The McNally OM Custom in Redwood and Exotic Ebony is a beautiful expression of natural contrast, thoughtful design, and deeply personal craftsmanship. Its redwood soundboard glows with the warmth of polished copper, while the extraordinary ebony back and sides reveal sweeping ribbons of darkness and light. Framed by restrained appointments and the graceful curves of Ciarán McNally’s OM, these woods give the instrument a presence that rewards both an admiring glance and a much closer look.

Ciarán’s journey began with his first guitar built at the kitchen table at just sixteen. That early fascination led to training at the Lagan Lutherie School in Belfast and a diploma in musical instruments from London Metropolitan University’s College of Furniture. He subsequently served as a senior craftsman at George Lowden Guitars and production manager at Atkin Guitars, gaining experience across the construction of thousands of fine instruments before becoming an independent luthier in 2020. Those complementary backgrounds inform a distinctive musical vision: bringing the richness and harmonic complexity associated with Celtic guitar making together with the clarity and strong fundamental voice of great American acoustics.

That same sense of balance is beautifully expressed in this guitar’s wood selection. The redwood top offers a quietly compelling surface of fine grain and warm cinnamon hues. Across the back, the exotic ebony becomes wonderfully dramatic, with broad, nearly black bands flowing through fields of golden brown and bronze. The mirrored grain suggests an intricate landscape, its contours revealed beneath the high gloss body finish. A slender koa backstrip provides a luminous centerline, echoing the figured koa rosette that surrounds the soundhole.

The appointments follow the wood’s natural palette with exceptional restraint. Ebony bindings define the body’s outline, while an ebony bridge, fingerboard, and headstock veneer establish a visual continuity from end to end. Fine maple pinstripes trace the fingerboard and headstock, adding just enough brightness to emphasize their clean geometry. The mother of pearl Celtic knot headstock logo offers an elegant acknowledgment of the maker’s heritage, and gold Gotoh 510 tuning machines with ebony buttons bring a final touch of warmth and precision.

Ciarán’s OM is designed around versatility, with a slightly deeper body than a traditional interpretation to encourage greater bass presence. Here, a 15 inch lower bout, 11.4 inch upper bout, and 4.3 inch body depth create generous proportions within a comfortably contoured silhouette. The narrow waist makes the instrument particularly inviting when seated, while the design offers room for a broad dynamic range. It is a thoughtful platform for players who move between intricate fingerstyle passages, melodic flatpicking, and expressive chord work.

The mahogany neck wears a smooth satin finish, providing a pleasing tactile complement to the gloss body. A 14 fret neck joint and 25.4 inch scale preserve a familiar playing layout, while the 1 3/4 inch nut and 2 1/4 inch bridge spacing offer comfortable room for articulate fretting and deliberate right hand work. At 4 pounds, 11 ounces, and accompanied by a hard case, this McNally OM Custom brings together extraordinary visual character and carefully considered proportions. Every detail invites a closer connection with the instrument, from the luminous koa surrounding the soundhole to the flowing ebony grain that makes this particular guitar unmistakably its own.