If you are going to construct a guitar i would firmly recommend as others have suggested, this is much more of an overview of the process, rather than an in. Comins chester avenue prototype, built with bob benedetto 1975 daquisto new yorker sevenstring. Heres the fret installed over that disaster chipped ebony. His knowledge of guitar building was evident in our interview with bob along. Here, in a detailed howto, he imparts what no doubt in his mind represents the breadandbutter of what goes into a benedetto. View the profiles of people named robert benedetto. Bob benedettos making an archtop guitar book mando. He goes through the minutiae of designing, crafting, and setting up an instrument of. Join facebook to connect with robert benedetto and others you may know. Making an archtop guitar the luthier of this guitar followed his book and the result is this guitar bob benedetto. He purposedly required a guitar made from the same type of scrap woods.
Bobs 1993 book making an archtop guitar became the bible of jazz building, beginning a renaissance period in the industry, and resulting in benedetto guitar becoming a permanent part of the smithsonian institutions musical instrument collection. Here is my first archtop build, i have been doing solid bodies for the past 10 years or so. Benedetto fratello 1988 honey blonde, handcrafted by bob. To understand the purpose of a 7 string guitar, here an article about 7 string guitars by the master himself. For 40 years, cindy has photographed and extensively documented bobs guitars and their players.
He read the book and viewed the 6hour video by bob benedetto, who has been building guitars and violins for 30 years and is considered the premier archtop builder in the country. This took about 6 months i used bobs book as a reference, its a must have, and plans for a gibson l5. In 2000, he published fullscale blueprints of a 17 benedetto archtop guitar, followed in 2004 by the mel bay production of benedetto. If youve ever seen a benedetto guitar, you know the level of craftsmanship that bobs family has always had in their guitars. Join part a to part b, do this, then do that, build an exact copy of my guitar etc.
September 20 atlanta, ga getting the rocky mountain archtop festival party started early with jazz guitar today editor, bob bakert. Some of the illustrations could have been a bit clearer, but on the most part is a good read. Benedetto guitars american made archtop jazz guitars since 1968. If theres a defect there, people will notice it for sure. Building an archtop guitar gibson l5 from bob benedettos. How i spent a week lining the fholes the top of a guitar is visible. Now you can learn from a true master, bob benedetto, renowned jazz guitar craftsman. From 1999 to 2006, benedetto had a licensing agreement with fender musical instruments to produce his models in their custom shop. We are mostly working from home but still able to ship guitars from bobs boutique and take new orders while. But if youre buying this thinking you are going to be able to build an archtop guitar think again. Im glad i purchased the book, there are always things that the masters and benedetto is certainly that can teach even through a poorly written book. Here are some tips that folks attempting to use this book to build a first instrument may find useful. Bob benedetto, 7 string fratello archtop jazz guitar, 1982. For my next attempt, i decided to take a more educated approach to building.
For over 30 years, cindy has photographed and extensively documented bobs guitars and their players. The book came about as the result of a suggestion and urging of my friend, bob benedetto. Benedetto guitars, savannah ga usa is traveling to arvada, colorado from atlanta international airportdelta airlines. His book, and a series of videos, was the inspiration to not only build this instrument, but to also create it with cad methods.
To learn more, we recommend to find bob benedettos book. The definitive work on the design and construction of an acoustic archtop guitar, this updated second edition features 288 pages of content, including 24 color pages and 4 tearouts. This is the equivalent of a guitarist publishing a video and giving away all his licks. Something like the guitar player repair guide would be good for the setupmaintenance project i mentioned above. Epiphone, dangelico, gretsch, stromberg and later guild all offered models based on the l5, a tradition that is continued to this day by. This presented a problem for me, i had many years of experience playing and owning and building steel string. This is the definitive set on carvedtop guitarmaking. Benedetto guitars bringing the preeminent name in jazz guitar. The time and expense of gathering this info on ones own pales by comparison. It is a beautiful book, well written, and showcases benedettos life and work wonderfully. The definitive work on the design and construction of an acoustic archtop guitar by one of the most talented luthiers of the twentieth century.
That same year, cindy organized the benedetto players in concert series. Respected around the world, bob has achieved what few have in guitar craftsmanship. The benedetto palm planes are handmade with the utmost precision by bob himself. In the process, the gibson l5 established a benchmark by which archtop guitars from other manufacturers are judged. Nelson palen started building his acoustic archtop palen guitar in november, 1998 and finished it the last week in june, 1999.
We used the same methods outlined in this book and dvds. You may want to get some other books too, or perhaps the benedetto dvd. I bought this book and the companion dvds and studied them prior to going to nazareth, pa in late july of this year 2008. Tom is truly a poetic, passionate and dedicated guitar maker and is very deserving of international acclaim. See more ideas about archtop guitar, guitar and jazz guitar. Howard lectured on the sound and architecture of the benedetto acoustic archtop guitar for the appleton museums inspired speakers. All benedetto guitars are available directly from our workshop.
By master luthier robert benedetto, renowned jazz guitar craftsman. Includes a list of suppliers to acquire all the tools and materials listed. If you dont see your dream guitar, we can make it custom for you. Up to now in regards to the guide we have making a laminated hollowbody electric. Bob benedettos fantastic and updated second edition on making your own. Nowadays i spend my time making curly maple palm planes for guitar making, which keeps me active in the lutherie community. The collaboration between pat martino and benedetto guitars began with a phone call the week of may 18, 2009. In nazareth i constructed an archtop guitar with a protege of bob benedetto s. I used bob benedettos suggested carving cradle with a couple of simplifications and it has worked very well. Jay lichty, lichty gutars i bought the instructional video series for building an archtop guitar. A lot of the books on guitar construction out there are little more than construction manuals. I was able to build my first archtop guitar with the help of bob benedettos book another must have for that type of instrument but eventually as my luthier career progressed a client wanted me to build them a nylon string guitar. The benedetto book is good, but it is not thorough.
His guitars are as good as you can get and best of all they will hold their value long after many other companies. From schoenberg to gershwin to originals, smith was one of the most versatile guitarists of the 1950s as a staff studio guitarist and arranger for nbc from 1946 to 1951, and on a freelance basis thereafter. Making an archtop guitar by robert benedetto alibris. I just read toms book and i cant imagine any archtop enthusiast not including it in their library. Jazz guitar today checked in with a busy bob and cindy benedetto.
The definitive work on the design and construction of an acoustic archtop guitar, this updated second edition features 288 pages of content, including 24. Founded in 1968 by american luthier robert benedetto, benedetto guitars, inc. What is special about this guitar is that it is the only 7 string fratello bob benedetto ever build. I read a book by bob benedetto a couple of times through and then took a stab at building a jumbo archtop guitar. I also used his plans bought from stewmac to come up with contours for the top and back. Aside from the gorgeous aesthetics like the highlyfigured curly maple they are made from, the hock blades are honed very sharp. This book will be a great supplement to any guitar builders arsenal, as long as you make sure to purchase other books to go with it. This is a wellproduced, step by step guide that will have you building a great archtop guitar. See what industry greats have said about this book. An extremely diverse musician, johnny smith was equally at home playing in the famous birdland jazz club or sightreading scores in the orchestral pit of the new york philharmonic.
The prices are fair given the amount of time and quality put into each one. Although i no longer personally make guitars, i stay in touch with the company in savannah. In 2004, mel bay publications produced the acclaimed benedetto. Bob benedetto and pat martino had been acquaintances for years, but there was never a discussion of bob building an instrument for pat because. I know of no other work offering comprehensive step by step coverage of the making of an acoustic jazz. Bob benedettos making an archtop guitar book mando resource if this is your first visit, be sure to check out the faq by clicking the link above. Benedetto walks the reader through all aspects of construction through to marketing your finished work. Making an archtop guitar by robert benedetto goodreads.
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