Custom Model 18
1999
Serial No. 252
$8000

If you've seen many archtop guitars, you'll know that the backs are generally made of two pieces of maple joined at the center. On some models you'll find a laminated back that shows a single piece of veneer, and no center seam. However, it's very unlikely you've seen an archtop with a single-piece solid maple back. The main reason is that very few maple trees grow to a large enough diameter to yield such a piece of wood. The back of this guitar is a single piece, with beautiful flame running the width of the back. I charge a premium to make a guitar with this material, because of the difficulty in finding such pieces.

The top is englemann spruce, the guitar is bound in Ivoroid, and the finish is a violin colored lacquer. This is a big guitar, but the body is 3" deep (less than a Super 400, say), which makes it feel a bit more comfortable than it might be otherwise. The guitar is in good condition, and has some finish checking on the top.

Features