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2006 Lehmann Contempo

Serial #: 401

Body size at lower bout: 17 " Scale length: 25 1/2" Nut width: 1 3/4" Body depth: 2 3/4" Neck depth, 1st/10th frets: .85/.96

Materials: Solid fine grained hand carved spruce top; solid AAA flame maple back and sides; one-piece maple neck; solid ebony fingerboard, dark tortoise binding.

Hardware: Solid ebony pickguard, tailpiece and compensated adjustable bridge; gold Grover Rotomatic tuners; Kent Armstrong Adjustable Floating PAF pickup, with thumbwheel volume control and 1/4" endpin jack, adjustable truss rod.

Notes: Rochester, NY based luthier Bernie Lehmann has produced a wide variety of top-flight handbuilt guitars since 1971, with an output now exceeding some 500 instruments to date. Built for the gigging player, his Contempo model features a 17" Venetian cutaway body, cello style soundholes, and a slightly slimmed 2 3/4" depth, for maximum comfort. Wonderfully light in weight, this handsome guitar tips the scales at a mere 5lb. 10oz., with its low-mass headstock design providing excellent balance, on the lap or the strap.

The tap-tuned soundboard of the Contempo is hand-carved of solid bookmatched quartersawn spruce of exceptionally fine grain, with back and sides crafted from spectacular AAA tiger flame maple. The solid ebony fingerboard features a generous 1 3/4" nut, with a gently tapered D profile neck, and smooth low action over a fresh high-precision setup. The soundboard is X-braced to optimize sustain and bass response, and the Armstrong floating PAF pickup, our favorite, is smooth and faithful through the amp. Finally, the side mounted oval sound port provides real time acoustic monitoring when unplugged as well.

The voice is notably powerful, with clear open bass, and brilliant, sparkling highs, with excellent projection: an acoustic vibrancy that many more costly marquee brands would envy. In superb 100% original condition, the guitar is without pick, buckle, thumb or fingerboard wear, and shows only the most incidental signs of play altogether.

A rarely seen model from a celebrated builder, and a true best buy in a US made luthier crafted archtop. One only: call now.

Setup: Trussrod tension and neck relief adjusted; bridge height adjusted; bridge compensation set; string slots at nut and bridge inspected and recut as necessary; bridge wheels and tuners lubricated; fingerboard and bridge oiled; body and neck cleaned and hand polished. Action is set to 4/64" to 5/64" at the 12th fret, and may be adjusted at the bridge to suit. This instrument is strung with medium gauge nickel roundwound strings (.012-.052). The guitar will accommodate lighter or heavier gauge strings, according to preference.

Case: Original deluxe arched black plush lined hardshell case.

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