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c. 1961 Albanus Cutaway

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Body size at lower bout: 17", Body Depth: 3 3/8" Scale length: 25 1/2" Nut: 1 11/16"

Finish: Sunburst finish, nitrocellulose lacquer type.

Materials: Solid bookmatched handcarved fine grain spruce top; full-depth handcarved solid maple back and sides with Venetian cutaway; tiger flame maple neck with walnut centerstripes; solid ebony fingerboard with split-block mother of pearl inlays; pearl star and headstock logo; 9-ply body binding, 5-ply neck and headstock binding; triple-bound f-holes; solid bone nut.

Hardware: Hardware includes Gibson Howard Roberts full sized floating humbucking pickup, hand carved ebony tailpiece with pearl inlay, gold Grover Imperial tuners, compensated adjustable ebony bridge with inlaid feet, bound 5-ply tortoise pickguard with volume control.

Notes: The decade of the 1960's saw the most explosive increase in guitar sales in the history of the instrument. In the wake of the folk revival, the British Invasion and the legacy of Elvis, baby boomers kept guitar manufacturers scrambling to meet exponentially increasing demand. Swamped in the tsunami of mass produced dreadnoughts and solid bodies, the venerable archtop guitar kept a lonely vigil at the top of the catalog, with the major manufacturers showing their lowest production figures in history.

Nowhere was this more true than in the rarified world of the hand built guitar. D'Angelico's long career had ended with the beginning of the decade, and his successor D'Aquisto wouldn't fully hit his stride until the next. Stromberg had passed away in the mid-50's, and the renaissance in hand building sparked by Benedetto and his followers was almost a quarter century away. Despite the setbacks, a hard core of working session players, sidemen and soloists continued to demand hand-carved instruments crafted to their exacting specifications. Into the void stepped Carl Albanus Johnson.

According to Chicago guitarist Chuck Kling, Johnson was a Swedish immigrant schooled in violin making. He is said to have learned guitar craft at the Boston workshop of Elmer Stromberg, another builder of Swedish heritage. Relocating to Chicago in the 50's, Johnson built a reputation among the working players in the area with his finely crafted instruments which, like those of D'Angelico, were generally built to order. None of his instruments bear a date, but we understand he was active between the late 50's and his death in 1973, and that he probably produced no more than a hundred or so guitars in his career. Among the rarest of American archtop guitars, we believe most surviving specimens remain in the Midwest. Though Albanus guitars are thought not to be numbered, scratched in pen under the bass soundhole is the number "#8" and the name "Bob White", presumably the original owner. If this is indeed a serial number of sorts, we would estimate this guitar to be from the very early 60's.

The body is handcarved of highly figured maple combining flame and birdseye, with strong tiger flame on the sides and peghead facing, all finished in a subtle amber to crimson sunburst. The handcarved spruce top is quartersawn and bookmatched, with crossgrain silk throughout. The body binding is extravagant and painstakingly restored, with a full nine plies on the body and triple bound f-holes. It's the sort of obsessive detail unseen even on the Super 400, whose design is echoed in the fingerboard and bridge inlays. The solid ebony fingerboard terminates in an inverted peak, which is mirrored at the end of the headstock. The original gold Imperial tuners have been restored to the peghead, showing only the circular imprint of the washer rings where the replacements were removed. The original triple bound pickguard is included, along with the 5-ply tortoise guard installed. A single short grainline crack near the tailpiece has been solidly resealed long ago, and the guitar is in outstanding condition, free of pick, buckle or thumbwear.

Of particular note is the handcarved ebony tailpiece, which reflects Johnson's roots in violin building. Predating D'Aquisto by a number of years, Johnson may indeed deserve credit for introducing the wooden tailpiece on the modern archtop guitar. The top is supported with a conventional X-brace, producing a warm, woody tone, with enhanced sustain. The neck is reinforced with a three piece centerstripe and is dead straight with a slim contemporary feel. Notable is the rare Gibson Howard Roberts pickup, the first full-sized floating humbucker made. A rare opportunity to own a working masterpiece from a true pioneer of the contemporary guitar.

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 5/64" to 6/64" 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 black plush hardshell case.

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