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Michael O’Leary - 2016 "Exclusive" No. 205

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Overview

Michael O’Leary was born in the picturesque medieval village of Graignamanagh, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland. His workshop is located nearby in Milford Carlow. Michael played guitar from an early age, influenced by his father, who was also a keen player. He grew up in an environment rich in music, of which the guitar held pride of place. Michael followed a rich family tradition in the art of creativity and found working with fine woods his most gratifying medium of expression.
Michael O’Leary is one of Ireland’s most renowned luthiers. He builds around nine guitars a year with his son Alec. His guitars are made with a unique bracing system that combines features of both lattice bracing and fan bracing concepts to produce truly phenomenal guitars. This concept was developed due to constructive discussions and feedback from some of the world’s greatest players, including the Assad Duo, David Russell, Berta Rojas, Manuel Barrueco, John Williams, Xuefei Yang, Aniello Desiderio, Roland Dyens, and more. Many of these players own an O’Leary guitar and play it regularly in concert.

This remarkable guitar from 2021 is the "Exclusive" model, representing the pinnacle of craftsmanship by Michael O’Leary in his Irish workshop. It features a spruce soundboard paired with a stunning African ebony back and sides, showcasing O’Leary’s distinctive design elements such as the intertwined rosette, elevated fingerboard, and braceless back. The construction of this guitar allows for a massive volume while preserving a balanced beauty and subtlety of tone. Its impeccable setup ensures effortless playability. Despite being a second-hand instrument, it remains in excellent condition with minimal playing marks, ready to excel in any concert situation.

Luthier: Michael O'Leary
Construction year: 2016
Construction type: Lattice
Top: Spruce
Back and sides: Ebony
Finish: Nitrocellulose
Air body frequency: G
Scale: 650 mm
Nut: 52 mm
Weight: 2500 grams
Strings: Knobloch - EDC 34.0
Case: CC Cases
Condition: Excellent
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Video overview

Michael O'leary - 2016 "Exclusive" No. 205 Classical Guitar Review
Four Remarkable Instruments! Weekly Guitar Meeting #114 - Oldiges, Kirschner, Eden, O'Leary

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  • Luthier: Hans-Hermann Herb
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