Archtop Guitars

First of all I have to tell you that this may be the finest and cleanest example of a late teens Gibson L-4 as we have ever seen.  It is almost a “time capsule” piece (frog not included).    The Gibson L-4 was the highest and best Gibson guitar offered in this time period, and also considered a very large bodied guitar in the period following Doublya Dobleya One.  This voluptuous and still vital vole measures 15 7/8” at the wider (lower) bout, 11 ½” at the upper bout and has a scale length of 24 ¾”.

This guitar is labelled "SECOND" on the back of the headstock under the serial number.  In addition it has a new pickguard (the remains of the old one are in the case).  It is shows light normal signs of use and wear including scratches, scuffs, dings, chips, indentations, etc. but nevertheless remains in excellent shape.  It has the square purple-black-white interior paper label and the volute, or hand stop, on the back of the neck. 

This is a beautiful hand-made guitar, carved and arched, delicately and diligently crafted by one of America’s most beloved builders who passed away entirely too young just this past year.   Visually it is striking and memorable, played acoustic it is so loud everybody visiting our showroom turns around to see what instrument could possibly by that loud played acoustically, and plugged in it is a balm for all of the frustrations that contribute to modern life.  THIS WAS $5670 BUT NOW ON SALE FOR:

The Gibson L-4 dates back all the way to 1912 (gee, that’s a hundred years ago) when it was a 16” guitar with an oval shaped soundhole and had a “The Gibson” inlaid logo.   The logo became just plain “Gibson” in the middle of 1928 and in 1935 a bunch of exciting things happened to it.  First of all it got twin f-holes, it was decorated with a Fleur-de-Lis on the headstock .   The price is $3299 at our discount price, or $3200 at our Cash Discount Price. 

The Gibson Byrdland is one of the finest hand-made, carved and marveled-over examples of an electric archtop jazz guitar, and this virtually unplayed, unregistered and ‘as new’ condition example – is as clean and factory original as we have ever had the pleasure to offer.  The design of this example harkens from the Elvis Presley era – the sharp cut maple and spruce, made from all solid wood, carved top and back; a slightly slimmer electric archtop guitar featuring twin gold-plated humbucking pickups.   

This guitar comes with a floating black (probably Kent Armstrong) pickup connected to volume and tone controls on the pickguard. It is unusual (and beautiful) in having a custom-ordered headstock decoration that takes the form of a angel ringing a bell (i.e. possibly for New Year’s) while standing on the lower egg-shaped portion of a whole note – all of this in engraved mother of pearl radiant with silver-white but also containing earth tones for both the angel, herself, and the lower bell that hangs from a long abalone (colorful, refracting) ribbon.   

And now for something entirely different:   We have never seen one of these before.    John D’Angelico, considered the finest independent guitar builder of the 20th Century, or at least for the first two-thirds of that century, made a keystone model that he called “New Yorker.”   This was an elaborately decorated instrument, made of the most select woods and built on a large platform (possibly because John was vertically challenged) measuring approximately 18” in body width. $30,985 at our Discount Price, or $29,995 at our Cash Discount Price.

 

John D’Angelico (1905-1964) was, of course, the premier independent guitar builder of the first three quarters of the 20th century. He began his career at the age of 9 by working as an apprentice in the roundbelly mandolin, guitar and violin factory of his uncle Cianni, on Kenmare Street in Manhattan, and was eventually promoted to shop foreman.  NOW ON SALE!  WAS $12,366 BUT NOW ON SALE FOR:

While partaking of its ineffable beauty and sonic resplendence a dexterous player may swoon from the unceasing pleasure. Made completely made by the hand of a single illustrious crafter this 17” jazz monolith has a carved and solid Sitka spruce top, equally carved and solid big leaf maple back and sides, a flame maple neck, burled maple peghead face and back veneer as well as burled heel cap and end graft.

24 3/4" scale length, 20 fret dot rosewood board, one piece mahogany neck joins the body at the 14th fret, 20 1/4" body length, 16" width with 2 3/4" rim, solid carved cream bound, curly maple top back and rim

This modern version of the classic 6120 Chet Atkins Hollow Body guitar features a 16"-wide, 2.5"-deep full hollow body, rock maple neck, ebony fingerboard with Neo-Classic™ "thumbnail" inlays, dual High Sensitive Filter'Tron™ pickups, Grover® Rotomatic® machine heads, Adjusto-Matic™ bridge, and Bigsby® B6G vibrato tailpiece. Available in Deep Orange Stain, Blue Burst and Black. Left-handed model available in Deep Orange Stain.
The Gretsch List Price is $3250

All of the proceeds of the sale will benefit the family of one of our most honored suppliers: the late Master Guitar Builder, John Zeidler. Here’s the background: “When fourteen of the world’s finest guitar makers decided to honor and support a colleague, they produced a unique and remarkable instrument - The Zeidler Project guitar. J. R. Zeidler was well known in the community of archtop makers. 

Sam Koontz was a guitar builder who was decades ahead of his time. Regrettably, he died while young but his instruments, in extremely short supply, have become legendary. This is a large body standard design acoustic archtop bearing a DeArmond gold-plated floating pickup in the position just below the end of the 5-ply bordered ebony fingerboard.
WAS $41,234 NOW ON SALE FOR:

Based on the 1962 Model 6120, the G6120DC Chet Atkins Nashville® Double Cutaway is an arch-top beauty with a gorgeous vintage orange stain finish and bound body, fingerboard and headstock.

Chuck Wayne (Feb. 27, 1923 – July 29, 1997) was, of course, one of America’s finest jazz guitarists. Diane Wayne’s notes from his memorial service say it better than I could: Chuck was a self-taught virtuoso whose elegant legato style and rich harmonies influenced a generation of guitarists and other instrumentalists.
WAS, um, $55,000 BUT NOW ON SALE FOR THIS RATHER UNBELIEVABLE REDUCTION: