Orangewood Sage Review: Why You Need It In Your Life

Alizabeth Swain

If you're anything like me, you're probably always looking for ways to save a couple of bucks. In the guitar world, sometimes trying to save yourself a couple of dollars will make a huge difference in the quality you invest in.

Orangewood guitars a recently taken the internet by storm. Honestly, you've probably heard of Orangewood guitars at least once today, unless you live under a rock.

If you haven't heard of Orangewood guitars recently, that's okay. I was also living under a rock for a little bit. I only discovered Orangewood guitars when I began searching around for a budget-friendly acoustic guitar that I could bring around with me while I traveled. Basically, I'm one of those acoustic guitar players that love to bring my guitar with me and play at parties, bonfires, and any gathering I have with my friends.

But, there are a lot of guitars that orange would offer. And in this Orangewood Sage review, I'm going to specifically take a look at the Orangewood Sage Mahogany acoustic guitar. I'm here to tell you whether or not I think this guitar is worth it and what you can expect if you do decide to invest in this instrument. 

Bottom Line Upfront

The Orangewood Sage Mahogany is a beautiful guitar. It's not the cheapest guitar offered by Orangewood, and you can definitely tell there's a difference in the quality of build, playability, and sound quality from the Sage Mahogany. If you're looking for a guitar that's going to amaze, this is it. 

A Closer Look at the Orangewood Sage Mahogany

What is the Orangewood Sage Mahogany all about? I'm here to show you all the up-close and personal details you need to know: 

The Build

The Orangewood Sage Mahogany is completely made up of solid wood. If you're an experienced guitar player, you can probably tell the difference in sound when you're playing on a solid wood guitar vs. laminate. But, I'm here to tell you: there's no lamination! 

In terms of the shape of this acoustic guitar, it's a grand auditorium-shaped acoustic. But what's the difference between a grand auditorium-shaped acoustic and a dreadnought? 

A dreadnought tends to have a bigger and bolder sound in the lower ranges. A grand auditorium has a well-rounded sound, so you're not going to be too heavy on your lower end. I think the grand auditorium-shaped acoustics are the best to use if you're looking to record with an acoustic guitar. 

Why?

You aren't going to get a heavy end. Instead, you're going to get a beautifully balanced sound. I think the Orangewood Sage Mahogany would fit wonderfully inside a few different genres of music! 

And if you've spent a while shopping around, you probably know how expensive solid wood guitars can be. My favorite part about the Orangewood Sage Mahogany acoustic guitar is that you don't have to consider selling your firstborn to afford the price of a solid wood acoustic guitar! 

Moving on, you'll find the fingerboard is made up of ebony. The neck of this guitar is made up of mahogany as well.

But, the best part of the build?

It's the open gear Grover tuners! Ah, they're so beautiful.

Of course, if you look closely, you'll find Orangewood did a beautiful job on the fingerboard. It's clean, with no splinters, no non-sense. The nut and saddle are both from Tusq. Talk about pure beauty, am I right? 

Playability

I think the most underrated part of this guitar is the finish and how it affects the playability. On the back of the neck, you'll find the mahogany has a satin finish. The finish is so easy to slide my hands across without any friction or stickiness; I find it can sometimes come with other finishes. 

But, I also love the size of the body. I was abode to tuck the guitar into my body, which isn't always an easy feat. I have a smaller stature and smaller fingers, so I sometimes find playing a grand auditorium guitar a bit tricky. However, I didn't have any difficulty Playing fingerstyle on his guitar or even gently picking it. I also noticed that the guitar responded well to strumming while I was picking with my thumbs. 

But, I do think that if you're someone who's used to playing a Dreadnought guitar, you may not feel like you're getting the same punch out of this acoustic guitar as you would get with your typical dreadnought. 

Sound

I know that everyone has their own opinions on sound. After all, we all have our own preferred sounds. However, it's hard to argue with the quality sound that Orangewood guitars produce. 

The warmth and brightness Orangewood Sage Mahogany provides are amazing. I think it would be perfect for anyone looking to write songs or perform an acoustic live set. 

Aesthetics & Accessories

With your purchase of an Orangewood Sage Mahogany, you aren't getting a cheap gig bag. Instead, you'll actually have your hands on a high-quality hardshell case. 

I think the aesthetic of a hard shell case is so impactful. I know I take a guitarist so much more seriously when they walk in with a hard shell case rather than a gig bag. 

I don't think enough people are talking about how aesthetically pleasing the Orangewood Sage Mahogany is! I love how clean this guitar looks. I think a lot of guitar manufacturers try to focus on making a guitar that's luxurious looking or fancy. I haven't really seen anyone focus on making a clean-looking guitar. 

But Orangewood did it. And they did it well, I must say! You can really appreciate the cleanliness of the design by taking a look at the 12th fret. I love the little design Orangewood has there; it reminds me of a whale tail! 

Not to mention, I'm absolutely obsessed with the open gear Grover tuners. I think they're so unique looking and add to the overall rusticness of the Orangewood Sage Mahogany. 

The body has double-binding on it. Another small detail I fell in love with is the patterned arrow inlay around the binding on the body. Nothing flashy. Just simple and stunning!

Pros and Cons

Now, let's take a closer look at the pros and cons that the Orangewood Sage mahogany guitar has to offer:

Pros:

  • Budget-friendly guitars, even though they're higher end 
  • LR Baggs Anthem pickup is available for those who are interested 
  • Even harmonics 
  • Well-balanced tone
  • Low action 

Cons: 

  • Only available online
  • A bit on the pricier side, especially for Orangewood guitars 
  • I don't love the strings that come installed on this guitar should stay; I would honestly recommend you install strings that you know and trust

Other Alternatives to Consider 

If you don't feel like the Orangewood Sage Mahogany is the best choice for you, don't worry! There are plenty of other options out there for you to choose from. Here are a couple of other acoustic guitars I would highly recommend you look into: 

Orangewood Duke Live

orangewood duke live

If you're looking for an acoustic guitar that's even more responsive to your strumming patterns than the sage mahogany, I would recommend you look into this guitar. It's an extra-large guitar, and it's a great option to look into if you love to rock out with your strum patterns. 

Plus, this isn't a quiet acoustic guitar either. Due to the larger body featured on this acoustic guitar, there's a lot more resonation end sound. So if you've found the sage mahogany to be a little too quiet for your needs, I suggest you look into this guitar. 

Epiphone DR-100

Epiphone Songmaker DR-100

Another gorgeous mahogany guitar, but from a well-known and beloved manufacturer. This acoustic guitar has a beautiful sound. However, I would only recommend this guitar to someone who's looking to buy a name brand.

I think this is a pricey guitar that doesn't give nearly as much quality as the Orangewood Sage Mahogany does. But, if you're dedicated to buying name brands, this guitar isn't bad. 

Taylor GS Mini

Taylor GS Mini Mahogany GS Mini Acoustic Guitar

If you like the Orangewood Sage Mahogany because it's comfortable to play, the Taylor GS Mini is a smaller-sized acoustic. But, what it's lacking in body, it makes up for in sound.

This acoustic guitar has a booming sound. The biggest problem I've run into with this guitar is it's difficult to find any! 

FAQs

Question: Are Orangewood guitars worth it?

Answer: I definitely think so! You're saving money on a guitar that you would probably buy in-store anyway. You're just cutting out the middle man and buying directly from the Orangewood site. They're absolutely amazing!

Question: Are solid mahogany guitars good?

Answer: I think solid mahogany guitars are best used as an accompaniment. If you're looking for an acoustic guitar to play while you're singing or if you're in a band, I would recommend you go with a solid mahogany guitar. However, I don't think solid mahogany guitars are the best if you play a lot of fingerstyles. 

Question: How long does Orangewood take to ship?

Answer: Once you click 'order' on your Orangewood Sage Mahogany guitar, you should expect it to arrive on your doorstep within seven business days! 

Conclusion: Is Orangewood Sage Worth the Hype?

Yes, without a doubt! I think it's one of the best guitars that Orangewood has to offer, honestly. I also love how Orangewood gives you the option to choose between buying an acoustic or an acoustic-electric guitar, with a difference in pricing (of course).

I would've been sad if Orangewood only offered this as an acoustic guitar, but I'm happy to see that serious buyers have the option to choose the better fit for their playing journey. 

The biggest drawback that I see to this guitar is that it's only available to buy online. I know that when you're getting ready to Shell out a couple of hundred dollars to purchase a new guitar, it's always a good idea to go in-store to test it out. Honestly, that's always a piece of advice that I give to anyone, no matter how much they're looking to spend on a guitar.

 But, that's not something that you're able to do when you purchase any Orangewood acoustic guitar. The positive spin to this is that because they don't offer their guitars in the store, you're able to save a lot of money in the long run. You don't have to worry about sacrificing quality to save yourself a couple of bucks. 

In the end, I think we have concluded that the Orangewood Sage Mahogany is totally worth the hype. 

Author
Alizabeth Swain
Alizabeth Swain has played guitar for as long as she can remember, starting when she was just a kid in ‘band camp’. With over nine years of musical training, she knows all too well the painful lessons that come from choosing the right guitar, finding great online lessons, and spending those hours and hours learning a new song. Here to help all newbies (and some more experienced guitar players too) get set up right, find the right songs to play, and add to their guitar collections. When she's not writing or learning a new song on her guitar, you can find her fashion blogging on her YouTube channel or creating new products for her cruelty-free cosmetic company.
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