GUILD OM240-CE Acoustic Electric Guitar List Price: $625

This mid-sized orchestra shaped acoustic is equally suited for strumming and fingerpicking, and produces a sweet, balanced tone. The perfect choice for the versatile musician, the OM-240CE features a solid Sitka spruce top, mahogany sides, arched mahogany back, and an elegant cutaway for

GUILD OM240-CE Acoustic Electric Guitar List Price: $625

This mid-sized orchestra shaped acoustic is equally suited for strumming and fingerpicking, and produces a sweet, balanced tone. The perfect choice for the versatile musician, the OM-240CE features a solid Sitka spruce top, mahogany sides, arched mahogany back, and an elegant cutaway for access to higher frets. Guild’s signature arched back design allows for great volume and projection, long sustain, and a lush, full sound. The OM-240CE features Guild’s AP-1 pickup, an Indian rosewood fingerboard and bridge, bone nut and saddle, pearloid rosette, period-correct tortoiseshell pick guard, and a matte polyurethane finish.

The Guild OM-240CE is certainly in the lower price range for a 'big brand' acoustic, but pulling it from the bag you certainly couldn’t tell from its appearance - it looks fantastic! If you are used to “normal” sized guitars this will appear a bit small and is classed as an Orchestra body shape. This size of guitar is proving very popular with beginners as well as with seasoned pros, because they are often more comfortable, easier to play and transport. With advancements in woods and pickup technology you also don't lose much on the volume front, so recent years have seen a return to these smaller bodied types. The OM-240CE has a solid Sitka spruce top with laminated mahogany back and sides and a matte finish. Mahogany tends to offer warmth, depth with a focused mid range heavy voice, while the solid Sitka spruce top brings the top end ping to the overall tone making it ideal for finger picked Blues style playing, and Country strumming. Despite its comparatively small size, this guitar still resonates well and delivers a fair amount of acoustic volume - which is pretty clearly being amplified by the arched back concept.

Vintage open back tuners are fitted to the classy looking headstock, which were solid and held everything in tune, though I found the winders quite small which would make re-stringing a bit of an effort unless you have a string winder. The slim Mahogany C profile neck was a very comfortable shape, feeling much like a standard electric neck, and the rosewood board and fretwork were all smooth and well finished.

The OM-240CE also comes fitted with a Guild AP-1 Active piezo Pickup. This system uses soundhole mounted volume and tone controls, which keep everything tucked away. There was no built in tuner or any other EQ controls, so on first glance of this guitar you wouldn’t know it was an electro acoustic. It's a high quality pickup so you don’t lose much of the guitar's inherent tone when you plug it in and there were no feedback or humming issues.

The OM-240CE is a stellar acoustic guitar at a fantastic price, offering high build quality and great tone. Fitted with great hardware and a quality pickup system it's hard to fault this guitar in any area. It’s built with playability in mind and it really is a joy to play with great tones and build quality. Beginners and seasoned pros will equally love this guitar. You will be amazed.