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1995 Benedetto Manhattan

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Serial#: 34695, Stroudsburg, PA label, signed by the maker.

Body size at lower bout: 17" Body Depth: 3" Scale length: 25" Nut: 1 3/4"

Finish: Sunburst finish, nitrocellulose lacquer type.

Materials: Solid bookmatched handcarved fine grain spruce soundboard; handcarved fiddleback maple back and sides; three piece tiger flame maple neck; solid ebony fingerboard; pearl headstock logo; ebony truss rod cover; 7-ply body binding; 5-ply neck and headstock binding; 3-ply bound f-holes; solid bone nut.

Hardware: Hardware includes solid ebony tailpiece, finger rest and knobs; gold Schaller tuners with ebony knobs; compensated adjustable ebony bridge, Benedetto S-6 humbucking pickup, endpin jack.

Notes: He wrote the book on archtop guitar building. Literally. The most influential jazz guitar builder of the late 20th century, Bob Benedetto jump-started the contemporary revival of fine handbuilt archtop guitars, and his client roster is an A-list of the topmost echelon of jazz guitar talent. Many of Benedetto's design concepts have been adopted as benchmarks, and an entire generation of today's top-tier builders count themselves as students or disciples.

This stunning example of his Manhattan model was built by Bob by hand at his workshop in Stroudsburg, PA, where he produced a coveted series of master quality instruments between 1990 and 2000. This guitar shows superbly tight fiddleback flame maple, masterfully bookmatched, with neck and sides of curly tiger maple, and the tap-tuned soundboard is hand-graduated of fine grained quartersawn spruce interwoven with cross grain silk of extremely fine texture. All ebony hardware includes Benedetto's signature contoured tailpiece and finger rest, with matching compensated adjustable bridge and tuner buttons. Finally, a Benedetto S-6 floating humbucking pickup is attached, with volume control, endpin jack, and a tiny 3 way tone switch tucked under the edge of the pickguard.

This exceptional guitar was for a number of years the instrument of choice for German jazz guitar virtuoso Joachim Schoenecker, a Benedetto artist who may be seen and heard here. The sublime tone may be heard on many of his recordings, including the selections Gone With The Wind, Stretch & Along Came Betty, which may be found here, along with a number of photos and album art featuring the instrument. At just 5lb. 13oz (2.64kg) the guitar is notably lightweight and well balanced, remarkably so for a full depth 17" instrument. The voice is detailed and precise, yet retains an appealing depth and musicality, which is transmitted faithfully to the amp. The soundboard responds nimbly to the pick or fingertips, with a clarity and resonance abetted by years of regular concertizing and recording.

The guitar has been maintained in immaculate, all original condition, without pick, buckle, thumb or fingerboard wear, and the gentle C profile neck has effortless action over smooth, freshly dressed medium jumbo fretwork. A spectacular creation from the world's most celebrated contemporary archtop luthier, this guitar is a rare find indeed on the vintage market. Please call for an in-hand preview.

Setup: This instrument is strung with medium gauge nickel roundwound strings (.013-.056). The guitar will accommodate lighter or heavier gauge strings, according to preference. String action is set at .070 "-.080" at the 12th fret, with moderate relief for acoustic playing with medium strings. The action may be lowered or raised to your requirements with the adjustable bridge.

Case: Original deluxe arched black plushlined hardshell case.