Thomas Rein RJN-3C OM
2019 Thomas Rein RJN-3C OM
While not necessarily a household name, Thomas Rein has been making fine guitars since the 70s. This 2019 is a culmination of those years of experience, and features his adjustable neck system, a French polished top, layered sides, and the use of hide glue. Osage orange for the back and sides, and shorter string length sets this one apart.
Specs / Measurements
2019
Swiss Moon Spruce / Osage Orange
~1.78” nut
~24.75” string length
~2.27” string spacing at saddle
~17” lower bout
Layered sides
Adjustable neck
Hide glue construction
French polished shellac top
Enke / Open to Source Sensors pickup
Gotoh 510 tuners
Karura flight case
Condition / Setup Notes
Excellent(+), The guitar remains in beautiful shape. There are very slight marks in the delicately finished top that can be found really only in raking light, and an errant scratch or two in the headstock. Everywhere else is quite clean. Currently set up with string height about 5/64” to 4/64” from bass to treble, with just a touch of relief. There is a truss rod in the neck, and also the adjustable neck system, so both aspects are easily adjustable.
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A fully satisfying guitar, with the sound, the playability, and appealing features and design. Rein’s decades of experience are on display here, and he has taken cues from the classical world to inform his steel string builds. While they are now common to see in steel strings, some of the elements incorporated here include a thin shellac finish on the top, structured sides, and the use of hide glue. The adjustable neck system also could be said to have its roots in Stauffer’s designs, another inspiration from the evolution of the classical guitar. These concepts all apply beautifully to this steel string. The material selection is notable here, with osage orange utilized for the back and sides; while a domestic wood, boards of an appropriate size for guitars can be hard to come by (especially with nice straight grain like this), and it has been compared favorably with Brazilian rosewood for its utility. Another nice detail that will appeal to some, the string length is a shorter 24.75”. It adds a pliable feel to the strings, without losing any sound. A fine guitar through and through.
$6250
Thanks for looking, any questions please feel free to get in touch.
This instrument ships for free via UPS Ground to the Continental US.