Brendan O'Gorman Moir 12 Fret - Dark Forest Century Cypress & Birdseye Maple #3426BC

The Brendan O'Gorman Moir 12 Fret in Dark Forest Century Cypress and Birdseye Maple is not simply a guitar with unusual woods. It is a singular piece of modern lutherie, the kind of instrument that seems to have arrived from some private corner of the natural world. Every material choice feels intentional, every line feels considered, and every detail works toward the same end: an acoustic guitar that looks, feels, and sounds unlike anything else in the room.

Brendan O'Gorman builds with the eye of a fine woodworker and the ear of a devoted guitar maker. His background in furniture making and hand craftsmanship shows immediately in the precision of the joinery, the elegance of the curves, the clean execution of the purfling, and the way the entire instrument feels resolved from end to end. The Moir 12 Fret is Brendan’s own interpretation of the orchestra style guitar, with the 12 fret neck joint placing the bridge deeper into the responsive center of the lower bout. The result is a guitar with warmth, openness, and balance, but also a refined clarity that keeps the voice articulate and alive.

At the heart of this build is the Dark Forest Century Cypress top, carbon dated at 368 years old. There is something deeply compelling about a soundboard with that kind of history. Cypress already brings its own voice to an acoustic guitar, but this particular top carries a visual and musical character that feels almost elemental. It has an aged, organic beauty, with a sense of depth and quiet mystery that pairs beautifully with the shimmering figure of the Birdseye Maple back and sides. The maple brings focus, definition, and a stunning visual counterpoint, its swirling eyes catching the light against the darker, more ancient presence of the Cypress.

Then there is the Pink Ivory. Used here for the bridge, fingerboard, front headstock veneer, rosette, bindings, and fully mitered pink multi layer purflings throughout the top, back, sides, cutaway, fingerboard, and headstock, it gives this guitar an identity all its own. Pink Ivory is one of the rarest and most visually striking hardwoods used in lutherie, prized for its vivid color, density, and almost jewel like polish. In Brendan’s hands, it becomes more than decoration. It becomes the visual language of the entire instrument. The pink against the Cypress and Birdseye Maple is bold, elegant, and completely unforgettable. No other guitar looks like this one.

The appointments are both artistic and player focused. A Pink Ivory rosette frames the soundhole with warmth and color, while the Pink Ivory bindings and purfling work create a continuous thread around the entire instrument. The Birdseye Maple rear headstock veneer mirrors the back and sides, while the Pink Ivory front headstock veneer gives the face of the guitar a dramatic and unmistakable presence. The upper bout sound port adds another layer of intimacy for the player, and the ergonomic arm rest makes the guitar feel as inviting as it looks. A Florentine cutaway gives access up the fingerboard without disturbing the graceful outline of the body.

A Honduran Mahogany neck provides a familiar and stable foundation, while the 25.4 inch scale length, 1.77 inch nut width, and 2.24 inch bridge spacing give the instrument a confident, spacious feel under the hands. Black Schertler tuning machines with Ebony buttons add a clean, modern contrast to the vivid wood palette, while the bone nut, saddle, and bridge pins keep the voice immediate and responsive. Finished in high gloss polyurethane and weighing 4 lbs 13 oz, this Moir has the presence of a true showpiece, but the heart of a serious player’s instrument.

The Brendan O'Gorman Moir 12 Fret in Dark Forest Century Cypress and Birdseye Maple is a guitar for the player who wants more than tradition. It honors the craft, but it does not imitate. It is rare, personal, sculptural, and deeply alive, with a voice and appearance that could only come from this exact meeting of builder, material, and vision.

Other specifications include:

• Dark Forest Century Cypress Top - Carbon Dated at 368 Years Old
• Birdseye Maple Back & Sides
• Honduran Mahogany Neck
• Pink Ivory Bridge & Fingerboard
• Pink Ivory Front Headstock Veneer
• Birdseye Maple Rear Headstock Veneer
• Pink Ivory Rosette
• Pink Ivory Bindings
• Fully-Mitered Pink Multi-Layer Top, Back, Sides, Cutaway, Fingerboard & Headstock Purflings
• Upper Bout Sound Port
• Ergonomic Arm Rest
• Florentine Cutaway
• Black Schertler Tuning Machines with Ebony Buttons
• Bone Nut, Saddle & Bridge Pins
• High Gloss Polyurethane Finish
• 25.4" (643.6mm) Scale Length
• 1.77" (45mm) Nut Width
• 2.24" (57mm) Bridge Spacing
• 4 lbs 13 oz
• #3426BC

For more information about the Brendan O'Gorman Moir 12 Fret, please contact us.