Guild Guitar OM-120

The Guild OM-120 is a concert-sized acoustic guitar from Guild’s Westerly Collection, designed for players seeking a versatile, balanced tone with excellent projection in a smaller, comfortable body. Ideal for fingerstyle, folk, and singer-songwriters across Australia, it features an all-solid African mahogany body for warm, articulate sound. Available in a Natural Gloss finish, it combines vintage-inspired craftsmanship with modern playability, making it a standout choice for intimate performances and studio recording.

High-Quality Performance

The OM-120 delivers a rich, balanced tone in a compact package:

• Body: Orchestra (OM) size with a solid African mahogany top, back, and sides for a warm, mid-focused tone with clear highs and subtle lows. The smaller body (compared to a dreadnought) enhances articulation and balance, perfect for fingerpicking and light strumming [,]. The scalloped Sitka spruce bracing optimizes resonance and projection.
• Tone: Offers a warm, delicate sound with excellent note clarity and balance, ideal for solo performance, recording, and smaller venues. The mahogany construction provides a vintage-inspired response with a focused midrange.
• Neck: African mahogany with a vintage-shaped “C” profile and satin finish for smooth, comfortable playability. The rosewood fingerboard features a 16″ radius, 20 frets, and a 1 3/4″ (44.5 mm) bone nut for easy fretting and precise intonation.
• Bridge: Rosewood with a bone saddle for enhanced sustain and tonal clarity.
• Tuners: Guild Vintage 18 open-back tuners with an 18:1 gear ratio for reliable tuning stability.
• Strings: D’Addario EXP16 light-gauge phosphor bronze for balanced tone and ease of play.

Reviews praise its tonal balance and craftsmanship. Premier Guitar notes, “The OM-120 has a warm, articulate voice with excellent balance, feeling less soft than other mahogany guitars” .Users highlight its suitability for fingerstyle, though some suggest a professional setup to lower the action for faster playing.

Durable and Stylish Design

• Finish: Natural gloss polyurethane with a mother-of-pearl rosette and period-correct tortoiseshell pickguard, evoking Guild’s 1960s aesthetic.
• Aesthetics: Features Guild’s iconic Chesterfield headstock emblem, scalloped spruce bracing, and a sleek, understated design that emphasizes the mahogany’s natural grain.
• Build Quality: All-solid African mahogany construction with a dovetail neck joint for efficient vibration transfer and durability. The compact body (3 1/2″ upper bout depth) ensures comfort for smaller players or long sessions.
• Weight: Approximately 3.6–4 lbs (1.7–1.8 kg), lightweight for easy handling.

Backed by a limited lifetime warranty (verify with retailer), the OM-120 is built to last.

Integration with Rode Audio Equipment

Given your interest in Rode products (e.g., RØDECaster Pro II, PodMic), the OM-120 integrates well into a recording setup:

• RØDECaster Pro II or Duo: Use a condenser mic like the Rode NT1-A (positioned 6–12 inches from the soundhole) to capture the OM-120’s warm, articulate tone. The RØDECaster’s Aphex® processing (Aural Exciter, Big Bottom) enhances the guitar’s midrange clarity. Record multitrack to microSD or USB for DAWs like Reaper or Logic Pro.
• Rode PodMic and PSA1+: The PodMic, mounted on a PSA1+ boom arm, can capture the OM-120’s acoustic tone for live or demo recordings, though a condenser mic is preferred for studio-quality results.
• Rode NTH-100 Headphones: Monitor recordings with these headphones, capturing the OM-120’s tonal range (5Hz–35kHz) from delicate fingerstyle to robust strumming.
• Setup Tip: Use Rode Connect software to mix guitar and vocal tracks. Adjust mic gain and EQ to emphasize the OM-120’s midrange warmth.

Comparison to Other Guild Models

Given your query about the Guild M-120 and D-240E:

• Vs. M-120:
  • Tone: Both feature all-solid African mahogany construction, delivering warm, mid-focused tones. The OM-120’s orchestra body is slightly larger, offering greater projection and low-end response, while the M-120’s smaller concert body emphasizes intimacy and articulation.
  • Playability: Both have a 24 3/4″ scale, 16″ radius, and 1 3/4″ nut width, but the OM-120’s slightly larger body may feel more substantial for strumming, while the M-120 is preferred for fingerstyle.
  • Design: Both share a natural gloss finish, rosewood fingerboard, and tortoiseshell pickguard, but the OM-120 lacks the D-240E’s electronics.
  • Price: Both are priced similarly (~AUD 900–1,050), with the M-120 sometimes slightly cheaper due to its smaller size.
• Vs. D-240E:
  • Tone: The OM-120’s all-mahogany body produces a warmer, more intimate tone compared to the D-240E’s Sitka spruce top and mahogany back/sides, which offer brighter highs and more projection
  • Playability: The OM-120’s 24 3/4″ scale is slightly shorter than the D-240E’s 25.4″, making it easier for smaller hands, while the D-240E’s dreadnought body favors strumming.
  • Design: The OM-120 is fully acoustic, while the D-240E includes Fishman AP-1 electronics for amplified performance .

Comparison to Schecter Models

Given your queries about Schecter guitars (Omen-6, Demon-6, C-1 Platinum, C-1 Hellraiser, Blackjack C-1):

• Vs. Omen-6/Demon-6/C-1 Platinum/C-1 Hellraiser/Blackjack C-1:
  • Tone: The OM-120’s all-mahogany acoustic tone is warm and articulate for fingerstyle/folk, while the Schecter models’ solid-body designs and humbuckers (Diamond Plus, EMG, Lundgren) deliver high-output electric tones for rock/metal .
  • Playability: The OM-120’s 24 3/4″ scale and 16″ radius suit acoustic playing, while the Schecters’ 25.5″ scale and flatter radii (14″–16″) favor shredding.
  • Design: The OM-120 is a fully acoustic orchestra guitar, while the Schecters are solid-body electrics with fixed or tremolo bridges.

Comparison to Charvel Models

Given your queries about Charvel guitars (Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1, DK24 HSS, DK24 HH):

• Vs. Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1/DK24 HSS/DK24 HH:
  • Tone: The OM-120’s acoustic mahogany tone is warm and delicate, while the Charvels’ Seymour Duncan pickups (JB/’59, SSL-6/Full Shred, Full Shred/Alnico II) offer high-output electric tones for rock/metal.
  • Playability: The OM-120’s shorter scale and 16″ radius suit acoustic chording, while the Charvels’ 25.5” scale and 12″–16″ compound radius favor speed .
  • Design: The OM-120 is acoustic, while the Charvels are solid-body electrics with Floyd Rose, Gotoh 510, or hardtail bridges.

Comparison to Cort Models

Given your queries about Cort guitars (KX507MS, X300, G250, Earth 60, Earth 70, MR600F, MR710F, Little CJ):

• Vs. KX507MS/X300/G250:
  • Tone: The OM-120’s mahogany acoustic tone is warm and articulate, while the KX507MS (Fishman Fluence), X300 (EMG RetroActive), and G250 (Alnico V) are electric guitars with aggressive or classic rock tones.
  • Playability: The OM-120’s 24 3/4″ scale suits acoustic playing, while the Cort electrics’ 25.5” scale favor shredding.
  • Design: The OM-120 is acoustic, while the Cort models are solid-body electrics.
• Vs. Earth 60/Earth 70/MR600F/MR710F/Little CJ:
  • Tone: The OM-120’s all-mahogany tone is warmer and more intimate than the spruce/mahogany tones of the Earth 60, Earth 70, MR600F, MR710F, and Little CJ, which offer brighter projection.
  • Playability: The OM-120’s 24 3/4″ scale is similar to the Little CJ’s 23.5″ but shorter than the others’ 25.3″–25.5″, making it easier for smaller hands.
  • Design: The OM-120 is fully acoustic, while the MR600F, MR710F, and Little CJ include electronics .

Comparison to Guild Starfire Models

Given your queries about Guild Starfire I DC and Starfire I SC:

• Vs. Starfire I DC/Starfire I SC:
  • Tone: The OM-120’s acoustic mahogany tone is warm and delicate, while the Starfire I DC and SC’s semi-hollow HB-2 Alnico II humbuckers deliver airy, electric tones for jazz/rock.
  • Playability: The OM-120’s 24 3/4″ scale and 16″ radius suit acoustic fingerstyle, while the Starfires’ 24 3/4″ scale and 12″ radius favor electric chording and leads.
  • Design: The OM-120 is a fully acoustic orchestra guitar, while the Starfires are semi-hollow electrics with fixed or vibrato bridges .

Key Performance Features

• Body: Orchestra, Solid African Mahogany Top/Back/Sides, Gloss Polyurethane
• Neck: African Mahogany, Vintage-Shaped “C” Profile, Satin Finish
• Fingerboard: Rosewood, 16″ Radius, 20 Frets, Pearloid Dot Inlays
• Bridge: Rosewood with Bone Saddle
• Tuners: Guild Vintage 18 Open-Back, 18:1 Ratio
• Nut: Bone, 1 3/4″ (44.5 mm)
• Bracing: Scalloped Sitka Spruce
• Rosette: Mother-of-Pearl
• Pickguard: Tortoiseshell
• Strings: D’Addario EXP16 Light-Gauge Phosphor Bronze
• Warranty: Limited Lifetime (verify with retailer)

Notes

• Setup Tip: Adjust truss rod and saddle for lower action; professional setup recommended to optimize intonation and playability. Use light-gauge strings (e.g., 11–52) for easier fretting. Pair with Rode NT1-A and RØDECaster Pro II for studio-quality recordings.
• Care Instructions: Store in the included premium gig bag to protect the gloss finish; clean with a soft cloth and condition the rosewood fingerboard periodically.
• Compatibility: Pairs well with acoustic amps or PA systems for live performance. Use a condenser mic like the Rode NT1-A for recording to capture the OM-120’s warm tone.
• Warranty: Register at guildguitars.com for support; verify with retailers like Mannys or Store DJ.
• Community Feedback: Premier Guitar and Reddit users praise the OM-120’s “warm, articulate tone” for fingerstyle and solo work, comparing it to vintage Guilds but noting the need for a setup to lower action.

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