Benedetto, Cremona Guitar

[Acquire from Benedetto Guitars]

A guitar carved the way violins are carved.

Handmade in Savannah, Georgia · European spruce and flamed maple · Ebony fittings

Why it's here

Robert Benedetto has built archtop guitars for more than fifty years, and one of them is held by the Smithsonian. He named his flagship after Cremona, the town of Stradivari, and he meant it: the top and back are carved from solid wood, tuned by tapping and listening, as a violin maker would. For anyone who plays, or who simply loves instruments, this is among the finest made in America.

The object

The top is tight-grained European spruce and the back and sides are flamed maple, both carved by hand to a graduated thickness. The tailpiece, bridge and finger rest are solid ebony, with no plastic anywhere. The voice is warm, clear and even from the lowest string to the highest.

Living with it

Each guitar is built to order, so expect a wait. Keep it in a room with steady humidity and play it often. Carved instruments open up with use, and a Benedetto is the kind that gets left to someone.

Origin: Savannah, Georgia, United States
Top: Carved European spruce
Back and sides: Flamed maple
Fittings: Solid ebony

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