Sale Pending-2009 - James Olson SJ Presentation - Western Red Cedar & Brazilian Rosewood

There are few names in the pantheon of modern luthiery that evoke the reverence and quiet awe reserved for James Olson. For decades, his instruments have stood as living testaments to the marriage of art and engineering, precision and poetry. Olson’s journey from a young craftsman with a vision to one of the most celebrated guitar makers alive is a story told not only in wood and wire, but in song. His guitars have found their way into the hands of many of the world’s most discerning artists, including James Taylor, Phil Keaggy, David Wilcox, and countless others, musicians who have made Olson’s creations their partners in expression, vessels for truth and tenderness. To hold one is to enter into that lineage of tone and trust.

The 2009 James Olson SJ Presentation is the pinnacle of that legacy. With its Master Grade Western Red Cedar top paired with Master Grade Brazilian Rosewood back and sides, this instrument radiates both warmth and authority. The cedar breathes with a responsiveness that feels alive beneath the player’s fingertips, its voice blooming with nuance and resonance. The Brazilian Rosewood adds depth and endless sustain, a cathedral of overtones that seem to rise and hover in the air long after the last note fades. Every strum, every whisper of fingerstyle phrasing reveals a layered beauty that speaks of patience, of refinement, of mastery earned over time.

Its aesthetic details are nothing short of breathtaking. The body is framed by lustrous Curly Koa binding, while an iridescent Abalone top purfling and a Radial Brazilian Rosewood and Abalone rosette shimmer like starlight against the cedar’s amber hue. The Curly Koa and Abalone tail wedge mirrors this artistry with perfect symmetry. The fingerboard, crafted from jet-black ebony, is adorned with an intricate Abalone vine inlay that winds like a living thing across its length, bordered by delicate Abalone purfling. The headstock continues this theme of grandeur, with Abalone purfling, an Abalone logo inlay, and the elegance of both an Ebony front veneer and a Brazilian Rosewood rear veneer, each detailed with its own inlay and purfling. Even the heel cap, carved from Brazilian Rosewood, is a small act of grace.

The craftsmanship extends beneath the beauty. The five piece neck, a composition of Mahogany, Maple, and Brazilian Rosewood, offers strength and stability while maintaining a tactile comfort that makes extended playing a pleasure. The Ebony bridge anchors the voice with clarity and power, while the Fossilized Ivory nut, saddle, and pins contribute a brilliance that complements the lushness of the tonewoods. Gotoh 510 tuning machines with black buttons provide a precise and elegant finishing touch, ensuring that this masterpiece plays as perfectly as it looks. A K&K Pure Mini pickup captures the guitar’s natural voice with fidelity for stage or studio, and the Calton flight case provides protection befitting such a treasure.

The Olson SJ Presentation weighs only four pounds and eight ounces, yet it carries the gravity of a lifetime’s pursuit of perfection. Its 25.4 inch scale length and 1.8130 inch nut width strike the ideal balance between playability and dynamic range, allowing the guitar to respond with equal grace to the gentlest whisper and the most commanding strum.

To encounter this Olson is to hear the culmination of decades of devotion, each joint, each curve, each luminous inlay a chapter in James Olson’s lifelong dialogue with tone and beauty. It is an instrument that transcends craftsmanship and enters the realm of the sacred, a voice shaped by a master whose influence has forever altered the language of the acoustic guitar.

Other specifications include:

• Master Grade Western Red Cedar Top
• Master Grade Brazilian Rosewood Back & Sides
• Curly Koa Body Binding
• Abalone Top Purfling
• Radial Brazilian Rosewood & Abalone Rosette
• Curly Koa & Abalone Tail Wedge
• Abalone Vine Fingerboard Inlay
• Abalone Fingerboard Purfling
• Abalone Headstock Logo Inlay
• Abalone Headstock Purfling
• Ebony Front Headstock Veneer
• Brazilian Rosewood Rear Headstock Veneer with Inlay & Purfling
• Ebony Fingerboard
• Ebony Bridge
• Maple/Black/Maple Back & Side Purfling
• 5 Piece Neck - Mahogany/Maple/Brazilian Rosewood
• Gotoh 510 Tuning Machines with Black Buttons
• Brazilian Rosewood Heel Cap
• Fossilized Ivory Nut, Saddle & Pins
• K&K Pure Mini Pickup
• Calton Flight Case
• 25.4" Scale Length
• 1.8130" Nut Width
• 2.31" Bridge Spacing
• 4 lb 8 oz
• #1287

For more information on this Olson SJ, contact us today.

Product Images

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