Firstly, I never write reviews for anything, so that's saying a lot right off the bat. I bought this guitar about 3 years ago for my son thinking he would be interested in learning to play guitar since he always watched me play. He never really gained interest, so it mostly stayed in the gig bag in the closet. I would pull it out from time to time and play around with it for a few minutes, but I never really liked it that much. Compared to my Takamine or Taylor, it sounded flat and buzzy.
Then about 8 or 9 months ago, I got the idea to take advantage of the small scale and try tuning the guitar up from standard: way up. I went to Stringjoy and ordered a custom set of 80/20 Bronze (.009, .0125, .019p, .025w, .034, .044). I used the string tension calculator from D'Addario to find the appropriate sizes to maintain the same tension for the scale size. As soon as I put them on, I tuned them up A to A (like putting a capo on the 5th fret of a standard guitar). Let me tell you, this guitar has found it's voice! It shimmers and chimes like a 12-string, but without the hassle of having to fret twice the strings. The higher voice makes it easier to play and sing songs that might not be in the best key for you in standard, but don't feel right with a capo. But this guitar is not made to beaten. It likes a delicate touch and a gentle strum. It's then that the chorus-like resonance leaps through the sound hole. It's what acoustic cover songs were made for.
Open tunings are a dream with these strings, too. I've been playing FACGCE a lot on my other guitars lately, but shift that all up to A and it's a Midwest Emo dream. It sounds delicate but commanding. It really showcases the tonal range associated with this sized guitar.
I would suggest to anyone considering purchasing this guitar to try some better, thinner gauge strings and tuning it up. It might seem like a hassle to order a custom set of strings, but it is well worth it. The only thing was they forgot to put the optional pickguard in the bag when they shipped it to me, but I was not intending on putting it on anyway. I like the top to be as free as possible. Overall, a great looking, great sounding guitar for a steal of a price. I'm would buy more a couple more Orangewood guitars if I didn't think my wife would lock me out of the house for buying more guitars!
