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Pros:
- Beginner Friendly
- Child Friendly
- Great Sound for Price
Cons:
- Tuning Stability
- Easy to dent
There are so many guitars out there, sometimes I think it may take a lifetime to see which ones of them are the best and sometimes I lose hope. Then I encounter guitars like these and realize that maybe, just maybe, it is worth to come through the world of guitars to find such pleasant surprises. After all Oscar Schmidt OG1FYS, ¾ size dreadnought is one interesting small body guitar. Let us take a closer look and see what makes it so special.
Body Quality
The body of the OG1FT is a dreadnought, scaled down to three-quarters the normal size. This allows the guitar to retain some of the best features of the dreadnought design, such as the powerful projection and the great bass response and still remain a good size for travel and to be played by kids. The ¾ size keeps the guitar lightweight and easily available for people of any size to play. The creative coloring options provided by the guitar manufacturer also allow the buyer to pick up a guitar that expresses themselves the best.
The top wood of the guitar is spruce, a tonewood famously prolific as a top wood among so many guitars. It is notorious for its great resonance with the high and mid-tones, allowing the player to produce a vibrant, lively sound from even the most bass-heavy guitars. The back and sides of the instrument are constructed of catalpa. This hardwood is very light and has an interesting effect on the mid tones of the guitar. The wood also tends to be a little soft, so being careful to not dent it might be a good idea. This makes the guitar a little better suited for practice at home, rather than on the road.
The neck of the guitar is constructed of mahogany, a hardwood well known for its resistance to bending and sturdiness. Mahogany is also one of the more lightweight woods, allowing the guitar to remain light and easy to play. The fretboard that tops the neck is rosewood, a very smooth hardwood that can often be seen topping necks of guitars.
Hardware
The bridge of the guitar is rosewood. The dark coloring of the tonewood fits the guitar well, while its tendency for darker and lower tones can be heard in the guitar’s sound. It is a great addition to the build of the guitar.
The nut and saddle are synthetic, but surprisingly not just some cheap synthetic material, but graphtech. These are some of the better nut and saddle materials that allow the guitar great harmony and mitigate the presence of buzz extremely well.
The tuners on the guitar are alright, nothing too impressive. While you will not have to worry about re-tuning the guitar every time you pick it up, the stability is not that great. You might need to re-tune it every few days.
Oscar Schmidt OG1FYS Sound
All of this combines into a guitar that sounds rather good, especially considering the fact that the guitar is sold for such a low price. The guitar has a warm, vibrant tone thanks to the tonewoods combination. The projection is powerful, thanks to the scaled-down dreadnought design. While it might not compete with a full size dreadnought in terms of projection, it will be a fine guitar to practice on. This guitar is intended for beginners, whether they are a child or an adult, to make it easy for them to learn and the sound reflects that. It is adequate to the price level and player level.
Conclusion
If you have a child looking to start playing a guitar, or you yourself are looking into small body guitars to practice on, this might be one of the best options you have. It is small, meaning easy storage and easy playing and it sounds so much better than what you would assume a guitar at this price would. With the many colouring options and the affordable price tag, I definitely recommend this instrument to a certain set of players.
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