Here is a rare lefty preowned 2014 Rod Schenk Ophirio Reserve guitar. I sold this guitar new and it’s back from its original owner. The Ophirio is the smallest guitar Rod builds, with a size and shape reminiscent of an OM, but with Rod’s innovative bracing design. These guitars are wonderful instruments, with great sustain, balance and tons of shimmering overtones. Terrific fingerstyle instrument.
The guitar is in excellent condition, with some light play wear, just a couple of very small dings in the top that are too insignificant to photograph, and two marks on the heel of the neck by the strap pin. The neck carve is definitely on the slimmer side, so if you like a smaller neck, you will love this guitar. Great setup with a nice low action and minimal fret wear. I ordered this guitar with an optional Adirondack top, which is beautifully striped with hints of bearclaw and it has aged to a fine golden shade. Other options were the rosewood back and sides, abalone rosette, maple purfling, 12th fret scroll inlay, and the macassar ebony “microbevel” on the top which make the guitar very comfortable to play. Other features include a macassar ebony headstock overlay, Gotoh 510 tuners and a bone nut and saddle. Rod’s guitars have become extremely expensive in recent years, to build this guitar new today, it would list over $9,000.
The Ophirio won the 2011 Guitar of the Year for Acoustic Guitar magazine’s Players’ Choice Awards. This guitar embodies a more traditional American shape combined with all the innovation and design associated with a Schenk guitar. Its smaller body is easy to maneuver and packs an impressive acoustic punch and keeps giving the gift of sustain. Rod got his start by performing an engineering analysis on truss rod and bracing for California luthier Kevin Ryan, and built his first Schenk guitar in 2005. Handbuilt in Washington state, Rod Schenk’s guitars have won multiple Acoustic Guitar Magazine Player’s Choice Gold awards, and it’s easy to see why.
Condition: Excellent; Top: Adirondack red spruce; Back and sides: east Indian rosewood; Neck: Mahogany; Nut: 1 3/4; Width: 15; Depth: 4 1/2; Scale: 25.5; Binding: Ebony; Purfling: Maple; Rosette: abalone