Home / Instruments /Accessories / Ordering / Tips / Friends

archtop.com

2004 Hopkins Marquis

Status: Pricing and hold status for all instruments currently available is shown on our Instruments page here. If this instrument does not appear on the Instruments page it has been sold, and is no longer available. Photos and descriptions of Previously Sold instruments may be found here. To be notified of examples of this model or similar instruments in the future, please contact [email protected],. Please be specific on which instrument(s) you're looking for, and we'll be happy to contact you as soon as they become available.

Serial#: 1304

Finish: amber blonde finish, nitrocellulose type

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

Materials: Solid bookmatched handcarved quartersawn fine grain spruce top; handcarved AAAA quilted maple back and sides; one piece tiger flame maple neck; solid ebony fingerboard; pearl headstock logo; 5-ply body, headstock and neck binding; triple bound f-holes; solid bone nut.

Hardware: Hand carved ebony tailpiece, finger rest and bridge; gold Grover Super Rotomatic tuners, Armstrong floating PAF pickup with thumbwheel tone and top-mount volume controls, endpin jack; twin strap pins.

Notes: It is not hard to find highly skilled luthiers building custom archtop guitars these days. But Peter Hopkins of Penticton, British Columbia, has raised solid craftsmanship to the level of fine art. Using design concepts of Benedetto as a starting point, Hopkins has evolved a line of instruments that reflect both his personal vision and his impeccable standards for fit, finish and tone.

Carved of quilted flame of breathtaking depth and intensity, this Hopkins Marquis model is a spectacular presentation grade 17" archtop in the traditional style, with an X-braced 17" Venetian cutaway body. With its ultra-light construction (barely 5lb. 7oz.) the instrument is both elegantly balanced and highly responsive. The hardware is crafted of solid dark ebony, and the finely graduated tap-tuned soundboard is carved of fine grained quartersawn spruce, with just a hint of bearclaw figure.

Exceptionally clear and even through the range, the guitar has the open, woody quality of an instrument many times its age. Neck profile is a slim gentle D, with a generous 1 3/4" nut and 25" scale, with smooth low action over a fresh high-precision setup. The guitar is fitted with an Armstrong Handmade PAF humbucking pickup with a top-mount volume control and thumbwheel tone knob.

This spectacular instrument is in virtually unplayed condition, and this is the first Hopkins archtop we have had the pleasure to find for several years. Scarce in the best of times, and rarely seen on the vintage market, Peter Hopkins instruments are truly a pinnacle of the contemporary archtop guitar. One only: call now.

Setup: This instrument is strung with medium gauge nickel flatwound strings (.012-.054). The guitar will accommodate lighter or heavier gauge strings, according to preference. String action is set at 4/64" to 5/64" 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 arched plush lined hardshell case.