In the 1920’s, the Orchestra Model was originally intended to be a large guitar capable of being heard over other orchestral instruments, hence the OM name. Although it fit the bill, its relatively large body was soon eclipsed by the mighty dreadnought. Fortunately, the OM had secured its place in history as a powerful and versatile voice for public performance. Santa Cruz was among the first modern builders to reintroduce this now smaller bodied favorite at the beginning of the Eighties. Our practice of combining the most desirable attributes of old and new, rather than copying, made for a very successful introduction of the Santa Cruz Guitar Company to a whole new audience. With some irony, this acclaim encouraged the venerable originator of the OM to reintroduce the model to their line. Eric Clapton’s historic performance on the debut of MTV Unplugged set us on a course for another 25 years of success with this now perennial favorite.

The OM is delightfully versatile. Our OM players range from blazing flat picker James Nash to John Mayer and Elvis Costello. The Santa Cruz Guitar Company OM provides clean, loud mid-range and trebles that are complimented by a slightly predominant bass. Deeply appreciated for fingerstyle and contemporary flat picking work, the OM is our number one request.