I purchased this exact model to play around with about a year or so ago. The build was nice for the money, but there was constant buzzing. The guys were from Orangewood were very responsive. They worked with me on adjusting the truss rod, etc. Unfortunately the buzzing just never went away. They had me send the guitar back and gave me a full refund. The customer service was legitimately excellent.
Actually the issue you had was high frets or a high fret board towards the body. Both are very common with Chinese made acoustic guitars as quality control is skipped to reduce manufacturing time and over all cost of the guitar. What the company SHOULD of done is checked the guitar before they sent it out to you.. But again, most Chinese companies will not do that. They also could of fixed the issue by sending you another guitar for free.
I have the Hugo Baritone from Orangewood. I noticed that the strings weren’t the standard gauge. They immediately rushed me out a custom set that’s supposed to come with it.
It's good that Chris and Cooper are reviewing Orangewood and being Honest about it. This will only serve to help Orangewood improve on their product and will help them provide the Best guitars available to their customers. In the end, competition breeds better products and best practices. Thank you Orangewood for your continued willingness to have these guys review your product. And Thank you, Chris and Cooper for reviewing these guitars honestly and without bias and even giving tips on improvements.
I gave this exact model a try a year or so ago. When it arrived the action was off the charts high. I worked the truss rod for all it was worth and it didn't resolve the problem. The sound was very thin and tinty. I wanted to like it, especially at this price point, but I boxed it up and sent it back. All that said, their customer service department was excellent.
IMO, you can't get a better intro guitar for anywhere near this price. I got my daughter a Brooklyn and was astonished at how well it plays. Essential for a beginner. Actually ounds good too. Wish these were around when I was starting out.
From Leo: I felt the same way about the slight weakness in the lower notes and thought it was just because it was a small body guitar. I was used to Dreadnought guitars. (not to mention guitars that cost 4 times or more the price) Over the next 6 months it appears to have mellowed and became more pleasing in tone. I have heard that top maker guitars age and season their wood to avoid that. Maybe cheap guitar makers don't and it takes a while for the wood to mellow. I am now pretty happy with the little guitar.
(NOTE: the Oliver Mahogany is now $225.) I've purchased five (5) Orangewood guitars over the last 3 years -- two Oliver Mahogany, one Echo Live12-string, one Brooklyn, and one Duke Live. I've had to send guitars back three times due to buzzing frets and poor intonation set ups. While the guitar issues I encountered were frustrating, the Orangewood customer service people I worked with regarding the returns were courteous, responsive professionals. My first purchase from Orangewood was an Oliver Mahogany 3 years ago. At the time, it was offered on "Special" for $169. When it arrived, I was blown away by the quality fit and finish workmanship, the perfect intonation and the large sound it produced. When the build quality is there, the Oliver models I purchased have been outstanding performers. Strangely, even though the exterior build quality of the three more expensive "higher" quality models I purchased more recently seemed great, they never performed at the same level of overall sound quality that I get from my Oliver Mahogany (two models were ultimately returned for a refund). From some of the comments below, it appears that others have experienced similar disappointments. It's hard to know why some Orangewood guitars arrive in great shape and play wonderfully -- while others are rejects that have to be returned. Fortunately, Orangewood has a great return policy so that if you aren't satisfied with the guitar you receive, you can request a replacement until you are satisfied (within reason). Despite some frustrations I've had with Orangewood products, there is value in what they offer at the price point they advertise. I count myself very lucky to have found a mahogany guitar of the quality I now have for $169! Just know that you may have to expend additional time and effort to end up with the guitar you are happy with.
I purchased this exact models last year. Paid $190. The gig bag is a little big but we’ll padded. The set up wasn’t great. I adjusted it and was able to get it really low without issues. Fit and finish was amazingly good. I wanted to see what a sub $200 guitar with bag would do. I mean, with a bag?I wasn’t going to lose much and it gave me something to play with. The guitar was great for traveling,campgrounds, sitting on the coach. I did not have warranty issues, I changed out the tuners. I have nothing bad to say about this guitar but did sell it after a while, just because I like to try different things. For a beginner this is great. Have it set up and you are set. Thanks.A very good and honest video.
I just got one of these for free, it sounded really nice despite having really old and dark oxidized strings, the first itself was basically mint, I was surprised to find it had a bone nut and saddle already installed, but it still has plastic pins lol, there is small amounts of tree sap coming out from one of the bracings which tells me the wood on this guitar wasn't cured properly, I hope it doesn't lead to issues in the future but I'm not worried since I'm no money into it, but that's obviously not the case for everyone else, the Playability is very great and it reminds me of my Martin 000-15m, my Oliver has the same finish issues as the one in this demo including the neck heel misalignment, I would compare this to the Fender cc-60s Mahogany, they're basically the same guitar with just different aesthetics. The Martin blows both the fender and orangewood out of the water though, no contest.
I got the Orangewood Sage TS which is their high end range and was pretty disappointed in the sound at first. But oh man it has opened up so much since then and sounds phenomenal now! It's also really well built and comfortable to play. I'd love to see you guys review some of their higher end models after running a tonerite on it for a bit
Thanks for an HONEST review. Your review of this guitar is spot on. I have seen quite a few guitar channels on UA-cam singing the praises of Orangewood. They mostly talk about how amazing the guitars are for the money but do not address the sound of the guitar. You, however, nailed it. I have purchased three Orangewood guitars. Reasons being that I have family members that I thought might like to play guitar and this was a cheap way to get them into music without playing my expensive guitars. Also, I felt these guitars may appreciate like the old Japanese Squier Stratocasters from the 80's. I bought the Dana Spruce, Oliver Jr Mahogany, and the Manhattan. All were listed for $125 when I bought them but I bought a couple of them on sale so they were even cheaper. I do not like the sound of the Dana or the Oliver Jr. The build quality is fine. The Oliver Jr looks amazing in my opinion. However, I do not like the sound of these small guitars (keep in mind I have a Taylor GS Mini KOA-E and it has a way better sound). So these two smaller guitars just sit around. However, I play the Manhattan almost every day. I just like the way it sounds and it plays very well. It's not a Martin D-28 sound. It's much brighter but it has a good sound. I cannot believe that I was able to buy this guitar for only $125 (now they are $135). It blows my first learner guitar away which I spent just shy of $200 on 30 years ago. If it sounds like like I am criticizing Orangewood, I am not. I am just being honest. In fact, I am an Orangewood fan. I think they make a good guitar for the money. Would I buy the smaller guitars for myself. No because the sound of a guitar is very important to me. However, I would buy them for someone just learning guitar. The investment is so miniscule. If your kid puts the guitar down forever or if the guitar gets destroyed, you have not lost much. Plus they are good travel guitars that you don't have to worry about. I appreciate this honest review by Alamo. I will look to them in the future for reviews of other guitars.
I have one of their Morgan Mahoganies and I love it. I like the Mahogany because it does give you a lot of warmth in the mid range. Plus for $300 with the pickup if it gets dinged or knocked over around the fire it isn't a big deal.
Sonokeling is from indonesia, it's identical with rosewood. AFAIK it is rosewood. We also have mahoni (it's mahogany in english) also and eboni (ebony).
I hate turning into that guy, as I already left a comment on another (Jeremy) guitar guru's youtube who reviewed Orangewood. I bought the Sage Mahogany Live guitar and I was very excited as I saw several reviews that raved about Orangewood guitars. It came to me in very quick time and initially I was super pleased. It looked great and had a nice tone--although this is a very QUIET guitar, it does not project and gets lost easily. No biggie, it has a GREAT LR Baggs pu. But... after 2-3 months the neck went weeble wobble. It was unplayable. Like a winding country road. There were frets that were simply dead for all 6 strings, especially around 11-13. Sadly, I realized that this thing needs a lot of help. My tech wanted to redo all the frets and just essentially take the thing apart and try to make it playable. I didn't have money for that so he shimmed it as much as possible tried to adjust the 2-piece truss rod (ugh!) and in the end I spent $100 to get my new guitar reset-up and STILL it buzzes out on several frets. Yes, Orangewood says they have a great money back guarantee, but make sure you read the fine print!!! Like, save your box! And do not put that pickguard that send with the guitar on the guitar or you have nullified the money-back guarantee. Everyone I dealt with at Orangewood was incredibly nice and I got my guitar in under a week, shipped across USA, it looks gorgeous and it was just under $1000 for an all solid mahogany guitar... yet, I don't play it because of the buzzing. Buyer beware.
I've had 2 of these Oliver M guitars. (first one got burned in a fire) and neither of them had the quality issues you are experiencing with the finish. Also, the low end really opens up once it has a chance to climatize. The first one i has i got with the electronics in it, and i did have some issues with the wires causing a strange buzzing out of the sound hole. The second one i bought without electronics for that reason, and it has been perfect
I have owned one of these for quite some time. The Oliver has been a great guitar. Mine sounds much better than the one you have there. I also took the time to set it up and put on better strings. It is nice, and is better if the time is put into it.
Kuddos to you guys for your honest review. I bought 2 Oliver Jr.s and have been very impressed with their quality at that price point. Are they perfect no - but at the price I don’t expect perfect. I also own a US made strat that has the worst fret ends at 10x the price of the Orangewood. I use the Orangewood when I travel for work and outside by the pool - very fun to play (GS Mini fun) and if it takes a tumble - it was only $200. If my GS mini takes a tumble - I cry. Again thank you gents for these reviews - big fan.
3 weeks after I bought my Orangewood (same price range $260) the pick guard fell off. I wrote the company wondering what sort of glue they used. They said they were sorry I had the problem and they would send me a pick guard. I already have a pick guard. I just need it to stay on the guitar. Ya know? It make wonder what they used to glue on the bracing and the bridge. It still sounds great. I guess I have my new "beach guitar".
I have an Oliver spruce, which I bought as an "outside" guitar. It's fine for that. Like another user here, I do have some buzzing which I more or less ignore. Although this is good value for money, I don't think I'd buy another one. If I wanted to upgrade, I'd spend more money and go with something else, maybe a GS Mini.
@@robf7213i got the f310. Amazing sound but really horrible playability😂 Also the saddle is glued. Like they purposedly made it bad, so they can sell the higher ends. I mean theres no reason for that kind of action. Theyve been making this model for decades and decades now
The Orangewood torrified top guitars are great for the price. I've gotten 4, 3 were great for the grandchildren but one was not setup at all. They also provide a $25 starter kit with tuner, strap, cleaning cloth, chord chart and picks.
Sounds ok for a cheap guitar. As I’d expect for a guitar at this price point, the sound is a bit thin. I’ve read that Orangewood “over-builds” their guitars (thicker soundboard, heavy finishing. The sound (to me) sounds like an over-built guitar. It does look nice.
I had one as a "starter" guitar and was pretty impressed. They did have to send a replacement right away due to severe fret buzz. After that it was a great guitar to learn on. Of course my new Taylor GTe Urban Ash is much better :)
Orangewood inspects and sets up all their guitars in the USA. Perhaps they are doing some fretwork as well. Change out those PB strings for some 80/20 and it won't be as thuddy/muddy. I thought the same when I got mine and putting some different strings on it made a huge difference.
I just got the exact guitar and the action was spot on and the sound good...my only dig would be the neck I thought was a bit chunky and the ernie ball earthwood 80/20 bronze strings came off fast ...martin retros on and now to me for 200 bucks it sounds the way it should....I want a streetmaster but keep putting all my money in my gas tank!
If you're looking for a solidly made guitar for 225 bucks Orangewood can't be beat. The guitars are extremely well built and set up to my liking. If your patient there is usually a 20% off sale every few months. My problem is that I own three of them and they all sound pretty much same. Good but not very good. My dreadnaught Echo does't sound any bigger than the Oliver. I think I would have been better off just buying one $500 Big Baby Taylor which to me sounds quite a bit better than any of the solid top Orangewood's.
Finish “issues” = Martin Streetmaster, lol. Also laminated = low maintenance… Am currently dealing a fancy instrument w fancy nitrocellulose lacquer finish. Makes me love my “lesser” finished (polyurethane, way less harsh on the environment) instruments even more deeply.
Hi I've been playing for about 4 months now still a newbie would anyone recommend this for a beginner I really like the mahogany finish on these guitars 🤔
I bought a Oliver jr to have something inexpensive to take on camping trips. The nut was the correct width as advertised however, the neck was 2mm narrower than the nut. Playing above the 4th fret it was very difficult to keep the e strings from slipping off the frets. How anyone who “ set up “ this guitar could have missed that is beyond me. I had no problem returning this guitar. On that same trip I bought a used Taylor gs mini, a far far superior instrument.
I have an Orangewood Rey mohogany that has been a decent player, so I thought I needed a guitar with a pickup and ordered a Morgan mahogany... big mistake! It was clunky, dead sounding, even compared to the cheaper, all-laminate Rey!!! Their return policy is great, so back it went. I finally decided I needed to just bite the bullet and bought a new 000-15m Martin... worth every penny!
I bought a gig bag and it was $40 recently. Everything has gone up. Free freight is another benefit, that freight charge is now through the roof, get a quote from the UPS store and you will be shocked. So putting everything in perspective, I like the reviews these guys do but almost any complaint levied by them and those commenting here indicates that the person should be upping their budget by a lot. For a kick around guitar how can you beat a price like this? I'm tempted to buy one of their models to see for myself, especially with that money back guarantee.
Recién quería comprar este modelo, pero ya veo que tiene algunos detalles importantes como el ruido en las cuerdas ,esperaré a otro modelo mejor ,saludos desde México 😃💪
I almost bought one of these a few months back. Looked at entry level guitars & bought a used mid range guitar for the price of an entry level guitar. The problem with Orangewood is you can't hold it before you buy it. After holding a couple entry level Fenders I knew I wouldn't be happy with entry level garbage. Entry level tip buy a good used guitar.
Buongiorno, questo messaggio è per Chris, in merito alla sua recensione sulla Orangewood Oliver: il tuo consiglio di scegliere questa chitarra vale in particolar modo per i principianti, o comunque per chi compra la prima chitarra e non vuole spendere molto e quindi non deve essere troppo pignolo. Giustissimo, riferito al rapporto qualità prezzo. Non è però il mio caso, perché non è la mia prima chitarra (possiedo una Yamaha fg420). E quindi ti sarei molto grato se mi potessi consigliare una chitarra con una qualità migliore di questa (tu stesso nel video di UA-cam suggerisci che con una spesa poco superiore si può avere di meglio), stesse dimensioni e legni, escludendo la taylor Gs mini, che ha un prezzo molto superiore. Tieni anche presente che la marca deve poter essere importata in Italia (cosa che tra l’altro non fa Orangewood) e deve essere mancina). Ti ringrazio anticipatamente , in attesa di un tuo cortese cenno di riscontro.
As mentioned elsewhere, if you are just starting out and only have around $200 to spend, or want an inexpensive knock around guitar, save up a few more dollars and get yourself a Yamaha. If you have a couple hundred dollars more to spend and want a solid wood guitar, check out an Eastman. Way better choices and value than these Orangewood guitars. Every review video I have seen and now having played 2 Orangewood guitars in person (one being a more expensive torrefied top) my opinion is they sound very overbuilt with various other issues. I think people are falling for the new shiny toy or the marketing gimmick. Just curious for the people who already stated in the comments that they bought an Orangewood or even multiples the question I have is why? If you are watching a video like this, you obvious know there are other probably better options.
hello can you tell me... is this guitar better than the fender cd60s all mahaginy guitar. i'm not an experienced guitar player but when i compare it to my last fender cd60s which was not made of mahogany... the guitar sounds different. is a fender mahogany a good guitar 
Wow, you didn't let Cooper play it??? I'm dubious now. Why *not* allow Cooper to play it before this video review? Hmmm... I've had an Oliver Jr (same solid-top mahogany, layered sides, rosewood fretboard, original font) for 11 months with the original bag with orange font on it that fits the Oliver Jr. *perfectly*. Beautiful guitar. I feel so lucky this is my first guitar. BTW, your playing sounded beautiful to my ear (on my cheap laptop, no less). Now, that could be you just play beautifully, or perhaps my cheap laptop doesn't pick up the poor low-end sound. ...and Texas *frequently* feels WORSE than Southeast Asia (May-Oct).
I have owned the Oliver M for about 6 months. I travel for work and it's good in the sense that I can take it on the road with me and if it gets beat up or stolen it wouldn't be the end of the world. Also, it's not super loud so it doesn't get me thrown out of the hotel. In my experience, you get exactly what you pay for with this guitar. If I had it to do over, I would buy a Fender or Yamaha from my local shop. I bought it because I was looking for a 1-3/4 nut OM style mahogany guitar and this one checked the boxes. On paper it should be great. It is playable though and one day soon I will replace it with something that I actually like and feel inspired to play and I will donate this one to someone who wants to get started. When it arrived the inside label was torn and the top had a ding. The tuners stink. The tone is, well, not inspiring. Overall, Meh...... Just my two cents.
I used to love watching videos on this channel because this music store NEVER liked inexpensive imported guitars from China. They actually did video showing their disdain on acoustic guitars being sold from Amazon. It looks like the guys at Alamo have sold themselves out by making a demo of this Chinese made acoustic guitar.. Probably got a really good deal from them for re-sale in their music store. Great going guys!
Your all-or-nothing thinking is extreme and extremely telling. It's like you don't know where South East Asia is...and how it's *not* China. Please obtain a university education, and someone with as little ability to think critically as you demonstrate needs a *very rigorous* university curriculum to teach you how to do proper reading, research, and investigation. No one can teach you to be intellectually curious, but hopefully, someone can teach you geography AND how to ask questions and then read other people's research and *comprehend* it.
@@kdrake777 I have thought about driving to Omaha to see if I could visit the "factory ".I may call and try to schedule a time, just to see what happens.
@@kdrake777 thank you, I try to be creative and actually, they are in Lincoln, Nebraska. I am in Kansas City...as John Prine said, if they knew what I was thinking they would throw me out of Lincoln...
Let me fix this review for you. It's a good guitar. Period. You can drop the "for the price" stuff. If it's good, it's good. We all know what the price is.
For 200 bucks that is a great sounding guitar to my ears. I will say Taylor still has the best sound to me. I love that thing that their guitars have. I can't describe what it is but I hear it.
I have the live version of the Oliver. It is a HEAVY guitar, surprisingly so for its size, probably way over built, and the tuners are really awful. Why they put those on it is beyond me, the buttons are nice but the feel is simply awful, sticky, you cannot get it in the right place without ten tries. It hasn't improved over time either. Sound compared to a regular Yamaha dreadnought sounds weak and low volume with the Retro Martin Monel's I put on it to replace the Ernie Balls that everybody seems to hate but it sounds TOTALLY and completely different though an amp where it sounds REALLY good. I thought mahogany would be more mellow.
I’ve never seen you point out ALL of the inadequacies of a guitar. Of course I’ve never seen you do an “honest” review on a guitar that you are not selling. It really draws in to question your honesty, doesn’t it?
iam thinking a big reason for this pricing is directed towards increasing the respect within the guitar community for this brand. Iam really turned off by these start up American designed. Chinese built acoustics that attach their prices according to what Martin etc is doing. For this Orangewood has my attention.
The faint praise from the bald headed guy got annoying VERY fast. The long haired guy didn't even play it, what's that all about? He probably would have knocked it out the park. Alamo doesn't sell them so they are NEVER going to push an Orangwood. Solid top mahogany guitar for under $200 is unreal, they sound different from "regular" guitars and EVERYBODY should have one, I do. Price today Oct 2023 is $225 with 10% off, wait for sales too around Christmas and such.
I purchased this exact model to play around with about a year or so ago. The build was nice for the money, but there was constant buzzing. The guys were from Orangewood were very responsive. They worked with me on adjusting the truss rod, etc. Unfortunately the buzzing just never went away. They had me send the guitar back and gave me a full refund. The customer service was legitimately excellent.
I had same problem. Guitar sounded great but buzzing was terrible. I sold it and bought a Taylor.
You could not have gotten that kind of customer service out of Gibson, even on a high end model.
Actually the issue you had was high frets or a high fret board towards the body. Both are very common with Chinese made acoustic guitars as quality control is skipped to reduce manufacturing time and over all cost of the guitar. What the company SHOULD of done is checked the guitar before they sent it out to you.. But again, most Chinese companies will not do that. They also could of fixed the issue by sending you another guitar for free.
I have the same model , and the same problem. Called them about it. They sent me a shim to go under the saddle. That did the trick. !
I have the Hugo Baritone from Orangewood. I noticed that the strings weren’t the standard gauge. They immediately rushed me out a custom set that’s supposed to come with it.
It's good that Chris and Cooper are reviewing Orangewood and being Honest about it.
This will only serve to help Orangewood improve on their product and will help them provide the Best guitars available to their customers.
In the end, competition breeds better products and best practices.
Thank you Orangewood for your continued willingness to have these guys review your product.
And Thank you, Chris and Cooper for reviewing these guitars honestly and without bias and even giving tips on improvements.
Cooper casually uttering under his breath "My cousin just went Sonokeling in Costa Rica." Flawless.
I gave this exact model a try a year or so ago. When it arrived the action was off the charts high. I worked the truss rod for all it was worth and it didn't resolve the problem. The sound was very thin and tinty. I wanted to like it, especially at this price point, but I boxed it up and sent it back. All that said, their customer service department was excellent.
IMO, you can't get a better intro guitar for anywhere near this price. I got my daughter a Brooklyn and was astonished at how well it plays. Essential for a beginner. Actually ounds good too. Wish these were around when I was starting out.
From Leo: I felt the same way about the slight weakness in the lower notes and thought it was just because it was a small body guitar. I was used to Dreadnought guitars. (not to mention guitars that cost 4 times or more the price) Over the next 6 months it appears to have mellowed and became more pleasing in tone. I have heard that top maker guitars age and season their wood to avoid that. Maybe cheap guitar makers don't and it takes a while for the wood to mellow. I am now pretty happy with the little guitar.
(NOTE: the Oliver Mahogany is now $225.) I've purchased five (5) Orangewood guitars over the last 3 years -- two Oliver Mahogany, one Echo Live12-string, one Brooklyn, and one Duke Live. I've had to send guitars back three times due to buzzing frets and poor intonation set ups. While the guitar issues I encountered were frustrating, the Orangewood customer service people I worked with regarding the returns were courteous, responsive professionals. My first purchase from Orangewood was an Oliver Mahogany 3 years ago. At the time, it was offered on "Special" for $169. When it arrived, I was blown away by the quality fit and finish workmanship, the perfect intonation and the large sound it produced. When the build quality is there, the Oliver models I purchased have been outstanding performers. Strangely, even though the exterior build quality of the three more expensive "higher" quality models I purchased more recently seemed great, they never performed at the same level of overall sound quality that I get from my Oliver Mahogany (two models were ultimately returned for a refund). From some of the comments below, it appears that others have experienced similar disappointments. It's hard to know why some Orangewood guitars arrive in great shape and play wonderfully -- while others are rejects that have to be returned. Fortunately, Orangewood has a great return policy so that if you aren't satisfied with the guitar you receive, you can request a replacement until you are satisfied (within reason). Despite some frustrations I've had with Orangewood products, there is value in what they offer at the price point they advertise. I count myself very lucky to have found a mahogany guitar of the quality I now have for $169! Just know that you may have to expend additional time and effort to end up with the guitar you are happy with.
I purchased this exact models last year. Paid $190. The gig bag is a little big but we’ll padded. The set up wasn’t great. I adjusted it and was able to get it really low without issues. Fit and finish was amazingly good. I wanted to see what a sub $200 guitar with bag would do. I mean, with a bag?I wasn’t going to lose much and it gave me something to play with. The guitar was great for traveling,campgrounds, sitting on the coach. I did not have warranty issues, I changed out the tuners.
I have nothing bad to say about this guitar but did sell it after a while, just because I like to try different things. For a beginner this is great. Have it set up and you are set.
Thanks.A very good and honest video.
I just got one of these for free, it sounded really nice despite having really old and dark oxidized strings, the first itself was basically mint, I was surprised to find it had a bone nut and saddle already installed, but it still has plastic pins lol, there is small amounts of tree sap coming out from one of the bracings which tells me the wood on this guitar wasn't cured properly, I hope it doesn't lead to issues in the future but I'm not worried since I'm no money into it, but that's obviously not the case for everyone else, the Playability is very great and it reminds me of my Martin 000-15m, my Oliver has the same finish issues as the one in this demo including the neck heel misalignment, I would compare this to the Fender cc-60s Mahogany, they're basically the same guitar with just different aesthetics. The Martin blows both the fender and orangewood out of the water though, no contest.
I got the Orangewood Sage TS which is their high end range and was pretty disappointed in the sound at first. But oh man it has opened up so much since then and sounds phenomenal now! It's also really well built and comfortable to play. I'd love to see you guys review some of their higher end models after running a tonerite on it for a bit
Agreed, the same happened with me with my Ava Mahogany.
Did it "open up " within the 30 day return policy
@@tfk3160 It started about 2 weeks in but its a gradual process
My Sage sounds Awesome now! I picked it up the other day and its too much louder now! I was very surprised!
@@catsmeow971 Same I love mine now!
Thanks for an HONEST review. Your review of this guitar is spot on. I have seen quite a few guitar channels on UA-cam singing the praises of Orangewood. They mostly talk about how amazing the guitars are for the money but do not address the sound of the guitar. You, however, nailed it. I have purchased three Orangewood guitars. Reasons being that I have family members that I thought might like to play guitar and this was a cheap way to get them into music without playing my expensive guitars. Also, I felt these guitars may appreciate like the old Japanese Squier Stratocasters from the 80's. I bought the Dana Spruce, Oliver Jr Mahogany, and the Manhattan. All were listed for $125 when I bought them but I bought a couple of them on sale so they were even cheaper. I do not like the sound of the Dana or the Oliver Jr. The build quality is fine. The Oliver Jr looks amazing in my opinion. However, I do not like the sound of these small guitars (keep in mind I have a Taylor GS Mini KOA-E and it has a way better sound). So these two smaller guitars just sit around. However, I play the Manhattan almost every day. I just like the way it sounds and it plays very well. It's not a Martin D-28 sound. It's much brighter but it has a good sound. I cannot believe that I was able to buy this guitar for only $125 (now they are $135). It blows my first learner guitar away which I spent just shy of $200 on 30 years ago. If it sounds like like I am criticizing Orangewood, I am not. I am just being honest. In fact, I am an Orangewood fan. I think they make a good guitar for the money. Would I buy the smaller guitars for myself. No because the sound of a guitar is very important to me. However, I would buy them for someone just learning guitar. The investment is so miniscule. If your kid puts the guitar down forever or if the guitar gets destroyed, you have not lost much. Plus they are good travel guitars that you don't have to worry about. I appreciate this honest review by Alamo. I will look to them in the future for reviews of other guitars.
I have one of their Morgan Mahoganies and I love it. I like the Mahogany because it does give you a lot of warmth in the mid range. Plus for $300 with the pickup if it gets dinged or knocked over around the fire it isn't a big deal.
Sonokeling is from indonesia, it's identical with rosewood. AFAIK it is rosewood. We also have mahoni (it's mahogany in english) also and eboni (ebony).
I hate turning into that guy, as I already left a comment on another (Jeremy) guitar guru's youtube who reviewed Orangewood.
I bought the Sage Mahogany Live guitar and I was very excited as I saw several reviews that raved about Orangewood guitars. It came to me in very quick time and initially I was super pleased. It looked great and had a nice tone--although this is a very QUIET guitar, it does not project and gets lost easily. No biggie, it has a GREAT LR Baggs pu.
But... after 2-3 months the neck went weeble wobble. It was unplayable. Like a winding country road. There were frets that were simply dead for all 6 strings, especially around 11-13. Sadly, I realized that this thing needs a lot of help. My tech wanted to redo all the frets and just essentially take the thing apart and try to make it playable. I didn't have money for that so he shimmed it as much as possible tried to adjust the 2-piece truss rod (ugh!) and in the end I spent $100 to get my new guitar reset-up and STILL it buzzes out on several frets.
Yes, Orangewood says they have a great money back guarantee, but make sure you read the fine print!!! Like, save your box! And do not put that pickguard that send with the guitar on the guitar or you have nullified the money-back guarantee.
Everyone I dealt with at Orangewood was incredibly nice and I got my guitar in under a week, shipped across USA, it looks gorgeous and it was just under $1000 for an all solid mahogany guitar... yet, I don't play it because of the buzzing. Buyer beware.
Sonokeling is a Rosewood grown & harvested in Indonesia. It’s actually a really high quality wood
I've had 2 of these Oliver M guitars. (first one got burned in a fire) and neither of them had the quality issues you are experiencing with the finish. Also, the low end really opens up once it has a chance to climatize. The first one i has i got with the electronics in it, and i did have some issues with the wires causing a strange buzzing out of the sound hole. The second one i bought without electronics for that reason, and it has been perfect
Re the first one. Is this what they call a campfire guitar I always read about in the reviews?
@@ormy1 it sure made good kindling
I have owned one of these for quite some time. The Oliver has been a great guitar. Mine sounds much better than the one you have there. I also took the time to set it up and put on better strings. It is nice, and is better if the time is put into it.
You guys should ask for the Oliver JR and compare to the Gs mini. I know it’s not a fair comparison but just for fun!🙌🏽🔥🔥🔥
I have a 'vintage' Oliver Mahogany. I bought it to use as a high string guitar and it fits that purpose quite well.
Kuddos to you guys for your honest review. I bought 2 Oliver Jr.s and have been very impressed with their quality at that price point. Are they perfect no - but at the price I don’t expect perfect. I also own a US made strat that has the worst fret ends at 10x the price of the Orangewood. I use the Orangewood when I travel for work and outside by the pool - very fun to play (GS Mini fun) and if it takes a tumble - it was only $200. If my GS mini takes a tumble - I cry. Again thank you gents for these reviews - big fan.
It's Indonesian Rosewood, on the fretboard.
3 weeks after I bought my Orangewood (same price range $260) the pick guard fell off. I wrote the company wondering what sort of glue they used. They said they were sorry I had the problem and they would send me a pick guard. I already have a pick guard. I just need it to stay on the guitar. Ya know? It make wonder what they used to glue on the bracing and the bridge. It still sounds great. I guess I have my new "beach guitar".
I have an Oliver spruce, which I bought as an "outside" guitar. It's fine for that. Like another user here, I do have some buzzing which I more or less ignore. Although this is good value for money, I don't think I'd buy another one. If I wanted to upgrade, I'd spend more money and go with something else, maybe a GS Mini.
I got one before they raised their prices . I dig it for kickin back in the yard and strumming a few Chords or practicing riffs .
That thing sounds pretty darn good to me. And it hits the entry level price point
Entry level Yamahas play and sound better than these at a similar price and are in tons of music shops for you to try before buying. So why buy these?
@@robf7213 Thanks for sharing
@@robf7213i got the f310. Amazing sound but really horrible playability😂
Also the saddle is glued.
Like they purposedly made it bad, so they can sell the higher ends.
I mean theres no reason for that kind of action.
Theyve been making this model for decades and decades now
The Orangewood torrified top guitars are great for the price. I've gotten 4, 3 were great for the grandchildren but one was not setup at all. They also provide a $25 starter kit with tuner, strap, cleaning cloth, chord chart and picks.
Sounds ok for a cheap guitar. As I’d expect for a guitar at this price point, the sound is a bit thin. I’ve read that Orangewood “over-builds” their guitars (thicker soundboard, heavy finishing. The sound (to me) sounds like an over-built guitar. It does look nice.
Def. sounds REALLY thin for a solid mahogany top. So much so I have a hard time believing it’s a solid top.
I have their Oliver Jr Mahogany and Sage Mahogany… they’re my Go-to guitars.. Sage is fun and Orangewood necks are are perfect for my stubby fingers.
I had one as a "starter" guitar and was pretty impressed. They did have to send a replacement right away due to severe fret buzz. After that it was a great guitar to learn on. Of course my new Taylor GTe Urban Ash is much better :)
Orangewood inspects and sets up all their guitars in the USA. Perhaps they are doing some fretwork as well.
Change out those PB strings for some 80/20 and it won't be as thuddy/muddy. I thought the same when I got mine and putting some different strings on it made a huge difference.
I got the Ava m it’s the High end version of this all solid I love it it looks and plays amazing sound is good to with a hard shell case $630 great
I just got the exact guitar and the action was spot on and the sound good...my only dig would be the neck I thought was a bit chunky and the ernie ball earthwood 80/20 bronze strings came off fast ...martin retros on and now to me for 200 bucks it sounds the way it should....I want a streetmaster but keep putting all my money in my gas tank!
Nice playing I enjoyed the tone❤👍👍
Cooper needs to play more…IJS
Do a comparison video of Oliver vs FS800 or CC60s
Sonokeling is the Indonesian word for rosewood. Dalbergia Latifolia.
I used to get fret sprout on almost all of my guitars until I picked up a few cheap humidifiers for my house.
If you're looking for a solidly made guitar for 225 bucks Orangewood can't be beat. The guitars are extremely well built and set up to my liking. If your patient there is usually a 20% off sale every few months. My problem is that I own three of them and they all sound pretty much same. Good but not very good. My dreadnaught Echo does't sound any bigger than the Oliver. I think I would have been better off just buying one $500 Big Baby Taylor which to me sounds quite a bit better than any of the solid top Orangewood's.
Finish “issues” = Martin Streetmaster, lol. Also laminated = low maintenance… Am currently dealing a fancy instrument w fancy nitrocellulose lacquer finish. Makes me love my “lesser” finished (polyurethane, way less harsh on the environment) instruments even more deeply.
Is a breedlove Discovery a much better option then these?
For a person just starting out on guitar, how much should the guitar cost?
Good on you for recommending a guitar you don’t sell, not like you lose many sub $200 sales.
Hi I've been playing for about 4 months now still a newbie would anyone recommend this for a beginner I really like the mahogany finish on these guitars 🤔
Thank you.
I bought an Oliver Jr 2 yrs ago. It was just OK. But a Taylor GS Mini is 10x the guitar, maybe 50x the guitar. No comparison really.
I bought a Oliver jr to have something inexpensive to take on camping trips. The nut was the correct width as advertised however, the neck was 2mm narrower than the nut. Playing above the 4th fret it was very difficult to keep the e strings from slipping off the frets. How anyone who “ set up “ this guitar could have missed that is beyond me. I had no problem returning this guitar. On that same trip I bought a used Taylor gs mini, a far far superior instrument.
My Jr. was perfect love it, sorry you got a bad one.
I have an Orangewood Rey mohogany that has been a decent player, so I thought I needed a guitar with a pickup and ordered a Morgan mahogany... big mistake!
It was clunky, dead sounding, even compared to the cheaper, all-laminate Rey!!!
Their return policy is great, so back it went. I finally decided I needed to just bite the bullet and bought a new 000-15m Martin... worth every penny!
I bought a gig bag and it was $40 recently. Everything has gone up. Free freight is another benefit, that freight charge is now through the roof, get a quote from the UPS store and you will be shocked. So putting everything in perspective, I like the reviews these guys do but almost any complaint levied by them and those commenting here indicates that the person should be upping their budget by a lot. For a kick around guitar how can you beat a price like this? I'm tempted to buy one of their models to see for myself, especially with that money back guarantee.
Love this particular guitar, great review.
Recién quería comprar este modelo, pero ya veo que tiene algunos detalles importantes como el ruido en las cuerdas ,esperaré a otro modelo mejor ,saludos desde México 😃💪
I almost bought one of these a few months back. Looked at entry level guitars & bought a used mid range guitar for the price of an entry level guitar. The problem with Orangewood is you can't hold it before you buy it. After holding a couple entry level Fenders I knew I wouldn't be happy with entry level garbage. Entry level tip buy a good used guitar.
I live in San Antonio too.
It’s funny they changed the logo like a month after i got my Orangewood
Buongiorno, questo messaggio è per Chris, in merito alla sua recensione sulla Orangewood Oliver: il tuo consiglio di scegliere questa chitarra vale in particolar modo per i principianti, o comunque per chi compra la prima chitarra e non vuole spendere molto e quindi non deve essere troppo pignolo. Giustissimo, riferito al rapporto qualità prezzo. Non è però il mio caso, perché non è la mia prima chitarra (possiedo una Yamaha fg420). E quindi ti sarei molto grato se mi potessi consigliare una chitarra con una qualità migliore di questa (tu stesso nel video di UA-cam suggerisci che con una spesa poco superiore si può avere di meglio), stesse dimensioni e legni, escludendo la taylor Gs mini, che ha un prezzo molto superiore. Tieni anche presente che la marca deve poter essere importata in Italia (cosa che tra l’altro non fa Orangewood) e deve essere mancina). Ti ringrazio anticipatamente , in attesa di un tuo cortese cenno di riscontro.
I like honesty.
Can I get one in the uk??
Thuddy is good if your playing fingerstyle with the boom chicka sound.
Sonokeling is a Indonesian rosewood
As mentioned elsewhere, if you are just starting out and only have around $200 to spend, or want an inexpensive knock around guitar, save up a few more dollars and get yourself a Yamaha. If you have a couple hundred dollars more to spend and want a solid wood guitar, check out an Eastman.
Way better choices and value than these Orangewood guitars. Every review video I have seen and now having played 2 Orangewood guitars in person (one being a more expensive torrefied top) my opinion is they sound very overbuilt with various other issues. I think people are falling for the new shiny toy or the marketing gimmick.
Just curious for the people who already stated in the comments that they bought an Orangewood or even multiples the question I have is why? If you are watching a video like this, you obvious know there are other probably better options.
you guys should try KEPMA guitars
hello can you tell me... is this guitar better than the fender cd60s all mahaginy guitar. i'm not an experienced guitar player but when i compare it to my last fender cd60s which was not made of mahogany... the guitar sounds different. is a fender mahogany a good guitar

Get the Fender
bought an Oliver jr. ain't played anything else because it is so much fun to play. i likeit much beter than pretentious self important players.
Wow, you didn't let Cooper play it??? I'm dubious now. Why *not* allow Cooper to play it before this video review? Hmmm...
I've had an Oliver Jr (same solid-top mahogany, layered sides, rosewood fretboard, original font) for 11 months with the original bag with orange font on it that fits the Oliver Jr. *perfectly*.
Beautiful guitar. I feel so lucky this is my first guitar.
BTW, your playing sounded beautiful to my ear (on my cheap laptop, no less). Now, that could be you just play beautifully, or perhaps my cheap laptop doesn't pick up the poor low-end sound.
...and Texas *frequently* feels WORSE than Southeast Asia (May-Oct).
I would recommend a Yamaha over Orangewood.
Pay a little more and get a lot more. Yamahas entry level is way better for a beginner/budget guitar.
I have owned the Oliver M for about 6 months. I travel for work and it's good in the sense that I can take it on the road with me and if it gets beat up or stolen it wouldn't be the end of the world. Also, it's not super loud so it doesn't get me thrown out of the hotel. In my experience, you get exactly what you pay for with this guitar. If I had it to do over, I would buy a Fender or Yamaha from my local shop. I bought it because I was looking for a 1-3/4 nut OM style mahogany guitar and this one checked the boxes. On paper it should be great. It is playable though and one day soon I will replace it with something that I actually like and feel inspired to play and I will donate this one to someone who wants to get started. When it arrived the inside label was torn and the top had a ding. The tuners stink. The tone is, well, not inspiring. Overall, Meh...... Just my two cents.
I used to love watching videos on this channel because this music store NEVER liked inexpensive imported guitars from China. They actually did video showing their disdain on acoustic guitars being sold from Amazon. It looks like the guys at Alamo have sold themselves out by making a demo of this Chinese made acoustic guitar.. Probably got a really good deal from them for re-sale in their music store. Great going guys!
Your all-or-nothing thinking is extreme and extremely telling.
It's like you don't know where South East Asia is...and how it's *not* China. Please obtain a university education, and someone with as little ability to think critically as you demonstrate needs a *very rigorous* university curriculum to teach you how to do proper reading, research, and investigation.
No one can teach you to be intellectually curious, but hopefully, someone can teach you geography AND how to ask questions and then read other people's research and *comprehend* it.
Yeah, cos nothing made in China can ever be any good. 😂😂😂
Try the same production, same quality. With white labor, this would cost thrice.
Any chance you guys checked on Zager Guitars yet?
Zager is a scam. They are cheap Chinese guitars with a good set up at highly inflated prices.
I’ve just got the ZAD50 OM and quality is better than my Orangewood.. but im not a pro so
@@kdrake777 I have thought about driving to Omaha to see if I could visit the "factory ".I may call and try to schedule a time, just to see what happens.
@@johnwashburn3793 I love factory in quotes LOL. It’s a workbench to set up cheap guitars.
@@kdrake777 thank you, I try to be creative and actually, they are in Lincoln, Nebraska. I am in Kansas City...as John Prine said, if they knew what I was thinking they would throw me out of Lincoln...
Please review walden O550e
Vs YAMAHA FG800??
That sounded way better then expected wtf
never realized coopers a pretty good singer/player
its 225$ now on their website
Great for a kid.
Let me fix this review for you. It's a good guitar. Period. You can drop the "for the price" stuff. If it's good, it's good. We all know what the price is.
Sonokeling is what you call Indonesian rosewood. What people typically call rosewood is Indian rosewood. But sonokeling is real rosewood.
Good videos-p
and i thought Orangewood was made by Orange amps lol
For 200 bucks that is a great sounding guitar to my ears. I will say Taylor still has the best sound to me. I love that thing that their guitars have. I can't describe what it is but I hear it.
As of this morning March 5th 2022 the price is $225
For a little bit more you can get a Yamaha.
So…all your previous reviews were less than honest?
The better guitar for a beginner is going to be a Yamaha. Scoop up at FG800 or heck...if you could find a used FG720S...
I have the live version of the Oliver. It is a HEAVY guitar, surprisingly so for its size, probably way over built, and the tuners are really awful. Why they put those on it is beyond me, the buttons are nice but the feel is simply awful, sticky, you cannot get it in the right place without ten tries. It hasn't improved over time either. Sound compared to a regular Yamaha dreadnought sounds weak and low volume with the Retro Martin Monel's I put on it to replace the Ernie Balls that everybody seems to hate but it sounds TOTALLY and completely different though an amp where it sounds REALLY good. I thought mahogany would be more mellow.
High Pressure Laminate
Having dealers jacks prices up.
I’ve never seen you point out ALL of the inadequacies of a guitar. Of course I’ve never seen you do an “honest” review on a guitar that you are not selling. It really draws in to question your honesty, doesn’t it?
I think it should be like 125
Brittle sound.
I paid $225 and sold it for $200 two years later...
iam thinking a big reason for this pricing is directed towards increasing the respect within the guitar community for this brand.
Iam really turned off by these start up American designed. Chinese built acoustics that attach their prices according to what Martin etc is doing. For this Orangewood has my attention.
Rosewood in bahasa Indonésie its Rosewood
Stop to critized enjoy thé ride
That grin is going to give me nightmares...I can't un-see it!
lmao in an Oliver M.
These guys always look mad in their videos
Taylor snobs shouldn't probably do reviews of other guitars!
Not bad when your alternative is *cringe* Amazon
The faint praise from the bald headed guy got annoying VERY fast. The long haired guy didn't even play it, what's that all about? He probably would have knocked it out the park. Alamo doesn't sell them so they are NEVER going to push an Orangwood. Solid top mahogany guitar for under $200 is unreal, they sound different from "regular" guitars and EVERYBODY should have one, I do. Price today Oct 2023 is $225 with 10% off, wait for sales too around Christmas and such.
how are you liking the guitar?...thinking about grabbing one...cheers from Canada
Get what you pay for