When I first played this Simon Fay OM, I wasn't planning on buying a guitar. In fact, I was in the processing of selling a couple of guitars because I needed the money. But every once in a while, if you're lucky enough, you stumble across a guitar that is so inspiring that you simply have to have it. That was the case with this little Simon Fay guitar. It practically had to be stripped out of my hands, and then it filled my thoughts for most of the drive from New Smyrna Beach, FL (where Simon builds his guitars) back to Atlanta. By the time I got home, I knew it would be a terrible mistake if I didn't buy the guitar... so I got in touch with Simon and the deal was done before I'd even finished unpacking from the trip.
I'd been in Florida for a house concert, and after the show I got to spend a good deal of time talking to Simon about his guitars and the philosophy behind his building techniques. I also got a tour of his wood supply room, and, of course, I had the opportunity to sit down and get familiar with this Adirondack/Malaysian Blackwood OM. I was impressed with the level of Simon's dedication and passion toward his craft... and I think it clearly shows in his instruments.
As for the guitar... well, I was immediately taken with the aesthetics of it. The beautiful wide rosette and the striped bocote headstock are probably the most distinctive features. Both catch the eye in a very pleasing way, and emphasize the use of woods--rather than abalone trim and inlay--to establish the aesthetic theme.
The next thing that impressed me about the guitar was how comfortable it was to play. The small body size surely gets most of the credit--but there were other touches that contributed as well. For one thing, the wood binding was rounded, so that the edge of the binding doesn't press into your forearm when playing the guitar. I've played a couple of guitars that had bevels built into the lower bout, and this guitar was every bit as comfortable to play. The profile of the neck, and the way the neck meets the base of the headstock, also made the left hand feel right at home.
Finally, let me talk about the sound. To be totally honest, I wasn't expecting a whole lot when I first picked up the guitar. Yes, it was beautiful... and yes, it was comfortable. But because it was such a small-bodied guitar, and because I hadn't played one of Simon's guitars before, I wasn't expecting it to have such a rich, sweet tone. I'll also admit that my well-known preference for cedar tops--and the fact that this guitar had Adirondack spruce--shaped my expectations as well. So I was very pleasantly surprised to find that this guitar had the cedar-like tonal qualities I like (warmth, overtones, etc.), while also having the volume and clarity of a good spruce top. The sound was so pleasing that I actually stopped playing songs and just played notes, so that I could enjoy the guitar's tonal qualities.
The combination of beauty, comfort, and sound is what led me to obsess about this guitar on my drive back home to Georgia. I've owned and played guitars that could match it in one or two of these areas, but I honestly don't think I've ever played anything that has been as pleasing to me in all three. That's why it's now my #1 guitar, and why I hope to own another Simon Fay guitar in the future.
