...thought I'd report back on what I found for a luthier to build me a mini jazz archtop guitar. I decided to go with a luthier who built one of John Stowell's guitars (recommended to me by John), Bobby Warren, who lives on the San Juan Island, WA. I flew up to see him last week and we finalized on the design and specs.
We actually created a cardboard mock-up of the guitar. It will essentially be the style of a Super 400 (with single cut-away), but only 29 inches long (headstock to base of body), a maximum body width of only 10 inches, and a maximum depth of 2 inches (at the center). The neck will be a 50cm scale, 19.68 inches (modeled after the scale of my Epi "Roadie"), but will have some design improvements for a low and fast action. It will have one humbucker in the neck position (probabably a Benedetto, or mabye a Bartonlini mini humbucker that Bobby has (which is no longer made by Bartolini). We are still researching the best choice of pickups, for a darker tone, which I prefer. The guitar will have a carved bridge and tailpiece, probaby Schaller tuners, a small pick guard, and a stacked volume/tone knob that sits on the pick guard.
The body will be mohogany (carved hollow) with a carved maple top, f-holes, and binding. The neck will be ebony. Since weight won't be an issue for this guitar, the carved top will be a bit thicker than most archtops.
Picture this guitar here, but only 29 inches long and with a mahogany back to produce a nice split tone of woods/colors.
I'll post pictures of the guitar later in the year.
I hope to have this guitar by Y2K8....but no guarantees.
Kris
