Guitars are one of the most popular musical instruments. Hence, it is not much of a shock to see many choosing the guitar as their first musical instrument.
Like all products, guitars come in various shapes, sizes, materials, and other unique characteristics. All these will affect the guitar’s sound quality. So, you must know what you are looking for.
However, for a beginner, the guitar world might seem daunting. But you do not have to worry.
In this article, I’m giving you my thoughts on Orangewood Guitars and review their product line (some of which I own personally), and see it they’re worth buying.
Also Great | Editor's Choice | Budget Pick |
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Concert Body Style | Dreadnought Body Style | Grand Auditorium Body Style |
Contents
The Best Orangewood Acoustic Guitars
Echo Torrefied Spruce Live
The Echo Torreified Spruce Live comes with a dreadnought body and is made of different wood species.
Notably, its back and sides are made of layered Pau Ferro, and its top wood is made of torrefied Sitka spruce.
Torrefaction increases the product’s durability, making them more resistant to environmental factors. This process also hastens the guitar’s aging process, enabling it to produce a vibrant and fuller sound.
The Echo Live is also equipped with the Fishman Flex Plus-T EQ system, stabilizing the guitar’s tone and sound. Its scalloped X-bracing also helps improve the guitar’s overall performance and quality.
Orangewood’s Echo Live (read my review here) is also easy to play in with its measurements and can cater to different playing styles.
Pros
- Sturdy and solid build
- Produces full and rich sound
- It comes with an electronic EQ system and built-in tuner
Cons
- Neck width might be uncomfortable for players with small hands
- It does not come with a pickguard
Orangewood Brooklyn Live
The Orangewood Brooklyn Live (read my review here) is a beautiful guitar featuring a Solid Sitka Spruce top wood, Pau Ferro back and sides, and a glossy finish. With its Abalone rosettes, ivory bindings, and gold turners and pegs, Brooklyn Live has a charming and elegant look.
Moreover, this guitar is smaller due to its grand concert body style. It has an overall length of 40 inches and a height of 4 inches. Its angled neck is ideal for small to medium hand sizes.
With its wood construction, Brooklyn Live produces a wide tone range. Paired with Ernie Ball Earthwood strings, this guitar gives a clear and crisp sound. It can also suit well with various playing styles. This guitar also comes with the Fishman Flex EQ system, built-in tuner, volume, bass, and treble controls.
Pros
- Solid and beautiful construction
- Produces various tones
- Suits various playing styles
Cons
- A bit small
- Angled neck might be uncomfortable for some
Rey Mahogany Acoustic Guitar
Probably one of the best cheap guitars in the market, Orangewood Guitar’s Rey Mahogany (read my review here) comes with a solid mahogany top wood, back, and sides. The guitar has a warm, brown color which gives it a charming and simple look. It sounds great for it’s, and if you ask me, it’s an incredible value.
Mahogany as a top wood is known for producing a warm, punchy, or twangy sound. Moreover, it is also great for the middle ranges, bass, and high-end notes. Despite its Grand Auditorium body, the Rey Mahogany still carries and amplifies its sound well.
The Rey Mahogany also comes with a pickguard and some adjustment tools for your convenience. It also comes with a chrome tuner.
In terms of playability, the Rey Mahogany has an overall length of 41 inches. It has an average-sized neck, making it easy and comfortable to play on. However, it might not be suitable for smaller players.
Pros
- Impressive tonal spectrum
- Suitable for beginners
- Charming look
Cons
- More ideal for large players
- It has sharp fret ends
- Does not come with a premium padded gig bag
Oliver Jr. Mahogany
Modeled after the famous Oliver, the Oliver Jr. offers the same excellence in just a fraction of the original size.
Orangewood Guitar’s Oliver Jr. comes with a solid mahogany top wood with laminated mahogany for its back and sides. While mahogany guitars are known for their dark sounds, the Oliver Jr. surprisingly produces a bold and bright sound with a warm midrange. Overall, its tone and volume are evenly balanced.
The Oliver Jr. comes with Ernie Ball Earthwood strings and is buzz-free up and down its neck. The fretwork is clean, with no sharp nor loose ends.
With its size, it is excellent for smaller players or those who like to travel. It also comes with a gig bag for your convenience.
Pros
- Produces an even tone and volume
- Travel-sized
- It comes with a gig bag and other accessories
Cons
- Scratches easily due to its thin satin finish
- Can get boomy if you’re a heavy strummer
Ava Torrefied Spruce
Orangewood Guitars recently announced their newest Highland series, featuring high-quality and affordable guitars. Inspired by “rustic timelessness,” these guitars feature a straightforward and practical design. Among these is the Ava Torrefied Spruce.
Torrefaction is a baking process that aims to enhance the guitar’s durability, making it resistant to various environmental changes.
This process also enhances the guitar’s aesthetics. No Ava guitar is the same as the baking process gives out different finishes. With its pearl inlays, the Ava guitar has an elegant look.
Paired with solid mahogany back and sides, the Ava produces a bright and clear sound. Despite its grand concert body, the guitar carries sound well. The guitar has an overall length of 40 inches, making it ideal for average-sized players.
Pros
- Durable and beautiful construction
- Produces clear and bright sound
- It comes with an optional pickguard and hard case
Cons
- It can be pricey
- The neck might be uncomfortable for some
Ava Torrefied Live
The Ava Live is part of Orangewood Guitar’s Highland series, featuring a straightforward design for maximum playability.
The Ava Torrefied Live features a solid mahogany top, back, sides, and neck paired with an ebony fingerboard and bridge. It features a pearl inlay and slight flourish on the 12th fret, giving it a classy and elegant look.
Moreover, the torrefaction process ensures that each Ava guitar is special and unique. Hence, you’ll know you won’t have the same guitar as someone else.
Its clean construction enables Ava Live to produce even and balanced sounds, catering to numerous playing and musical styles. It also comes with Grover Open-Gear Tuners for easy adjustments.
Like all Highland guitars, it comes with a hard case and optional pickguard, and some other accessories.
Pros
- Clean and durable construction
- Suitable for beginners
- Provides a balanced and even sound
Cons
- Its slightly wide neck might be uncomfortable for some
- It can be pricey
Sage Torrefied Spruce
As part of Orangewood Guitar’s Highland series, the Sage Torrefied Spruce features a practical design, maximizing playability and comfort.
The Sage guitars feature a torrefied spruce top, solid mahogany back, sides, and neck and paired with an ebony fretboard and bridge. Its rosette center strip and slight fret flourish give it a classy look.
The Highland guitar series are known for their clean construction and design, enabling the guitars to produce an even and balanced sound. Despite its grand auditorium body, the Sage guitar still amplifies and carries sound well.
The Sage has an overall length of 41 inches, with a slim, C-shaped neck and 20 medium frets. Its buzz-free neck and cutaway style makes it comfortable for playing.
Pros
- Produces a balanced sound
- It has a classy look
- It comes with a hard case and other accessories
Cons
- Cutaway style might not be for some
- Its size might be uncomfortable for smaller players
Mason Nylon Cedar Live
Part of Orangewood Guitar’s Special Edition Melrose Collection, the Mason Nylon Cedar Live is the brand’s first nylon string guitar. Nylon strings are said to be ideal for beginners since they are easier to play in.
Modeled after the original Mason Live, the Mason features a solid cedar top, layered Pau Ferro back and sides, and an ebony fretboard and bridge. Its abalone rosette and wing-like flourish complete its charming look.
The Mason Nylon produces a bright and shimmery sound. It is also equipped with the Fishman Flex Plus-T EQ and gold white-knob tuners.
The Mason Live has an overall length of 41 inches, making it suitable for average to large players. Its grand auditorium body and cutaway style also make it easier to play in.
Pros
- Produces a bright and shimmery sound
- Durable construction
- Simple and charming look
Cons
- Nylon strings might not be for some
- It might be uncomfortable for small players
Hudson Torrefied Spruce
The Hudson Torrefied Spruce guitar is part of Orangewood Guitar’s Highland series, which features high-quality and affordable guitars. Inspired by rustic aesthetics, these guitars feature a simple design for maximum playability.
The Hudson guitar features a torrefied solid Sitka spruce top, solid mahogany back, neck, and sides, with an ebony fretboard and bridge. The rosette in the center and wing-like inlays in the fretboard give it a simple and classy look.
Undergoing the torrefaction process has enhanced the guitar’s durability and aesthetics. As a result, no two Hudson guitars are alike.
Its neck is of ample width to provide comfort in playing while providing the right balance for tones and sounds. The Hudson is ideal for fingerplay styles. The guitar’s Grover Open-Gear Tuners provide for easy adjustments.
Pros
- Durable and beautiful construction
- Comfortable to play in
- Suits different playing styles
Cons
- No built-in equalizer
- It might be large for smaller players
Florence
The Florence features a vintage aesthetic with its 3-tone sunburst finish. This parlor guitar comes with a solid Spruce top, layered mahogany back, neck, and sides, paired with a Rosewood fretboard and bridge. The wing-like inlay and the solid black circle finish its vintage-inspired aesthetic.
With its wood construction, Florence produces a bright and intimate tone. While parlor guitars might be small, this does not in any way affect their tonal quality. The guitar’s sound projects across the room and is excellent with mid-range sounds. While it may not be loud, this issue is easily solved with amplification instruments.
Moreover, its small size also makes it versatile and compact. If you’re a smaller player or tend to travel, then Florence is ideal.
Pros
- Vintage-inspired look
- Versatile and comfortable to play in
- Produces a bright and intimate tone
Cons
- It is not very loud when playing in crowded areas
- It does not come with a built-in equalizer
FAQs
Are Orangewood guitars any good?
Started only in 2017 by the Park brothers, Orangewood is a reasonably new company in the musical instrument industry. Nonetheless, the company is proving itself with its high-quality and budget-friendly guitars and superior customer service.
In line with their vision, Orangewood also supports music education for every guitar purchased.
Where are Orangewood guitars located?
Founders, brothers Eddie and Sooj Park moved to California from Korea in 2004. After noticing a scarcity of high-quality but affordable guitars in the market, the brothers decided to provide a solution.
Thus, Orangewood Guitars officially launched in 2017. Currently, the company has its headquarters in Orange, California.
Are Orangewood guitars available in the UK?
Orangewood Guitars exclusively sell their guitars online. Before, the brand only sold products on their official website; however, they have recently placed their products on Amazon, providing more shipping options and reaching more places.
Moreover, Orangewood’s approach makes the guitars more affordable since you are dealing with the company directly.
Where are Orangewood guitars made?
Orangewood Guitars design and construct their instruments in California with the aid of local professionals. As such, you get an affordable instrument with superb tonal qualities and pristine sound. A professional team inspects each guitar to ensure the best “out of the box” experience.
How much is an Orangewood guitar?
Orangewood Guitar offers top-of-the-line guitars that are easy on your wallet. With a starting price of $125, the company provides numerous guitar options that can suit various players and their playing styles.
A team of professional technicians designs and inspects each guitar to ensure the best “out of the box” experience.
Editor’s Pick
Learning to play the guitar – or any musical instrument for that matter – is an exciting experience. With the various choices available, choosing one can be confusing. Hopefully, this article was able to shed some light and help you with your decision.
Orangewood Guitars is an excellent choice, especially for beginners with their affordable yet high-quality acoustic guitars.
Their Echo Torrefied Spruce Live, Rey Mahogany, and Ava Torrefied Spruce are some of its most popular products. It comes as no surprise either, considering that these products are sturdy and can fit well with various musical and playing styles.
