Official Luthiers Forum!

I am fairly new to the world of luthiers, but I am considering ordering a guitar from a guy that uses OLF plans. He's pretty new the the business, so he doesn't have a lot of examples of past work.

I've searched around and found a few pictures of completed OLF SJs, but I'd love to see more. I'd also love to hear about how the final product turned out. Who designed the plans originally?

(I apologize in advance if this kind of post isn't allowed here. I checked for a sub-forum of completed guitars, but there doesn't seem to be one. If this is inappropriate, please move/delete).

Here`s a soundclip of one that I built according to Michael Payne`s bracing plans,which I don`t feel was over braced.It`s a western red Cedar and myrtle.Real nice low end.
James
http://files.jamesguitars.com/200000026-aa174ab106/Olivewood1.mp3

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

That wasn't half bad for something carved out with a chainsaw James.



Got anymore sound clips??

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Aoibeann

Thanks Lillian.Chainsaws are pretty simple to use.That`s the only clip I have of that guitar.I`ll try to come up with some clips of some other builds.
James

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

I love the OLF SJ! I'm building one for myself, but there is one on my site you can look at...
www.presnallguitars.com
...no sound clips as of yet, but it sounds wonderful and is very versatile...I'd say if you trust the builder's abilities and the price is right, go for it!!

Larry

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http://www.presnallguitars.com

Thanks a ton everyone! Todd and Larry, those guitar are beautiful. And James, that sound clip is fantastic. I love how powerful the guitar sounds.

Attached are pix of the flamed maple SJ I built last winter. Top is western red cedar and the bindings are curly eucalyptus. These are really great guitars and Michael Payne has done a great job with the plans. Personally, I have never been a fan of the dreadnaught shape and much prefer the rounder, Gibson style guitars for a larger volume guitar. This one is pretty comparable in size to J-185.

Ken

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http://www.casperguitar.com

Hello AustinTX,

I am assuming your handle is related to your location. Please let me introduce my self. My name is Michael Payne I am an Oil field engineer and luthier out west of you in the high desert of west Texas. Odessa Texas to be more exact. I am the designer of the OLF-SJ. It is a staple of my lutherie. By far the most popular model I build.

The history of the design came from the marriage of an OM and a J-200. The initial intent was to make a comfortable to sit and play mid-sized guitar with the voice of a larger body guitar. The SJ became a part of my offerings in 2000. It was slightly redesigned in 2004 to accommodate X-braced back bracing. In late 2004 I donated copies of the plans to the OLF as an offering in the now debunk OLF Library of Plans. It was this time that the plan set became known as the OLF-SJ. In 2007 The OLF and my self offered Stewmac the rights to retail my Designs and an OM that I drew drawings for. Those plans are the OLF-SJ, OLF-OM and my latest plan set the OLF-MJ This year I sold all rights to the marketing of these plans directly the OLF and they continue to retail them via Stewart McDonald.

So in brief that is the history of the plans. To this day it is the most popular plan set offered by this forum and is doing quite well through Stewmac when I drew the plan to donate to the Forum I left open a lot of things for the luthier’s discression intentionally. The bracing on the plans is what I felt the best bracing for the guitar not taking individual tonewood sets in to consideration. Many 6 stings and several 12 strings have been built from these plans by many luthiers.

Just let me know if you have any questions

Michael Payne

Michael,

My mind is blown. I grew up in Andrews, about 20 miles down 385 from you. I only moved out about 2 years ago. I did not know that there were any luthiers in that part of the country. Do you have a website?

I just shut down my website a couple months ago after seven years of being on line. I am taking a 2 year sabbatical from commission work due mostly to work load of my day job. But some health issues were involved in that decision as well. I will be back to commission work in the near future if all works out as planed. I am still willing to take the rare and very occasional commission but I am not going to advertise. The last five years I had no time do any prototype work or any work for myself due to my commission load. I came home each day from my day job and worked 4-5 hours in the guitar shop every night and all-day Saturdays’ I needed a brake so I took the website down for now.