Relatively few guitarists have had the privilege of holding an original D’Angelico archtop guitar; and upon close examination of a D’Angelico instrument — like this 1955 New Yorker

Relatively few guitarists have had the privilege of holding an original D’Angelico archtop guitar; and upon close examination of a D’Angelico instrument — like this 1955 New Yorker — it’s easy to see how the storied maker earned his stellar reputation. From the elegant carve of the woods to the decorative details (that don’t look as over the top as they might on another instrument!) to the very feel of the thing — this is a guitar for which the term masterpiece seems barely adequate. It’s the epitome of the archtop guitar from the golden years of the Jazz Age.

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John D’Angelico was born in Little Italy, on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, in 1905. He studied classical violin making and learned Italian-style flat-top guitar craftsmanship under the mentorship of his uncle, Raphael Ciani. Eventually, D’Angelico took over Signor Ciani’s shop and management of its 15 employees. But, before long, the young luthier decided he was more of a lone craftsman than a manager. In 1932 he opened his own workshop — at 40 Kenmare Street, in his Little Italy neighborhood. There, he pursued a line of archtop guitars inspired by the Gibson template, custom built to order and featuring elaborate and individual detailing. With the occasional help of just two assistants (at most), D’Angelico catered to the elite of the jazz world, turning out about 35 guitars a year at the peak of operations, several years later.

The New Yorker is generally considered the flagship of the D’Angelico line. Examples like this one, display a beautifully rich, complex tone that transports you back to cigarette-hazed nights at Birdland, the Five Spot and the Royal Roost. Its body is a massive 18 inches wide, across the lower bout, with a single Venetian cutaway. The fully hollow design features an arched top

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