“This guitar takes its lines from the Aquafan model, an original Shank Instruments design to which I’m deeply attached. Once again, the top is made of figured black poplar from Lombardy, a wood I’ve been using extensively lately and one that I hold in the highest regard for its tonal response, visual impact, and workability. It’s a fine tonewood that isn’t always given the appreciation it deserves. The Italian ash body completes the semi-hollow construction. Ebony fingerboard and a modern-design flamed maple neck. The Italian-made Alnico 2 pickups are remarkable. A beautiful instrument to enjoy all day long — not only at sunset“… Let’s Play.”

All the models presented on these pages are entirely handcrafted by luthier Emanuele D’Alò, founder of Shank Instruments Milano.
Each instrument comes with a lifetime warranty and a certificate of authenticity.

• Body: Ash- Semi hollow. 
• Top: Lombardy figured poplar
• Neck: flamed maple, C shape. 1° fret thickness 22mm
• Fretboard: ebony, 22 frets medium jumbo
• Radius: 12″
• Diapason: 24,75″ (Gibson)
• Nut: 43,5 mm 
• Pickups: MAMA Hystoric Alinco 2
• Wiring: 1 vol + 1 tone – 3 way toggle
• Bridge: Gotoh 
• Tuners: Kluson
• Finish: acrylic glossy
• Weight: 3,2 kg

L'articolo SUNSET proviene da Shank Instruments Milano: Chitarre, Bassi, Batterie.

• Body: mahogany, ebony. Neckthru 
• Neck: mahogany/ebony
• Fretboard: ebony 24 frets medium jumbo
• Radius: 12″
• Diapason: 25 1/2″ 
• Nut: 1,71″
• Pickup: custom wound alnico 5
• Bridge: Vega Trem VT1
• Tuners: Sperzel locking
• Finish: acrylic glossy
• Weight: 8,1 lbs

L'articolo ELEGUA proviene da Shank Instruments Milano: Chitarre, Bassi, Batterie.

The size of the fingerboard at the nut and at the 12th fret, together with the rather flat radius, guarantee wide-ranging playability without limitations of any kind. The philosophy and setup of the instrument aims to provide the musician with an extremely versatile guitar suitable for every use and every musical genre.

All the models presented on these pages are entirely hand-built by luthier Emanuele D’Alò, owner of the Shank Instruments Milano brand. The instruments are guaranteed for life and delivered with a certificate of authenticity.

• Body: spruce/mahogany semi hollow. Ash insert
• Size: 14″
• Body height: 40mm (1,5″)
• Neck: mahogany, C shape. Height 1° fret 23mm
• Fretboard: maple, 24 frets medium jumbo
• Radius: 16″
• Diapason: 25 1/2″ 
• Nut: 1,9″ – Bone
• Pickup: piezo under saddle MiSi – Acoustic Trio Air
• Bridge: rosewood
• Tuners: Shaller Grand Tune
• Finish: acrylic satin
• Weight: 5,7 lbs

L'articolo DUNES proviene da Shank Instruments Milano: Chitarre, Bassi, Batterie.

“I had no hesitation when I glimpsed that block of marbled ash, more unique than rare. I bought it and took it to the lab without knowing what to do with it, I just decided it would become a 5-string bass and so it was. The combination with padouk wood came naturally when the black satin finish was decided. Red and black, and I had no more doubts.”… Let’s Play

• Body: ash flamed, one piece
• Neck: ash/padouk 5 pieces, bolt on
• Fretboard: padouk, 24 frets jumbo
• Radius: 14″
• Nut: 1″ 3/4
• Diapason: 34″ 1/2
• Pickup: alnico V custom handwound
• Bridge: Shaller 3D – String spacing 16-17,5 mm
• Tuners: Gotoh
• Wiring: Bartolini 3 bands NTMB-918F
• Finish: acrilic satin
• Peso: 8,5 lbs
• State: new product

L'articolo BURN proviene da Shank Instruments Milano: Chitarre, Bassi, Batterie.

“Taking a train… Jochen, the guitar owner, could not bear the idea of his instrument traveling in some random train container under the summer sun. Even I, at the very moment I was painting it and before I was even asked if it could be picked up directly at my workshop, was ready to propose my own trip for delivery. We were both already on a train before the guitar was even ready. Milan and Dusseldorf are close and the trains travel fast. Probably… As fast as the thoughts and desires to come up with the best excuses to travel…””

– – –

A variant of the “Tangier” model, of identical shape and piezo equipment but with a different interpretation of the aesthetic factor focused, in this case, no longer on alternating wood figures, but rather on the charm of natural spruce soundboard. Interesting, in my opinion, was the choice of yew, a customer request, again by hand carving from solid wood.

The challenge was to adequately size the body, especially in terms of thickness, to make the widest possible spectrum and depth of tone of the instrument given the size and overall volume definitely smaller than a traditional acoustic guitar. It must be said that the instrument was designed essentially for use in an amplified context via piezo and in this perspective has been developed from the beginning.

For the rest, the project refers to the traditional manufacturing technique of an archtop instrument. Soundboard hand carved by hand from solid figured spruce wood in this case, yew wood back and sides.

The neck size was meant to provide the musician with a support that would allow him to range rather easily between the different genres that can be expressed through an acoustic instrument, without sacrificing or affecting the overall feeling of a traditional neck with “classical” measures, although with different measures in terms of width at nut.

The goal, which I believe has been achieved, is to propose an instrument with a strong classical setting on a constructive and conceptual basis typical of archtop guitars with a look, that I hope will be appreciated, at innovative design.

All archtop models presented on these pages are entirely handmade by luthier Emanuele D’Alò, owner of the Shank Instruments brand. The instruments are built according to the dictates of the Robert Benedetto method, and both soundboards and backs are hand-cut from solid boards.

Project specs

• Soundboard: spruce quarter sawn, handcarved
• Back: yew, handcarved
• Sides: yew
• Size: 13″
• Height: 2,7″
• Neck: mahogany, C shape. Thickness 1st fret 22mm
• Fretboard: ebony, 24 medium jumbo frets
• Radius: 16″
• Bracing: parallel
• Diapason: 25,5″
• Nut: 1,9″ – Bone
• Pickup: piezo – MiSi Acoustic Trio
• Ponte: ebano
• Finish: polyhuretane
• Weight: 5,5 lbs

L'articolo HABIBI proviene da Shank Instruments Milano: Chitarre, Bassi, Batterie.

Difficult… to imagine, to find, and even more difficult to select. Difficult to expect it not to twist and crack at the first blow of humid wind. Difficult… to plane, to sand, and to touch without being contaminated. Very difficult to glue, it is the oil inside prevents it from gluing… it can do it, and usually it succeeds. Then the perfume arrives and it is that of the most ancient and elegant dish. That’s the moment when the olive indulges itself to those who work it. The deal with it is that when you smell it,  everything then becomes very easy.” Let’s Play.

L'articolo EVO proviene da Shank Instruments Milano: Chitarre, Bassi, Batterie.

“Like the best Mercedes, perhaps a bit predictable in their classical style, even good guitars can be appreciated for the same reasons. Linearity turned into aesthetic standard, imagination as rigour, free and seductive austerity. Flamboyant and hidden at the same time. Like old-style luxury cars, outdated in technique, obsolete like the clothes that the men of those times used to wear. And for these reasons, those of the luxury that other times could hold, to be preserved and flaunted. Because if I had a ’69 Mercedes 280 SE Automatic parked in the back of my house, I certainly wouldn’t hide it. Let’s Play.“

Demo at bottom of the page

A variant of the “Tangier” model, of identical shape and piezo equipment but with a different interpretation of the aesthetic factor focused, in this case, no longer on alternating wood figures, but rather on the charm of spruce painted in an gloss black hue. Interesting, in my opinion, was the choice of the 3 woods whose bottom was made, again by hand carving from solid wood, of the best piece of olive ash I had available. Binding painted in antique gold color.

The challenge was to adequately size the body, especially in terms of thickness, to make the widest possible spectrum and depth of tone of the instrument given the size and overall volume definitely smaller than a traditional acoustic guitar. It must be said that the instrument was designed essentially for use in an amplified context via piezo and in this perspective has been developed from the beginning.

For the rest, the project refers to the traditional manufacturing technique of an archtop instrument. Soundboard hand carved by hand from solid figured spruce wood in this case, curly maple and ash back.

The neck size was meant to provide the musician with a support that would allow him to range rather easily between the different genres that can be expressed through an acoustic instrument, without sacrificing or affecting the overall feeling of a traditional neck with “classical” measures, although with different measures in terms of width at nut.

The goal, which I believe has been achieved, is to propose an instrument with a strong classical setting on a constructive and conceptual basis typical of archtop guitars with a look, that I hope will be appreciated, at innovative design.

All archtop models presented on these pages are completely handmade by luthier Emanuele D’Alò, owner of the Shank Instruments brand. The instruments are built according to the dictates of the Robert Benedetto method, and both soundboards and backs are hand-cut from solid boards.

• Top: solid quarter sawn spruce, handcarved
• Back: ash, handcarved
• Sides: curly maple
• Size: 14″
• Side height: 2,7″
• Neck: red cedar (cedrela), D shape. Thickness at 1st fret: 0,88″
• Fretboard: ebony, 24 frets medium jumbo
• Radius: 16″
• Bracing: parallel
• Diapason: 25,5″
• Nut: 1,9″ – Bone
• Pickup: piezo – MiSi Acoustic Trio
• Bridge: ebony
• Finish: polyurethane
• Weight: 5,5 lbs

L'articolo 280 SL proviene da Shank Instruments Milano: Chitarre, Bassi, Batterie.

“A tool made almost for fun, in my spare time. An idea came to my mind one morning while I was probably brushing my teeth and remained in the depths of my imagination for who knows how long. Why not making a carved metal top on a wooden body, mahogany in this case, using the colour contrast of the materials, aluminium and brass? The hypothesis seemed to be well founded and I started to work recovering some aluminium and brass plates that I had used for other projects. A good quantity of epoxy glue to create a sort of “sandwich” in layers and then proceed to carve the top. A few stainless steel safety screws and go. It’s funny to remember how I came up with the idea for the inlay… I found myself with an endless number of metal chips of various sizes glittering on the workbench. With a burin I carved some grooves on the rosewood fingerboard, of random threadlike shapes, and filled them with the fibres. The effect reminded me of a seabed, made of seaweeds and air bubbles. The stylised rod completes the work. The guitar has mahogany kaia body and neck, 24.75″ scale with gold Jescar frets. The owner, and those who have tried it, ensures that the weight does not significantly exceed that of a vintage Les Paul”… Let’s Play

L'articolo ALUBRA proviene da Shank Instruments Milano: Chitarre, Bassi, Batterie.

I’ve had this project in my mind for a long time, probably since my father, a passionate collector of contemporary artworks, bought a sculpture by Fernandez Arman and hung it in the living room many years ago. It was a violin, dissected vertically into thin strips and then recomposed, fan-shaped, on a base of liquid concrete. I probably suffered, much more than I imagined, the fascination of that work, of that conceptual expression. Seduced to the point of having created, in a completely experimental and adventurous way, this peculiar instrument, maybe unlikely in its conception, but absolutely tangible now that I have brought the crucial step from idea to instrument to a conclusion. I used flamed maple for the soundboard, back and sides, khaya mahogany for the neck and ebony for the 24″ 3/4 scale fingerboard. The satellite chambers, also in maple, communicate with the central body, to which they are fixed with spacers, through circular openings that allow the free passage of air inside the complex of the “body”, making the timbre and sound output multiple, so to speak. An excellent MiSi piezo does the rest. Let’s Play

Here a press release from Fingerpicking.net: https://www.fingerpicking.net/shank-instruments-bloom/

L'articolo BLOOM proviene da Shank Instruments Milano: Chitarre, Bassi, Batterie.

• Body: willow ultra light solid body
• Top: flamed maple top grade
• Neck: maple set neck
• Fretboard: maple, 22 frets medium jumbo
• Radius: 14″
• Nut: 1,75″
• Diapason: 24,75″
• Pickup: Custom alnico 5 – Mixed wire, split
• Bridge: Hipshot Baby Grand
• Finish: polyurethane
• Status: ex demo guitar

L'articolo PLUM proviene da Shank Instruments Milano: Chitarre, Bassi, Batterie.