A division of Circle Strings in Burlington, Vermont, Iris Guitar Company is a small team of highly-skilled and seasoned luthiers who are dedicated to building a modern instrument that captures vintage-inspired tone and aesthetics. Iris guitars are handmade using a combination of state of the art techniques and old-world craftsmanship.
For Iris, the OG Model is where it all began! It's a smallish body with slope shoulders and a relatively wide waist. It has a comfortable 25” scale and an equally comfy C-shape neck. According to the 2019 review in Acoustic Guitar Magazine: ”Overall, it has a warm and dry voice, with an impressive midrange response. It takes equally well to being strummed with a pick or fingerpicked, in standard or open tunings, and it has a generous amount of headroom and projection.”
This 12-fret OG (#192) features a Sunburst top finish, a Firestripe pickguard, a European Spruce top, and Figured Mahogany back and sides. The catalog OG specs call for a 1-11/16" nut, but this one has a friendly 1-3/4" nut width, which seems appropriate with the slotted headstock. Like a lot of 12-fret guitars, this OG has openness and depth you don't expect from a small body guitar. Its sound has nice balance across the register, and it is not lacking in that classic Mahogany mid range. The European Spruce top feels responsive and dynamic.
The build date on this Iris OG is July of 2021, and it has been played and enjoyed over the years. It shows some signs of play and use, especially the back of the neck and the bass side of the top where the finish has been worn and polished. Around the body binding, there is some dark staining, possibly from the case plush. The original tuners have been upgraded with top-of-the-line Waverly tuning machines, and the nut and saddle have both been upgraded to hand-fit bone parts. The previous owner used a soundhole pickup, so the end block has been drilled to accommodate a 1/2" endpin jack. There is currently a Stew Mac NoJak unpin in place.
This 2021 Iris OG has a comfortable, approachable setup, and the frets are pristine. It includes its original hardshell case.