Shank Instruments Milano | Italian handcrafted acoustic archtop guitars Back to Top

Archtop

“The story of my passion for building archtop instruments, my very first passion, deserves a chapter of its own. These instruments, primarily intended for use in jazz, were where I began my journey as a luthier. Once I had mastered traditional building techniques, the first instrument I chose to create was an archtop guitar. That decision was driven by a desire to explore new directions in a field where the standards often feel firmly established and the paths well defined. The use of quarter-sawn spruce for the soundboard, along with backs and sides made from a single tonewood, are commonly accepted, if not essential, principles in archtop construction. These conventions, rather than limiting my creativity, encouraged me to experiment. While remaining faithful to the teachings of master luthiers and respecting time-honored techniques, I began exploring new solutions in terms of tonewood selection and pairing, often working with combinations that are less traditional or rarely used. Embracing this approach, I chose to build archtop guitars in accordance with the methods developed by Master Luthier Robert Benedetto, while also introducing less conventional tonewood pairings into my work. The images presented here show a selection of instruments I have built. Detailed descriptions for each one can be found on the “Instruments” page of this website. Every instrument is a unique piece, entirely handcrafted from solid wood.” Emanuele D’Alò, Luthier

Shank Instruments Milano
“M&M’s” – Mahogany 17″
Nylon-strings-acoustic-archtopguitar
“Burst Green”, nylon strings acoustic. Black poplar top and back, flamed maple sides. 17″.
Model 100’s – Sound port, handcarved solid spruce.
“Ocean’s Twelve” – 12 strings archtop guitar
Shank Instruments
“Blondie” – Val di Fiemme quarter sawn spruce soundboard. Flamed maple sides. 17″.
“Lollipop” – Figured black poplar top & back. Curly maple sides. 17″.
Chitarra archtop jazz liuteria Shank Instruments Milano
“Gigia-ZZ” – Spanish cedar top plate & back. Flamed maple sides. 17″.
handmade-archtop-guitar-goncalo-alvesflamed-maple-Shank-Instruments-Milano
“Cookie” – Goncalo alves top & back. Flamed maple sides. 17″.
Chitarra archtop jazz liuteria Shank Instruments Milano
“Tuscan” – Flamed maple quarter sawn top plate & back. Rosewood sides. 17″.
Nylon strings archtop guitar
“Tangier” – An example of nylon strings archtop guitar with piezo system.
shank-instruments-acoustic-archtop-guitar
“SL 280” – An example of acoustic archtop guitar with piezo system.
“M&M” – Mahogany & Maple
Shank Instruments nylon strings archtop guitar
“Down Low” – Down hill.
“Siena” – Nylon strings archtop