For my 50th birthday last Sunday my wife bought me this stunning guitar.
It’s a 2010 O’Donnell Custom Single Cut made right here in Melbourne.
It has a fully chambered Brazilian Mahogany body, Tasmanian Blackwood cap (nitro finish) and neck (natural - super smooth), Ebony fretboard and head plate.
The Lollar ImperiaIs are splittable via a push/pull volume knob & sound great either way.
The neck is 25”, I’m used to Fenders - Gibsons are just a bit too squeezy for my big hands but this is perfect and the natural Blackwood neck feels great.
The guitar is resonant, weighs 3.4kg/7.5lb and sounds beautiful. The workmanship on this instrument is top notch and the guitar is in virtually new condition as the previous owner custom ordered it and then only played it at home and for a handful of gigs.
I took the guitar to Craig O'Donnell for a set up & to recut the nut, it was cut for 10-46 & I use 11-54.
He told me he only made 3 guitars like this - all commissioned for individual players.
The blackwood used for the top he sourceded from an arborist in north western Tasmania who had spent years researching & identifying the growth conditions for figured and flamed timber.
The wood is probably over 200 years old and then Craig let it sit to dry for another 10 before using it.
These 3 guitars are the only ones he has ever made with a blackwood necks and the only one with a natural finish!
If I could have designed a guitar with my ideal specs wouldn't have come up with something as good as this.
