Trade My D1A Varnish For An OM1ATrad?
Posted: Sat May 21, 2022 6:22 pm
Hey guys, I'm back after a long hiatus - I've stayed off guitar forums because they ended up costing me too much!
Anyway, here's my situation. I own a 2011 D1A Varnish that I flat out love. It's a beast, when needed, and plays beautifully when played softly. Really, there's nothing about this guitar I don't like. For context I play every Sunday in church and am the rhythm guitar player in a gigging Gypsy jazz band - think Django Reinhardt. The guitar gets a workout on all sorts of music in all sorts of venues, and never disappoints.
But...
Increasingly I find that when playing seated the size of a dread hurts my back and shoulder. Not a problem standing, just sitting. I've tried different chairs, different positions, everything I can think if but the discomfort remains. At 71 I don't see this getting any better, only worse. So, I think an OM is the best solution. It will cover all my current musical needs and - hopefully - alleviate my back and shoulder issues.
Which brings me to a decision on which OM to get. It's possible if an OM1A Varnish showed up that would be my first choice, but these never show up. Lots and lots of guys think the OM1ATrad is every bit as good, or maybe even better. Since this guitar is my first choice as a replacement, I'm asking if any of you have an opinion on what I can expect going from my current dread to an OM, and if an OM1AT is a good alternative. Stated somewhat differently, if dreads are no longer viable, would this particular OM be a good replacement for my particular dread. If it helps, I'm just not interested in the JL version of this guitar, but am open to other suggestions.
Finally, I have no idea what the used guitar market is like these days. Should I decide to sell the D1A Varnish what do you think a fair price is? The guitar is in great shape, no issues and so forth. I'm not looking to make a fortune, nor is a fire sale price an option, just looking for a reasonable ballpark.
Thanks!
Anyway, here's my situation. I own a 2011 D1A Varnish that I flat out love. It's a beast, when needed, and plays beautifully when played softly. Really, there's nothing about this guitar I don't like. For context I play every Sunday in church and am the rhythm guitar player in a gigging Gypsy jazz band - think Django Reinhardt. The guitar gets a workout on all sorts of music in all sorts of venues, and never disappoints.
But...
Increasingly I find that when playing seated the size of a dread hurts my back and shoulder. Not a problem standing, just sitting. I've tried different chairs, different positions, everything I can think if but the discomfort remains. At 71 I don't see this getting any better, only worse. So, I think an OM is the best solution. It will cover all my current musical needs and - hopefully - alleviate my back and shoulder issues.
Which brings me to a decision on which OM to get. It's possible if an OM1A Varnish showed up that would be my first choice, but these never show up. Lots and lots of guys think the OM1ATrad is every bit as good, or maybe even better. Since this guitar is my first choice as a replacement, I'm asking if any of you have an opinion on what I can expect going from my current dread to an OM, and if an OM1AT is a good alternative. Stated somewhat differently, if dreads are no longer viable, would this particular OM be a good replacement for my particular dread. If it helps, I'm just not interested in the JL version of this guitar, but am open to other suggestions.
Finally, I have no idea what the used guitar market is like these days. Should I decide to sell the D1A Varnish what do you think a fair price is? The guitar is in great shape, no issues and so forth. I'm not looking to make a fortune, nor is a fire sale price an option, just looking for a reasonable ballpark.
Thanks!