Neck：Cedro
Fingerboard：Ebony
Finish：top:Shellac /back & sides:Lacquer
Tuning Machine：Rodgers
String height：1string　3.1mm/6string　4.1mm

[Profile]

Michael O'Leary was born in Ireland and is a leading Irish maker with a workshop in County Carlow. His father, an accomplished guitarist, introduced him to the guitar at an early age, which eventually led him to make instruments that would combine his interest in woodworking.

Later, his son Alec joined the workshop staff. With a bachelor’s degree in design technology, Alec has steadily applied his knowledge and innovative ideas to guitar making.

Michael and Alec are also active in the development and promotion of classical guitar culture in Ireland. They organize The Guitar Festival in Ireland, which provides an opportunity for many of the world’s leading guitarists to meet, exchange ideas, and obtain feedback on their own creations.

Michael and Alec are both traditional and innovative. They eventually came up with the idea of combining the Spanish construction method with the modern style of the Lattice construction, which originated in Australia.

The guitar was highly acclaimed by David Russell and became one of the great guitars of our time. Even after achieving international fame, they continue to carefully handcraft fewer than 10 guitars a year, making them rarely available on the market.

[Description]

Michael O'Leary's 2014 model is now in stock. This is an excellent example of the brand’s fusion of traditional and modern characteristics, both structurally and tonally.

The soundboard is very thin and finished with shellac. The joint between the soundboard and the sides is made of alternating large and small peones (small wooden blocks with a triangular cross-section), which is also a Romanillos-like structure. This guitar has an airy resonance characteristic of a lattice structure.

The sound has a clear fundamental note, giving the impression of a Spanish guitar with a tight sound that fully utilizes the body’s capacity. While it has the strong power and sharp response of a modern guitar, it also offers a comfortable, moderate response that is more attuned to the player.

The sharpness of the response is also evident in the tonal changes, and the quality of the sound changes dramatically with changes in touch. The overall acoustic balance is homogeneous, and this is an excellent piece in that respect as well.