NGD McNally OM32

Shadow · January 2023

I posted back in December about a visit to Mak's Guitars in London where I tried Bourgeois, Atkin and McNally OMs. I was particularly taken with the cedar/walnut McNally but at just over £3000 it was out of reach. However, after intensive negotiations with she who controls the purse strings and the sale of my Eastman E8OM-TC, she agreed it was doable.

When I spotted that the Foundation series had increased in price by £500 in August I decided I needed to get on with it as Ciaran only produces around 60 instruments a year in total so there are unlikely to be any more at the lower price. When I saw that Mak was getting an OM32 (Sitka/Indian rosewood) I assumed it would be at the higher price, so it was a very pleasant surprise to find it wasn't. Time for a 6 hour round trip to London to compare the two!

I spoke to Mak last Friday to say I'd be coming down on Wednesday (yesterday) and asked if he'd be able to keep the guitars back to save me having a wasted journey, which he very kindly agreed to do.

I arrived at lunchtime and Mak set me up in the downstairs showroom where I spent the next 90 minutes comparing the two guitars with absolutely no interruptions. As I play exclusively fingerstyle I expected to prefer the OM21. It's a fabulous instrument and everything I played, in standard, dropped D, DADGAD and CGDGBD sounded lovely, but everything I played on the OM32 sounded even better except CGDGBD where the low E on the 21 stood up better to being tuned down two tones. Other than that though, there was an extra clarity and balance to the 32 which meant that had to be the one. The extra brightness to the trebles was in no way sharp or metallic which can be a tendency with rosewood, and which was the case with my Eastman.

At home, even my wife, who would normally say it sounds just like another guitar, said how nice it sounded.

I can't recommend Mak highly enough, a lovely guy who is great to deal with.

PSA a Hiscox OM case fits very securely in the overhead luggage racks on a train.

I'll try to get some sound samples up later. The following photos are of my guitar but taken from the McNally Facebook page (as I can't do any better) apart from the one of the supplied self-adhesive pickguard (nice touch) and the one showing shedloads of saddle.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/mQsNo6zSMUc34aar8

bertie · January 2023

Cedar on Walnut.............. interesting combo, Id like to hear TBH but you cant go wrong with spruce on r/w

Mellish · January 2023

@Shadow ; congrats mate. If it sounds good and looks good, you're almost there.

Playability? If a setup needed, I'll gladly tell you who does mine.

Benm39 · January 2023

Lovely!!

Dave_Mc · January 2023

Excellent!

Soupman · January 2023

Very elegant, even down to the black bridge pins.

Shadow · January 2023

Mellish said:

@Shadow ; congrats mate. If it sounds good and looks good, you're almost there.

Playability? If a setup needed, I'll gladly tell you who does mine.

Cheers Mellish. It plays really well. Action is 2.5 mm on the low E which I would have thought was a bit high, but 1.75 and the high E and it works really well. You're in Lincolnshire right? I live just outside Hull.

Shadow · January 2023

Soupman said:

Very elegant, even down to the black bridge pins.

I love the black headstock too.

thomasross20 · January 2023

Sweet Lord

tomjax · January 2023

I've been eyeing up an OM31, so good to hear a great review of a McNally. Agree about Maks too, a fabulous shop.

Shadow · January 2023

tomjax said:

I've been eyeing up an OM31, so good to hear a great review of a McNally. Agree about Maks too, a fabulous shop.

It's a shame there aren't more dealers that stock McNally, though he doesn't produce many. The only other dealer I know of in England is Project Music in Exeter and that's definitely not a day trip for me.

Mellish · January 2023

@Shadow ; yes mate, South Lincolnshire.
2.5mm at 12th for the 6th string isn't bad. That's exactly what I have on this OM-28.
But if you need it lower let me know and I'll PM the guy I recommend.

Shadow · January 2023

Mellish said:

@Shadow ; yes mate, South Lincolnshire.
2.5mm at 12th for the 6th string isn't bad. That's exactly what I have on this OM-28.
But if you need it lower let me know and I'll PM the guy I recommend.

Cheers Mellish. I'll see how I go but I appreciate the offer.

Mellish · January 2023

@Shadow ; no worries.

TheMadMick · January 2023

If it sounds as good as it looks, you're onto a winner.

I really like cedar / walnut. I have an Avalon in that config and it's more articulate than the equivalent with a spruce top.

Shadow · January 2023

TheMadMick said:

If it sounds as good as it looks, you're onto a winner.

I really like cedar / walnut. I have an Avalon in that config and it's more articulate than the equivalent with a spruce top.

I'm naturally drawn to cedar/walnut but in this case the extra clarity of the sitka/rosewood without being in any way brash was what made up my mind.

Ungulate · January 2023

Looks great, I played a McNally in project Music Exeter before leaving with a Brook, I was impressed though!

Shadow · January 2023

Ungulate said:

Looks great, I played a McNally in project Music Exeter before leaving with a Brook, I was impressed though!

I've never been in the same room as a Brook. I've heard a lot of good things about them though.

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NGD McNally OM32

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