ORMSBY GUITARS DIDN'T WORK FOR ME... (WHY I SOLD BOTH OF THEM)

Today's episode I reflect on Ormsby guitars hype GTR and why they ultimately did not work for me.

[@shanewalton8888]

So not a guitar to play cowboy chords on.

[@TopShelfGear]

Not exactly the best guitar to bring out to strum by the campfire 😂

[@Randyman4126]

YEE HAW🤠🤠 57 Tele just entered the chat..😂😂

[@thomascoolberth2648]

Forearm contour is ABSOLUTELY mandatory for my body shape. Neck profile I can just adjust to. The benefit of the multi scale is that you can keep the gauge of the lower strings more reasonable. Short scale on an 8 means you'll have telephone cables even at standard tuning.

[@TopShelfGear]

Well said! All good points 👉

[@calebelliottguitar]

I had a HypeGTR7 that I unfortunately had to sell for financial emergency reasons, but I absolutely miss it. They’re not for everyone but if you’re wanting that niche, they’re amazing instruments.

[@kevinobrien3888]

I appreciate your video. I am a huge Strandberg fanboy, but... lately i've been wanting something that suits me better. Ormsby on paper appears better. But maybe I'm wrong.

[@TopShelfGear]

@kevinobrien3888 thx, yea coming from stran berg i doubt this Ormsby would be a good fit. It's like the opposite of that ultra ergonomic shape. Lol

[@krymsix574]

The Ormsby GTR line is cheap enough you could always try one. Their coming out of World Instruments which also makes Schecter and LTDs high mid range offerings (think LTD 1000 and Deluxe series). The necks feel similar to an ESP neck. They're not super thin but they're also not a baseball bat. I recently got a SX GTR model and it's extremely playable. I'd say the biggest draw ack is the stock bridge hunbucket feels like it has less output than even a JB. I'm not using super low tuning, I just like the idea of having good/high strings tension with lighter strings. If you get the chance, try one out. They're available for about the price of an LTD 1000 series and can always be resold for about what you put into it.

[@jackbootshamangaming4541]

I have a Goliath which I bought in January, it's one they brough to NAMM with them, it was the first guitar I ever spent over a grand on(least at once), I've now bought 3 other Ormsby's, a Demanufacture, Copper Top Hype GTR, and a Headless V, all 7 strings.

[@TopShelfGear]

Glad they worked for you!

[@jackbootshamangaming4541]

@@TopShelfGear I'm sad they didn't work for you. My first Hype GTR is finally on the way, it's the Copper Top, but I also ordered one of the Evertune 7 Hype GTIs, the Azure one. I would have gone for one of the more unique looking ones, like you got, but they only had 6 string ones as they were last run(pretty sure) and mostly out. I really wanted the Evertune and to keep the fanfrets, so I went with the Hype GTI. Although I think you'd maybe like the new Hype GTIs and such that are Standard Scales. I don't have big hands, but I REALLY have come to love fanfrets, although I've yet to play a multiscale that's got a headstock, my copper shipped out just today. I'll have to see then. The necks I love myself, I really can't wait to try the 18mm consistent D shape that is on the demanufacture. I normally liked C necks before Ormsby, and I still stick to C outside them, but I love the Ds from them myself. They don't feel overly chunky to me. The output jacks on mine are all great, they've been relocated as you said. They're all recessed and out of the way, least the models I have so far. I know I sound like a shill, but they've really impressed me so much. I got a Strandberg this year as well, and I love the thing, but I prefer the Goliath still.

[@headbangerdnb]

How's the neck on them Dino sigs? I'm thinking of getting the Max Blak one (run 19). Does your Demanufacture feel chunky? Been playing Ibanez for 20 years and I'm a little scared buying from another brand given how easy Ibanez guitars are to play.

[@BetoxSound]

necks shoulders have been thinner since run8-9 guitars(released 5 yrs ago), same as the output jack. As for the 1st fret angle, that comes to playing technique. Reason why you are touching the nut with your hand is because you are approaching the guitar like a standard scale, in which results in a much narrow area for the fret (if you see the fretboard like a paralel fret) reason why you touch the nut. With a multiscale you need to angle your hand to follow the fan. Think about it this way, do an F bar chord on the 1st fret, your index finger should be angled to follow the fret (same goes with power chords) this will help to reduce the angle break on your wrist and will force you to bring your elbow closer to your body which help to reduce fatigue too. It might be hard to adapt, but once you do its an easy and comfortable guitar to play. Give it a try on your other multiscales

[@TopShelfGear]

thanks for your input, good to know! I get what you mean with the supination of the wrist, it can feel a little unnatural but makes sense to follow that fan shape. For me this works on less extreme fans like my other guitars, but just felt like the 25.5-27.5 was a little too extreme for my taste. Overall great guitars though, I would consider revisiting them in the future.

[@Wyatt.D.Loiselle]

I personally would love to have an Ormsby, SPECIFICLY because of that aggressive fan. If I was to have it in drop F or E on the 7 string models, then the scale would allow for thinner strings and more ease of playing. And as far as "catching" your hand on the nut... it's not hard to file down or get used to. I deal with it on my basses and it has never been a problem for me personally, although some people are picky I guess... I agree with the neck profile and forearm contour. I personally like to have a much larger forearm contour like a MM JP6. The bevel reminds me of my Dingwall basses (NG3s).

[@TopShelfGear]

totally fair points indeed. The 27.5" on the low end feels nice. My OD is setup where the bone nut is actually sitting at an angle so doesn't stick up as much on the treble side. (Still less extreme of a fan though) Often comes to personal preference! :)

[@jonathanshaver3001]

I agree completely about having only a couple of compromises max. I recently sold, what I thought was my absolute dream Ibanez, an RGD3127 because of the same neck issue you had. The neck was as thin as any other neck I've played, but it just had too much shoulder and made it feel thick. That paired with the right arm contour, which felt like I had to force my forearm to stay in the right spot. Anyways, always look forward to an upload from you, you seem to share a lot of the sentiments I look for in a guitar. Cheers!

[@TopShelfGear]

Thanks for watching! I'm glad these points were well received. There's so many "reviews and demos" on guitars which showcase the sound but no one seems to talk about thr actual feel and playability of the actual guitar. For me if I'm already frustrated with the lack of ergonomics, what good is the sound when plugged in? Lol

[@jonathanshaver3001]

@@TopShelfGear absolutely, and that's a HUGE reason I've started watching your videos. Most people list off the specs and point out the fit and finish and don't go into the feel so much. Your channel is a breath of fresh air, especially because you cover instruments I don't usually see and am interested in, such as that gorgeous OD. The biggest realization I've had recently is just how much of a difference ergonomics make. That Ibanez sounded phenomenal but just didn't feel the way I wanted. My friend was calling me crazy because I sold that guitar but kept my GOC which feels perfect for me.

[@Niklas13480]

I feel exactly the same about the points you have made. The typical fan on these multiscale guitars is just too big, it made riffing and chords around the first few frets much harder/very annoying to deal with, which completely overshadows the benefits of the multiscale concept imo. I also was not too hyped (pun intended) on the neck shape either, as I much rather prefer the thin necks of ibanez guitars or modern jacksons. So I just recently sold mine too (SX GTR Shark from run 7) and luckily found a local distributor who still had one of these 26.5" Ormsby DC GTR 6 signature guitars with no fanned frets and a thinner D-shaped neck. It is actually supposed to arrive today, so I am stoked to find out if this is the solution to the things I disliked about my previous ormsby, as the guitar was really great aside from the points mentioned.

[@TopShelfGear]

Thanks for checking out the video! Glad you could share a similar experience. A huge issue with that extreme fan fret indeed. Lots of room for improvements! Hope that new one works better! Comment on here let me know how it goes thx

[@Niklas13480]

@@TopShelfGear you are welcome dude. and I am happy to report that my new Ormsby DC GTR 6 is way better than I ever would have imagined. the build quality is top notch (I couldn't find any flaws yet), the neck is very thin (very close to the ibanez neck), the body contours are comfortable, it's light weight and sounds absolutely huge. as soon as I opened the case I had a big smile on my face. It definitely is a keeper. If you get the chance to try one of these, please do so! I am sure you will not regret it. if I am not mistaken they are actually relaunching the run for this model (but with a very slight fan). I don't have insta, but I could send you some photos if there is some other way to get in touch.

[@TopShelfGear]

@@Niklas13480 that's awesome! so happy for you bro!

[@nikolayew]

I have two Ormsbys one 8 String Dragon Burst run 5 (2018) or basically similar like you have described in the video. And the second one Hype GTR Shark (2023/2024). Besides that I actually love the older version, the company have changed few things over the years. The neck is thinner, with improved access. The body is slightly lighter (semi hollow) and the input jack is recessed in the body. I think the pickups are totally fine as well, but I have built in Bare Knuckle Painkiller into the older one. The pickup did not change much and I think strings thickness and brand will have bigger impact. By the way I have small hands for a guy and short fingers (but i dont mind the scale length at all.)

[@TopShelfGear]

Thanks for sharing your experience. Wow I bet that 8 string was a behemoth! lol. I am glad to see some improvements in the neck shape along with the output jack location. That's good they made revisions. Chambered for me is always a plus. On a 7/8 string especially those can get pretty heavy so weight relief is nice. I love the BK painkillers. I have that set on my OD Venus and they are amazing. I think Orsmby just needs to offer some standard scales as well as some perhaps less extreme fan frets for example 25.5-26.5 or 25.5-27 for 6 strings.

[@nikolayew]

@@TopShelfGear I think they actually do now. But I hope they dont focus too much on the normal stuff the market is already oversaturated and there are many good options. I love the they do smth that not many companies are doing regarding color and shape options especially at that price!

[@denverwalker9078]

I tried an Ormsby in a music store recently and was very surprised by how chunky the neck was, definitely a turn off

[@TopShelfGear]

Yea! It's a bummer alright...

[@joshuasalgado4694]

Yeah, you’d think with them trying to go the ergonomic route with the fanned fret, must have been a weird surprise. They missed the mark on those additional ergonomics that would make the guitar more comfortable to play. Glad I stayed away from these. Happy with my Vola Michael Keene sig👌🏻

[@jackbootshamangaming4541]

@@joshuasalgado4694 Kiesel doesn't have anywhere near as thin of necks as Ormsby does with their 18mm D

[@BlazinLow305]

I sold my older run Hypes exactly for those reasons. I have a couple of newer ones now, and it's all solved! The neck profile(they call it the "revised d shapes") feels more in line with what you'd expect from a Jackson or something.

[@TopShelfGear]

Great to know!

[@dingoguitar]

Love the insight you gave on ormsby guitars. Definitely a lot of stuff i didn't know about

[@TopShelfGear]

Yes! was a very cool brand overall. No complaints as far as quality or workmanship just some design flaws that made them very awkward to play. Hope to see some improvements in the future.

[@chaos4316]

Each to their own I guess. 🤷‍♂️ I have 3 Ormsby’s, including their latest Shark. Perhaps it’s an overture to say they’re an acquired taste, because I think every guitarist could gain something out of using one. I’ve used them frequently on stage and in studio, and they’ve never let me down. Build quality is always top notch, and they’re a wicked team to deal with.

[@TopShelfGear]

I'm thinking about giving it another chance. I see the newer runs have standard scale options and they have relocated the output jack. Fixing those 2 things would be fantastic!

[@qofblades9050]

I have an Ormsby TX 7 string. My gripe is I can't change the pickups to what I want because of its baseplate/configuration and I'm really not big fan of their pickups. I agree it has quite a big chunky D-shaped neck and it's kind of difficult to play chords and fast riffs especially in the first few frets.

[@TopShelfGear]

Yup, well said. Unfortunately in this case the negatives out weight the positives. Coop brand overall just wish they would make some more revisions

[@ricktheexplorer]

Whoa, that output jack. That neck profile. Those fanned frets. That block of wood backing.Thank you very much, you saved me time & money. I hope Ormsby sees this review; I'm sure they want to evolve, and this can help them improve. Good Job.

[@timothybarrett5794]

they have actually changed their necks a lot their necks are definitely thinner than my Kiesel with thinner neck profiles

[@SwainBjornstrandt]

I wanted to try one of them. Sounds like I want. Mostly because I play in classical position. Oh well... Another prestige then.

[@TopShelfGear]

Yeah probably way more ergonomic with the Prestige lol

[@SwainBjornstrandt]

@@TopShelfGear the prestiges have been my guitars since 2005. So yeah.... If it ain't broke...

[@wheatrock]

Problem for me was the pickup was too far away from the bridge, and ended up sounding too flubby and a lack of definition. Tried different pickups too... same result. Sold it.

[@TopShelfGear]

Yup I can understand that. Just didn't quite work out. Bummer 😔

[@efeefendioglu2584]

6 string with that much scale difference is kinda crazy but tbh it serves what most Ormsby players needs

[@TopShelfGear]

Yeah very extreme fan but does feel nice especially on the low end

[@lebarak69]

The 25.5-27.8 on the 7 string is wider than most 8 strings! I think the sweet spot is a 1.5” spread.

[@TopShelfGear]

Yeah in many cases its just overkill going that wide. I like 25.5-26.5 myself or 25.5-27" tops

[@1-eye-willy]

that headstock looks sick, but anybody whos owned a bc rich with the warlock headstock knows the ornate tips are the first to chip when you bump it into stuff.

[@TopShelfGear]

This is true! At least these aren't as wide and heavy as something like the BC rich. Still gotta be careful tho

[@bearmadden1776]

Ah yes, the Blackmachine PDF passed around on forums to anyone who'd dare question their superiority. It was a great example of WOM marketing done right. Didn't make the guitars magical super special. They were/are just well built electric guitars. But the whole mythology around them was very entertaining. Ormsby... well, if there was any way to DM you I'd tell you a nice story about them.

[@TopShelfGear]

Would love to hear it! IG @savagepandaprojects (my other yt channel)

[@bearmadden1776]

@@TopShelfGear Dmed you :)

[@BlazinLow305]

I'd be very curious to hear it as well!

[@Kataklysme666]

Did you notice any balance problems when playing standing up? Like neck diving or naturally in a bad position?

[@TopShelfGear]

Not the best balance but also not severe neck dive. The most recent one I tried was crazy light about 6.2 lbs

[@Azathoth43]

I do that too. Like, if you're a custom builder and you offer a 6-string model with a Floyd but you don't offer a 7-string with a Floyd? You're not getting my money. So silly.

[@giacomogalli2448]

I feel like it's only awkward at first coming from standard scale, all it takes is to drop the elbow and let the natural fan of the hand do the job

[@TopShelfGear]

For general multi scale use absolutely no problem. Just noting the 2" fan difference is quite extreme compared to most other brands.

[@timothybarrett5794]

I own 2 Kiesel cm6 guitars and I prefer the ormsby 2 inch of fan wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy more the CM6 haven't been played in over a year while I have 3 different Ormsby guitars I play daily 25.5-26.5 sounds weak and floppy compared to 25.5- 27-5 personally especially in drop c what I play in

[@TopShelfGear]

I'm kinda surprised the 25.5-26.5 would feel floppy in drop C. Seems like most bands over the years would just use normal 25.5" scale guitars for drop c. That 27.5" does feel nice when going super low. For me the nut angle was just too extreme. All preference though!

[@timothybarrett5794]

@@TopShelfGear well I do use 432hz so its actually closer to b than c

[@efeefendioglu2584]

​@@TopShelfGearit might be about string gauges as well so if he's going for a thinner c string it makes sense for him to need longer scale