“Don’t let the small body fool you. It's not your average mini guitar”: Orangewood has launched a short-scale signature acoustic guitar that is designed to feel like an electric
Genre-bending guitarist Ruben Wan has helped design a 23.5" scale length acoustic that looks to provide the comfort and playability of electrics
(Image credit: Orangewood)
Orangewood has launched its latest Artist Series acoustic guitar, the Magnolia Live, which has been crafted in collaboration with Ruben Wan.
The guitarist, songwriter, and producer has been part of Orangewood’s family since day dot, demoing its first-ever releases back in 2018.
His blend of R&B, gospel, Urban Latin, and pop made him a natural fit with the brand, and now they’ve created their first guitar together.
Interestingly, Wan’s preferred musical weapon is an electric guitar – a world in which Orangewood has not yet dabbled.
Speaking to Guitar World in 2021, Wan spoke about his love for the instrument, and so when it came to building a custom acoustic, Wan craved a guitar “that emulated the smoothness and comfort of his favorite electrics.”
That explains the Magnolia’s Mini Grand Concert Body shape, which has been accessorized with a Fishman Flex 2-band EQ system and built-in tuner. A push/push bass control toggles the phase, which helps improve the guitar’s bass response when played at lower volumes.
Magnolia Live | Artist Series Demo ft. Ruben Wan | Orangewood - YouTube
Wan’s preference for light, pliable strings is reflected here, with Ernie Ball Earthwood Phosphor Bronze Extra Light 10-51 arriving as standard. This set further enhances the “slinkiness and playability” of this compact 23.5” scale length acoustic.
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“Don’t let the small body fool you,” its creators say, “[It's] not your average mini guitar. This mini grand concert packs a punch.” Orangewood adds that the small-but-mighty new offering is its most comfortable build yet.
(Image credit: Orangewood)
Solid Sitka spruce is the top wood choice here, with layered sapele/mahogany on its back and sides. It has a mahogany neck, and a rosewood fretboard and bridge.
Aesthetically, its minimalist and sleek Black Satin finish is given touches of gold via its pickguard and die-cast tuners.
“I wanted to make a guitar that both current me and 15-year-old me would love,” Wan details. “Comfort was key, making it ideal for beginners to learn and grow, while still meeting the demands of what I need to perform now.
(Image credit: Orangewood)
“Ruben's vision for an acoustic guitar with the playability of an electric was a driving force behind this project,” adds Orangewood’s co-founder, Eddie Park. “His insights on production and touring helped to create a truly versatile instrument that can take hours of practice while still making a statement on stage.
“The Magnolia captures the warmth and intimacy of an acoustic while offering the comfort and playability that electric guitarists will appreciate.”
In March, Orangewood released “a powerhouse dreadnought made for genre-defying artists” in collaboration with fingerstyle player, Alejandro Aranda. Now Wan is its latest signature guitar artist.
The Magnolia Live ships with a gig bag and costs $495. It is available direct from the Orangewood website.
A freelance writer with a penchant for music that gets weird, Phil is a regular contributor to Prog, Guitar World, and Total Guitar magazines and is especially keen on shining a light on unknown artists. Outside of the journalism realm, you can find him writing angular riffs in progressive metal band, Prognosis, in which he slings an 8-string Strandberg Boden Original, churning that low string through a variety of tunings. He's also a published author and is currently penning his debut novel which chucks fantasy, mythology and humanity into a great big melting pot.
