HABIBI

Description

“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…””

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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