New Luthiers added to Fine Archtops Website

We are pleased to announce the addition of some new luthiers to the Fine Archtops website. We want to introduce them and welcome them to the Fine Archtops family.

First, we have a couple from Switzerland who are world-renowned for building intricate instruments that are both exciting to look at as well as play. Claudio and Claudia Pagelli work in tandem to create custom guitars. The couple is at the pinnacle of their craft, and in many ways, in a class by themselves.

Claudio’s guitar building began as a teenager. He started primarily building electric guitars and also repaired and restored basses and flattops. Then he discovered the wonder of the archtop guitar, and he was hooked. Eventually, Claudia came along and began working alongside him.

Claudio is happy to have Claudia by his side building instruments. He said without her natural gift to create beauty, his guitars would look like they came from the stone-age. The team has indeed influenced a generation of luthiers, and they are proud to see their ideas being used by others who build guitars.

Claudio and Claudia build flattop, electric and bass guitars in addition to their archtops. They feel privileged to have a good reputation for building all types of guitars, and they are thankful for people putting their trust in their work.

Another Swiss luthier recently added to Fine Archtops is Nunzio Verdinero. Nunzio spent more than 20 years as a professional dancer, teacher and choreographer. He always had a great respect for the jazz guitar and players like Wes Montgomery. One day he found a broken guitar at a flea market and decided he would restore it with no known skills to do so. This began his passionate journey of becoming a luthier.

Nunzio desired to learn from a luthier, so he sought out help from other guitar builders in Europe. However, he was not able to find someone willing to teach him. Finally tiring of the search, he went to a carpenter nearby and asked if he could build his first guitar in the man’s shop. Nunzio soon discovered he possessed an untapped creative talent and natural ability to work with his hands.

Nunzio now creates unique instruments in his shop in Zurich. Using only the finest tone wood from Europe, his guitars combine cutting-edge design with beautiful engineering. He now takes pride in the fact of being self-taught, so he has not been over-influenced by any one luthier or cultural heritage. Instead, he lets his ideas flow freely to express what his view and his customer’s view of the instrument should be.

We are happy to welcome Claudio, Claudia and Nunzio to the Fine Archtops website. Please take a look at their archtop creations and learn more about them. Click Here to see the full list of Fine Archtops luthiers. 

Custom archtops offer a one-of-a-kind look and sound

Fine Archtops, a company devoted to linking custom guitar buyers to luthiers, explains the differences between custom archtop jazz guitars' body styles and the advantages of each style.
Are you a rocker? A picker? Maybe you prefer country music? No matter which style of music you prefer your best bet for your custom archtop jazz guitars is a solid body. According to Steve Wagner, owner of Fine Archtops, "A semi-hollow body produces a nice sound, but sometimes there are issues with feedback"

One can find a nice standard stock archtop guitar but when musicians are searching for that unique sound a custom archtop jazz guitars is really the only option. And with such a complex and rich sound, these are the guitars most people associate with jazz music. A custom archtop guitar allows each luthier to create a unique, one-of-a-kind identity and sound for a future player. Now how does one get their hands on a custom archtop guitar?

The access to these beautiful works of art is easier than you might think. Fine Archtops bridges the gap between custom archtop jazz guitars enthusiasts and the luthiers who make these lovely instruments. The luthiers featured on Fine Archtop's websites are the some of the best in the business, as each one of them pours hours of their time, love and attention into every custom guitar they make.

To find out more about Fine Archtops, browse their luthiers, look to purchase or simply learn more about custom archtop jazz guitars, visit visit our website.

Sanzone Guitar & Mandolin Company Joins our Archtop Guitar Family

We are so pleased to announce another talented luthier has joined our Fine Archtops family. Chuck Sanzone owns Sanzone Guitar & Mandolin Company in Stowe, Vermont. We welcome this new luthier to the Fine Archtops community and we encourage you to check out his work. Please help our new master craftsman feel at home!

Archtop Guitars

There are two models of archtop guitars available from Sanzone Guitar & Mandolin Company. They include the Della Volpe (16 3/8") and the Carmella (15 3/8"). These fine hand-crafted instruments combine a traditional look with a modern day building approach. The result is a superb, lightweight guitar with a beautiful sound. There is a gallery showcasing some of Chuck's work.

Other Instruments

Chuck Sanzone crafts many fine instruments, in addition to archtop guitars. Some of his other exquisite work includes mandolins, flat top guitars, classic nylon-stringed guitars and lap steel guitars. We may be partial to archtop guitars, but we can recognize good work when we see it. More information about these instruments is on Sanzone Guitar & Mandolin's website.

Additional Information

You can contact Sanzone Guitar & Mandolin Company by calling 802-999-1588 or contact them by email at sanzoneguitars@gmail.com. If you are interested in a one-of-a-kind guitar, you can set up an appointment with the company. Pricing information is detailed on the Sanzone Guitar & Mandolin Company's website.

Looking for information on high-quality handcrafted archtop guitars? Browse our website, or give us a call at 612-366-7120.

Music to Your Ears at Fine Archtops Thanks to Carbonaro Guitars

For more than 30 years, Robert Carbanaro has been making guitars that are unique and beautiful. His journey as a luthier started in San Francisco on Haight Street, an area that has been known for its music and culture for decades. You him and many other talented luthiers at Fine Archtops. Each luthier is a master of their craft and each instrument they create is truly a work of art. These guitars not only play exquisite music, but they are also stunning to look at. Robert Carbanaro takes pride in every guitar he crafts and his attention to detail shows in every single one.

Robert Carbanaro is one of the best luthiers in the business, making hand-crafted archtop and flattop guitars. His guitars will inspire you to play the best you can, and every time you pick up your instrument, you will have a magnificent piece of art in your hands as well. You can find more details about him and his workmanship at FineArchtops.com.

You can make beautiful music with one of Robert Carbanaro’s hand-crafted guitars no matter how long you have been playing. Even for the most seasoned guitar enthusiasts, these guitars will enhance your musicianship, and you will be able to play melodies and tunes that will be music to your ears (and your audience’s) for years to come.

Get more information about Robert Carbanaro and his splendid guitars through Fine Archtops. Here you will find a link to his website that will provide ordering information and more. Robert Carbanaro is in talented company: FineArchtops.com also has a slew of other luthiers who make guitars that are just as gorgeous as his are. Get everything you need to play music at this site: amplifiers, speakers, stands, cases and more!

Archtop Guitars with Varied Amount of Strings

We featured on our Facebook Page this week a 14-stringed guitar created by luthier Jean-Pierre LaPlante. It was a commissioned project for a talented artist, Felix Martin. This post sparked a lot of discussion. So, for this blog post, we’re going to explore the various string amounts on archtop guitars.

Number of Strings
Archtop guitars come in all shapes and sizes. They are beautifully crafted and colored. As most guitars, Most standard archtops have six strings. However, they are created to have more in certain circumstances. Here are some of the more uncommonly utilized numbers of strings:

• Seven- String Archtops
• Eight- String Archtops
• Ten- String Archtops
• Twelve- String Archtops
• Fourteen- String Archtops

More than Average
Archtop guitars with more than six strings were made popular in the 1960s when major-thirds tuning was introduced. Because this type of tuning limits the scope on a standard six-string guitar, jazz guitarist Ralph Patt began using a seven-string archtop guitar to widen the range. Guitars with more than six strings are still widely used today in jazz and rock.

More strings are added to an arcthop guitar in a variety of ways. One way is to leave the neck the same size and add a bass string on the side.  Another way is to increase the width of the neck, which allows for more than one string to be added. Larger or smaller strings can then be added to the sides of the standard six strings. Depending on how many strings the artist needs, additional necks may need to be added to accommodate the number of strings.

Why More Strings?
Why so many strings, you ask? More string allow for a wider range of notes to be played. This allows artists to get more creative in expressing themselves musically. They allow for non-traditional tuning techniques. More strings allow musicians to explore a deeper bass range. Also, they just look so darn cool.

Browse our extensive collection of archtop luthiers on our website.

International Guitar Month | Fine Archtops

April is International Guitar Month. It began in 1987 by the National Association of Music Merchants and the Guitar & Accessories Marketing Association as a way to help retail guitar shops generate interest in their stores. Today, International Guitar Month is celebrated, without sponsorship, by guitar enthusiasts around the world. International Guitar Month is a special occasion to celebrate the vast and wonderful world of guitars. It is a time when all guitarists can connect, no matter what type of guitar is their specialty.

Study Something New About Your Guitar

If you play a guitar, celebrate International Guitar Month by learning something new about it. Learn a new technique on it or educate yourself about the history of your guitar. Find out how the type of guitar you play is made. You might be surprised!

Learn to Play Guitar

If you don't play a guitar, International Guitar Month is the perfect excuse to learn how to play one. Research some local music shops and take a guitar lesson from someone in your community. Read a book or watch a video about guitars. There are many resources on this history of guitars, how they are made and more.

Share Your Knowledge

Share your knowledge about guitars with someone who has not taken the opportunity to educate themselves. Passing information around may inspire someone new to pick up a guitar. Motivate others to enjoy future International Guitar Months as a guitar player.

Together we can spread the joy of playing music. Pick up your guitar and play it or teach someone else how to play it. Learning new things can enrich anyone's life.

Start your education today by visiting our website www.finearchtops.com. Learn about archtop jazz guitars and the luthiers who have dedicated their lives to producing such a fine product.