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2015 Redentore Santissimo

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

SN# 003

Finish: Vintage blonde, nitrocellulose lacquer type.

Materials: Solid bookmatched handcarved fine grain Sitka spruce top; handcarved solid tiger flame maple back and sides with Venetian cutaway; solid tiger flame maple neck; solid ebony fingerboard; pearl headstock logo and fret inlays; 5-ply body binding.

Hardware: Solid ebony hardware includes Sacconi style tailpiece, compensated adjustable ebony bridge, contoured suspended pickguard; Waverly 16:1 tuners with ebony keys; Bartolini 5J floating humbucking pickup with volume and tone controls, endpin jack.

Notes: Nashville master luthier Mark Piper has been the first-call guy for an all-star roster including the likes of George Benson, Keith Richards, Larry Carlton, Alan Jackson, George Strait, Jimmy Vivino, Robben Ford, Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown, Steve Miller and a host of others. When Bob Benedetto needed a top gun to hand-craft his own guitars in Corona, CA, Piper was one of the two master builders chosen for the job. And now he has launched his own line of ultra-premium hand-crafted archtops, each built with the most meticulous attention to design and detail.

A masterwork of the luthier's art, the Redentore Santissmo is a full depth archtop in the classic style, with extravagantly figured bookmatched Western maple back and sides, and a fine grained, tap-tuned Sitka spruce soundboard. The peghead is faced with eye-catching birdseye maple burl on its reverse, with intensely curly maple binding elsewhere, right down to the soundholes.

To optimize balance and output of the inner strings, Piper adds an additional featherlight brace at the centerseam under the bridge, which intersects the traditional X-brace at its midpoint. For additional support, Piper also adds a third bridgewheel post under the center of the saddle, to minimize flexing, and a bone insert for clarity. In the neck, a pair of vertical grain purple heart stiffening rods are positioned on either side of the double-acting truss rod, to dampen extraneous vibration.

A true acoustic archtop, the Santissimo has a fine tight lower register, warm mids, and sparkling highs, with excellent projection and a clear, even response along the entire scale. The neck profile is a gentle D, with highly polished medium frets over a fingerboard of solid black ebony. The guitar is amplified with a Bartolini humbucking pickup, floating from the solid ebony pickguard. A final touch is the original art-deco styled tailpiece, crafted of solid ebony mounted on a Sacconi style retainer.

This guitar is 100% original and appears virtually unplayed, with all original finish, hardware and electronics, with smooth low action over a fresh high-precision setup. A magnificent example of top-flight craftsmanship, and a true delight to play. One only: call now.

Setup: This instrument is strung with medium gauge roundwound strings (.013-.056). 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 deluxe arched plush lined hardshell case.

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