttons.

A family member bought it directly from Heath Hales. He indicated that Heath was very helpful/friendly.
Not sure about any warranty and its never needed any repairs. It seems as though Heath has shut down production at least for now, I think he ran a very small home based operation which would explain why he made so few guitars. It's a shame, I would but another in a heartbeat!

I've been playing for a few years now, own a few other acoustic guitars. If it were lost or stolen, yikes, not sure what would compare. Something handmade in an OM size? I would certainly buy another Thomsley if I had the opportunity.
There are no features that I wish it had which it already doesn't. Though I would like to try a different model, maybe something with KOA or Rosewood back and sides.

My guitar was made in Vancouver, Canada by luthier Heath Thomsley Hales. It has mahogany back and sides, flamed maple bound body and fingerboard, solid one piece mahogany neck, gold Gotoh Machine heads 16:1, 1 3/4 " nut width, ebony fingerboard with silver position markers, solid sitka spruce top, abalone rosette, foward shifted X-brace, ebony headplate veneer with mother of pearl Thomsley logo, ebony bridge, Graph-Tech nut and saddle, and it came with a Datt hardshell archtop case.
I rate this guitar high for the features specifically because the level of craftsmanship and detail on this guitar is amazing.

Q. How does it suit your music style (and what is that style)?
A. Like many of us I play a wide variety of music although I seem to be focused more on jazz and some classical lately. This guitar handles the kind of music I play very well. It could likely handle any kind of acoustic music. To be very critical the only type of music that it may not be perfect for may be something requiring a loud twang from your guitar. This guitar isn?t twangy, which in my opinion is a good thing. It is an OM sized guitar and most people tend to describe smaller sized guitars as fingerstyle guitars. The Thomsley OM does fingerstyle well but it also responds very well to aggressive strumming.
Q. What amps and effects are you using it with?
A. This guitar is purely acoustic. I have not put a pickup in it and I doubt that I will.
Q. Rich/Full sound? Bright sound?
A. Sound is purely subjective and it is difficult to describe a guitar using "Rich/Full sound? Bright sound?" unless it is compared to another guitar and both of us can listen to the differences. This is web review so that?s tough to do but I would say that my Thomsley has a very pleasing rich and mellow sound.
Q. What kind of sounds can the guitar make? How much variety?
A. Being an acoustic, and a good one, it doesn?t have a bunch of different sounds but you can vary sound and feel a lot by using different strings. I use medium Elixirs, which make for a quieter sound but a very nice sound indeed. I have heard that an acoustic doesn?t reach its full sonic potential until it has aged for 12 years. It already sounds amazing at one year old so it will certainly be impressive by the time it reaches 12 :-)
Q. Likes and dislikes?
A. I have had my Thomsley for just over a year and I am still amazed by the workmanship on this guitar. People like to say things like ?it is really good? for the price? which may be a good comparison for some guitars but I would compare my Thomsley with ANY OM guitar regardless of price. I have joked in email with Heath, the luthier who made my guitar, about ordering a second Thomsley. The problem is, that I can?t yet been able to think of anything that I would like differently in an acoustic guitar.

Q. How well was the guitar set-up at the factory? (How was the action?)
A. When I received the guitar the action was little high for my style but that?s what the truss rod is for and now it is perfect.
Q. Did the guitar contain any flaws? (Misaligned bracing, poorly filed fretwire, finish flaws, poor quality wood, rusted or oxidized hardware, loose tuning pegs, poorly cut nut, poorly fit saddle, noisy pickup selector, loose controls, etc...)
A. I cannot find any flaws on my guitar. The flamed maple binding and abalone inlay is astounding and I still haven?t seen a guitar that equals it. The fretwork is top notch as is the fingerboard. I haven?t looked inside the guitar to look for flaws but I haven?t had any reason to. The Graph-tech nut and saddle certainly help the sound as well.

Q. Will this guitar withstand live playing?
A. Certainly. It sounds great with a good microphone.
Q. Does the hardware seem like it will last?
A. It seems very high quality so I don?t have any worries.
Q. Is the finish good enough to last, or does it seem thin and easy to wear off with lots of playing?.
A. The finish is exceptional. The finish is called ?satin? and oddly enough, that?s what it feels like. Very slick and shiny with an expensive feel. If it wears off that would just mean I have been playing it a lot but it doesn?t look to be wearing so far.
Q. Are the strap buttons solid?
A. It doesn?t have any strap buttons so, you would have to have them installed but that is easy.

I have swapped about a dozen emails with Heath and he is always pleasant and helpful. The customer care was a major factor in submitting a review in the first place. A thousand reviews have been done for the big faceless companies and I think that it is important that the true artisans like Heath get some exposure.

Q. How long have you been playing? What other gear do you own?
A. I have been playing (more like hacking) for 20 years but have been taking it more seriously for the past 4. I have had more gear stolen than most own in a lifetime. I currently own 8 guitars, 2 basses, and 3 amps as well as some recording gear.
Q. Is there something you wish you had asked before buying this guitar?
A. Nope.
Q. If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else?
A. I would certainly buy from Thomsley again.

2003 Thomsley OM built in Vancouver, Beautiful Bearclaw Sitka top, Mahogony Back and sides and neck (all Solid wood), KOA binding, Glossy Nitrocellulose Laq. natural finish, 1.75 inch graphite nut, graphite saddle, ebony fingerboard, gotoh 310 tuners, archtop hard shell case,
no electonics

Ideal for fingerstyle playing, very good sustain, mellow clear vibrant open well balanced tone - when played harder very punchy energetic tone-ideal for lead acoustic work

The guitar had absolutely no flaws when it arrived.The bearclaw sitka top was exceptional. I lowered the action very slightly because I have a light string attack and I play a softer jazzier folky type of fingerstyle and prefer a lower action. I also replaced the top of the neck fret markers with MOP ones thta were more visible for my eyes.

I wouldn't use this guitar for gigging because I wouldn't chance any damage to it. I wish to keep it showroom condition I have other good guitars that I can use for gigging. I'd use this one for recording work with a mic and keep it in its case when not being used.

The luthier who built this guitar has become a long distance friend. I trust he would repair anything in need of repair - but I can do most of that myself because I've built guitars.

I have been playing for over forty years and have built some steel string acoustics myself. My eyes are not good enough to do the fine work any more. I liked this guitar so much that I ordered a KOA OM with a 1.875 inch nut. The KoA guitar has arrived and a review would be very similar to this one(it cost more) . I have 10 guitars, Larrivees, Taylors, Gibsons, my own creations( hobbiest luthier trained by Sergei deJonge) a G&L Tele and a Tac. My favorite guitar is one of mine and my two Thomsleys come second and third out of the lot.