Home / Instruments /Accessories / Ordering / Tips / Friends
archtop.com
2006 D'Aquisto Avant Garde
Status: For pricing and hold status for this instrument, please check our Instruments page here. If this instrument does not appear on the Instruments page it has been sold, and is no longer available. Photos and descriptions of Previously Sold instruments may by found here. To be notified of examples of this or any other model in the future, please contact [email protected].
SN#: 0611062
Body size at lower bout: 17". Scale length: 25 1/2" Nut Width: 1 11 1/6" Neck depth, 1st/10th frets: .80/.90
Materials: Solid bookmatched X-braced Sitka spruce top; solid maple neck; highly flamed arched tiger maple back and sides; solid ebony fingerboard; curly maple body binding; Macassar ebony headstock facing on front and back
Hardware: All original hardware includes "Accutone" wedge-adjusting solid ebony bridge; contoured Macassar ebony tailpiece; dark ebony finger rest; gold sealed back tuners with ebony keys. Armstrong floating humbucking pickup, thumbwheel volume and tone controls, endpin jack installed.
Notes: Jimmy D'Aquisto was the last and most celebrated apprentice to the legendary John D'Angelico. In an abbreviated career of just three decades, D'Aquisto created a peerless body of work, instruments that are now the most costly and sought after archtops ever made.
The Avant Garde is a faithful recreation of one of D'Aquisto's most innovative designs. Prototyped in 1988, the Avant Garde is one of Jimmy's rarest designs, one of which was built for Jim Hall the following year. Only a handful of these models had been produced at Jimmy's untimely death in 1995. Today's Avant Garde retains Jimmy's signature open soundholes, open headstock, and contoured ebony tailpiece and finger rest. In addition, the AG utilizes 21st century technology to produce an instrument of exacting fit, finish and performance.
The medium jumbo frets are tall and smoothly crowned for easy fingering, and the double acting truss rod allows for feeler gauge adjustment for effortless low string action and accurate neck relief. The solid spruce top is X- braced for warmth and sustain, the back and sides crafted of vividly figured flame maple, and the neck profile is finely balanced for ease of play.
This example is in immaculate 100% original condition, without pick, buckle, thumb or fingerboard wear, and appears virtually unplayed. Of special note is D'Aquisto's original "Accutone" bridge, which transmits string vibration to the soundboard through solid wood alone, using an ebony wedge for height adjustment without metal wheels or posts. In addition, an Armstrong floating humbucking pickup is installed, along with thumbwheel volume and tone controls and an endpin jack.
These striking guitars are few and far between on the vintage market: here's an opportunity to bag a collector's dream guitar, at a working player's price. One only: call now.
Setup: This instrument is strung with medium gauge flatwound nickel strings. The guitar will accommodate lighter or heavier gauge strings, according to preference. String action is set at 1/16" to 3/32" at the 12th fret, with moderate relief. The action may be lowered or raised to your requirements with the adjustable bridge.
Case: Original black D'Aquisto logo arched plush hardshell case. 
