GPOTD 10.14.2016 - Part ii

mystixboi1

Kick Henry Jackassowski
Because I really detest the other one I posted for today...

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THE VIENNA ARCHTOP
Elegant simplicity! Craftsmanship! Quality of tone! Strength of tone!

The Vienna is built for the most passionate archtop jazz guitar lovers.

The architectural purity of the design gives the guitar a clean shape that presents the essence of the sound. All design details enhance the beauty and the basic shape of the guitar. All the proportions are perfectly balanced creating a very dynamic powerful elegance. Yet this is done without any extrovert features that would distract the eye.

For the Vienna Archtop we use exclusively old tops that are bought from the widow of A. Lang. This old stock I must have bought already in 1990. Lang was a well-known German guitarmaker living in Garmisch Partenkirchen, Germany and died in 1975. Although some of the woods may have minor visual flaws, it is acoustically far-out superior to any new wood due to the extreme old age. The roughly pre-cut tops do sound already like a bell. I estimate that the top wood has been stored to dry in the workshop of Lang for more the 40 years.

Despite being original in all its essence the guitar presents a very traditional appearance, reminiscent to the patina and outlines of the bowed instruments of the Cremona Masters. Their beautiful patina is a true reference for our guitars.

It is remarkable how responsive and sensitive the guitar follows the player’s style. The Vienna Archtop has a sonority expressed by a great power and sustain even in the high registers. Although the guitar is very easy to play you find the instrument presents a versatile dynamic range with the possibility creating a wide tonal spectrum by the contrast of colours.

Owners of a Vienna are very well aware about the few high end archtop jazz guitars that are currently on the market and most of them have played and tested the best among them. This makes us proud to be valued so much.

SPECS
Top: German Spruce: Old Stock Lang Collection, custom bracing
Sides and back: Selected old European Cello Wood
Colour: Several options to be discussed
Headstock: Slotted Head Design
Headplate: On back and front; Maple in Matching Colour or ebony
Fingerrest: Optional at no extra costs
Machines: Custom Scharpach with engraved sculpted, gold-plated cover and handmade massive silver knobs; gold-plated

Tailpiece: Engraved sculpted design, Carved out of solid Brass, gold-plated
Cutaway: Standard
Pick-up: Optional Scharpach humbucker at no extra costs

Bridge: One Piece Acoustic Maple Bridge or adjustable Ebony type

Neck: Selected piece of 50 years old Madagascar Cedrela Odorata
Fingerboard: Ebony with dots on sides only & custom 12th fret inlay
Compound Radius: 12 inches – 22 inches, perpendiculum 0.5 mm
Number of frets: 20 – 24 frets depending with humbucker

Scale: 643 mm
Nut width: 46 mm
String spacing: 37 mm (nut) : 46 mm (12th fret)
String spacing bridge: 55 mm
Neck Thickness: 21-21.5 mm at 1st fret, 23-24 mm at 12th fret
Fret wire: Van Gent (18% Nickel/Silver): Width: 2.5mm, Height: 1.3mm
String set up: Thomastik GeorgeBenson
Fretwork: PLEK setting

http://www.scharpach.com/guitars/vienna-archtop-jazz-guitar/
 
I just measured (inaccurately, with a tape measure) one of my 42mm nut-width guitars, and the string spacing is roughly 37mm at the nut (maybe 36 1/2mm)

I would think most people buying a guitar like this would want a slightly wider neck, not something on par with a Telecaster, width-wise idn_smilie
 
I just measured (inaccurately, with a tape measure) one of my 42mm nut-width guitars, and the string spacing is roughly 37mm at the nut (maybe 36 1/2mm)

I would think most people buying a guitar like this would want a slightly wider neck, not something on par with a Telecaster, width-wise idn_smilie

Those millimetres add up surprisingly quickly. A classical nut width is 2", or a little less than 51mm.
 
I like the one with the crazy inlay. I wish I was enough of a jazzer to warrant getting a box like that but, alas, I only operate at the jazzier end of Rockabilly in my playing.
 
Outrageously beautiful guitars that would be completely wasted on me
Me too...I've never played or, for that matter wanted to play one but these guitars are quite eye catching. But even if I did play one I wouldn't be able to do it justice.
 
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