For the Discerning Guitarist
The only thing I would change about this guitar is the logo. Personally I think that the OG Orangewood logo with the old font would have better suited their "Retro" branded models, but that is a very small nitpick for me. Everything else is as close to perfect as I'd hope for in an acoustic under $300.
Some backstory that no one asked for: I got the email notification that Orangewood was going to be raising their prices due to the tariffs shortly after they announced the Overland product line, and I thought to myself "what better excuse to buy the dreadnaught that I've been wanting?" And the rest is history.
The guitar plays great right out of the box, and I was surprised that I didn't even need to do any truss rod adjustments. Everything is already dialed-in and working flawlessly, and it sounds great with the Earthwood strings that Orangewood put on before shipping it out. It's really a joy to play and listen to, with full, deep bass and distinct clear treble, this is an awesome and well-rounded guitar that would compliment just about any play style. This could be a fantastic first guitar for a beginner, or a reliable and good quality addition to the collection of an experienced player who knows what they're looking for.
The construction holds true to what Orangewood is known for: high quality with good attention to detail; a little on the heavier side, and very sturdy-feeling. Definitely gives the impression that it could take a beating if it had to. The smooth satin finish is very well done and looks great with the added bonus of not getting smudged or covered in fingerprints. I'm personally a fan of simple, boat-paddle style headstocks, so the redesigned one on the Overland Retro is a big winner for me.
The spruce soundboard looks awesome and sounds even better. The guitar I received had some "blemishes" in the wood grain - no dents, scratches or dings, just some inconsistencies in the color and grain itself - but nothing that was the cause of poor construction or the fault of the luthier. Some people might have an issue with the "imperfect wood grain," but I think it adds personality and character to the overall look of the guitar, and gives it a uniqueness that makes it special to me; I know there's no other guitar out there like the one I got.
The open-gear tuners look great and operate smoothly. I'm very happy that both the nut and bridge are bone, as that's usually one of the first things I upgrade on my acoustics to improve the sound and tuning stability. I'm always surprised with how often tuners get blamed for problems caused by cheap plastic nuts, but fortunately this isn't the case with this guitar. The only upgrade I have planned is replacing the plastic, ivory-colored bridge pins with some chrome metal pins that match the tuning pegs (an upgrade that can be done for less than $10 via AliExpress).
To conclude, this is an awesome guitar, and a 100% regret-free impulse purchase for me. I look forward to spending many more years with it, and am glad I got it before the price goes up.
