Jason Kostal OMC Figured Mahogany

Make no mistake. This is a superb, alive, glorious guitar. While it is always a celebration for me when I take delivery of a new Jason Kostal acoustic, this one has inspired every part of me. From the esthetics, to the playing, to the spectacular sound, everything has come together in an incredible way.

You should know that I just love the total soup to nuts guitar building experience when I work with Jason. Before he begins the build, we spend a great deal of time discussing the esthetic, choosing woods and materials, reviewing lessons learned from past builds, suggesting new ideas, discussing neck profile, finish.... the endless details (down to the most minuscule) that, in the end, will give the instrument a character that keeps with Jason's vision but has a soul and personality all its own.  With a builder of Jason's talents (I suggest you read some of my past POVs to get a sense of my high regard  for his work) I have the amazing opportunity to both tweak a build and be certain that the end result will be more than I anticipated.

That all leads to the instrument we now have in the shop. This is the second Kostal mahogany OMC that I have had in the shop and it is truly remarkable. Mahogany is arguably my favorite acoustic guitar wood for its tonal qualities, but in most cases is quite understated in appearance. But not here: The wood Jason selected for this build is both both very rare and truly stunning. What incredible figure and flame! The German spruce top is a beautiful match, set off by Jason’s gorgeous "stained glass" rosette. As is always the case with Jason’s work, his workmanship is extraordinary -  from the intricate layering of woods on the headstock to the Manzer Wedge body.

All is crafted with precision and love. And the sound... well the sound is sublime. It has the robust and big bass quality that Jason is known for but this time with something very special added. To my ears, Kostal has dialed in more of that Somogyi thing than I have experienced in his previous builds. It’s lighter in weight, and has a very immediate response from the lightest touch to the most aggressive strum. It's powerful yet precise with the clarity and honest tone that is the hallmark of a fine mahogany guitar. It’s very organic. You get what you put in without false harmonics and extraneous overtones.

I’m not the only one who’s bowled over by this instrument. Jason was so pleased with the way this OMC came out I asked him to say a few words on his experience of building this spectacular guitar:

"There isn’t much I can say about this Mahogany OMC other than it is exactly what I had hoped for when creating it. Mahogany has been used in some of the most iconic guitars throughout our history, and there is a reason for it. The wood itself is naturally very articulate, precise, and clear. When coupled with some of the modern building techniques that I use, we add robust, responsive, and balanced to the mix as well. This wood combination is one of my recent favorites, and the way that this guitar sounds strung up provides the player or listener with all of the nuances and orchestral airiness that we desire in a guitar. It’s set up to play comfortably with any style, and the guitar possesses the ability to be played quietly or with a lot of power and drive. I love this guitar, and am so pleased with how it turned out, and cannot wait for it to be welcomed into its new home."

If you'd like to find out more about this item, just call or e-mail me. It would be my pleasure to talk to you about it.

ABOUT KOSTAL GUITARS
Jason Kostal's guitars are definitely different than most of the ones that you see out there every day in a lot of ways. One of the things that sets him apart from many of his peers is the fact that he has been a player and a collector for years and these two experiences greatly mold his opinions and expectations of what a guitar is and what it can become. Every single thing that Jason does is a result of very sincere and concerted thought about each individual aspect of the guitar and what it does or what it should do. Jason received his first guitar for his 5th birthday and was hooked from then on. Initially a Roberto-Venn School of lutherie graduate, then Roberto-Venn instructor with his own shop, then an advanced apprentice to Ervin Somogyi in San Fransisco, Jason's trajectory of discovery led him to the very depths of guitars making, allowing him to approach guitar building in a manner far different from what most other luthiers bring to the craft. Jason believes in elegance through simplicity, where every aspect of an instrument has been thought through and crafted to the most minute detail. Every guitar Jason builds is a one of a kind journey that he embarks on with each individual customer, a journey to the heart of instrumental elegance through simplicity.