Stephen Strahm OOc - Italian Spruce & Brazilian Rosewood #202

The Stephen Strahm OOc in Italian Spruce and Brazilian Rosewood is one of those rare guitars that immediately reminds you why the finest handmade acoustics occupy a world of their own. Stephen Strahm is a luthier of extraordinary sensitivity, precision, and musical intuition, with an ability to voice wood that places his instruments among some of the finest acoustic guitars Eddie’s Guitars has ever had the privilege to represent. His work carries the refinement of a master builder, but also the warmth of an artist who understands that a great guitar must feel alive in the player’s hands. Every detail feels considered, every note feels released rather than forced, and the result is an instrument with a voice that is open, responsive, dimensional, and deeply inspiring.

This OOc begins with an Italian Spruce top sourced from Rivolta and air dried for more than twenty years. There is a graceful strength to great Italian Spruce, with clarity, elasticity, and headroom that make it ideal for a guitar of this caliber. Stephen pairs that with Italian Spruce bracing that has been air dried for more than twenty five years and was sourced from violin top stock, giving the internal architecture of the guitar the same elevated pedigree as its visible tonewoods. The result is a top that feels quick, articulate, and effortlessly musical, with the kind of nuanced dynamic response that rewards a light touch while still holding together beautifully under a stronger attack.

The back and sides are built from figured flitch cut Brazilian Rosewood from the personal collection of Jeff Traugott, one of the most respected modern guitar makers in the world and a builder renowned for finding and using some of the finest tonewoods ever seen in contemporary lutherie. Jeff’s eye for wood has become part of his legacy, and this Brazilian Rosewood carries that unmistakable sense of rarity, beauty, and tonal promise. Through his friendship with Stephen, Jeff has entrusted Stephen with wood from his own stash, allowing this guitar to exist as a remarkable meeting point between two exceptional builders and their shared reverence for the finest materials available.

The Brazilian Rosewood is carried through the details as well, with a matching headstock veneer and a flitch cut Brazilian Rosewood rosette that give the guitar a cohesive, almost jewel like elegance. West African Ebony bindings frame the body with quiet sophistication, accented by Maple purfling that gives the outline a clean and refined visual lift. The West African Ebony fingerboard and bridge add depth, smoothness, and a traditional sense of permanence, while the Honduran Mahogany neck provides the stability and familiar feel that serious players expect from a world class steel string guitar.

Inside the guitar, Stephen incorporates a Traugott style floating back brace, a refined structural choice that speaks to the level of thought behind this build. It allows the back to contribute to the voice of the instrument in a beautifully musical way, adding air, bloom, and complexity without sacrificing focus. This is the kind of detail that may not announce itself visually, but it is absolutely felt in the way the guitar breathes, projects, and surrounds each note with harmonic color.

The appointments are tasteful and exacting throughout. Gold mother of pearl side dots offer a subtle touch of luxury, while Gotoh 510 antique gold tuning machines with Black Granite buttons provide precise, confident tuning and a visual complement to the warmth of the woods. An unbleached bone nut and one eighth inch compensated saddle help translate every nuance of the player’s touch with clarity and balance, while Jescar medium eighteen percent nickel silver frets give the instrument a familiar, comfortable, and highly playable feel.

Finished in thin nitrocellulose lacquer, this OOc has the kind of lightly built presence that lets the wood speak freely. The twenty four point eight seven five inch scale length gives the guitar a slightly relaxed, intimate feel under the hand, while the one and three quarter inch nut width and two and one quarter inch bridge spacing make it especially inviting for fingerstyle players and expressive flatpickers alike. At only three pounds and fifteen ounces, it is wonderfully light, lively, and resonant, with the kind of immediate response that makes each note feel connected to the player.

This guitar also shares an exceptionally special relationship with our currently in stock Strahm EROSc. The Brazilian Rosewood, Italian Spruce tops, Italian Spruce braces, and Honduran Mahogany necks used for both instruments come from the same flitches and matching wood sources, making these two guitars as close to twins as possible across Stephen’s two body styles. For the player or collector who understands the significance of that, this OOc is not only a remarkable individual instrument, but also one half of a truly rare pairing.

Complete with a custom Calton flight case, this Stephen Strahm OOc represents the highest level of modern acoustic guitar making. It is elegant, powerful, responsive, rare, and profoundly musical. Built from extraordinary materials, voiced by a builder with exceptional hands and ears, and connected to the legacy of Jeff Traugott’s legendary wood collection, this is an instrument that stands apart in every meaningful way.

Other specifications include:

• Italian Spruce Top (Rivolta Air-Dried for 20+ Years)
• Figured Flitch Cut Brazilian Rosewood Back & Sides - From the Collection of Jeff Traugott
• Italian Spruce Braces (Air-Dried for 25+ Years - Sourced from Violin Top)
• Traugott Style Floating Back Brace
• Brazilian Rosewood Headstock Veneer
• Flitch Cut Brazilian Rosewood Rosette
• West African Ebony Bindings with Maple Purfling
• West African Ebony Fingerboard & Bridge
• Honduran Mahogany Neck
• Gold MOP Fingerboard Side Dots
• Gotoh 510 Antique Gold Tuning Machines with Black Granite Buttons
• Unbleached Bone Nut & 1/8" Compensated Saddle
• Jescar Medium 18% Nickel Silver Frets
• Thin Nitrocellulose Finish
• Calton Custom Flight Case
• 24.875" Scale Length
• 1 3/4" Nut Width
• 2 1/4" Bridge Spacing
• 3 lb 15 oz
• #202

For more information about the Stephen Strahm OOc, please contact us.

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