This OMC was conceived as Christopher Morimoto’s first showcase instrument under the Morimoto Guitars name, a project that began in 2017 while he continued his full-time work at the Somogyi workshop. The guitar itself pairs a German spruce top with a notably old set of Indian rosewood selected for the back and sides. Rather than revisiting his earlier designs, Morimoto developed an entirely new visual language inspired by modern architecture, sculptural forms, and organic curves. Jet-black ebony became the unifying material throughout, accented by precisely mitered white purfling. The most distinctive feature is Morimoto’s dramatic three-dimensional S-curve headstock, whose surfaces flow in multiple directions rather than following a conventional flat headstock geometry. The same concept continues through the rosette, fingerboard, bridge, binding, and body details. Morimoto hand-textured sections of ebony with small tools, deliberately contrasting the carved surface against polished ebony to create depth and shadow; the repeated texture and fine white lines become a subtle architectural motif across the instrument. From a distance the finished OMC appears remarkably restrained, while close inspection reveals the intricate handwork hidden throughout the design. The completed guitar brings together its sculpted cutaway, flowing headstock, old Indian rosewood and finely detailed ebony work into a highly individual expression of Morimoto’s modern aesthetic.
