Home / Instruments /Accessories / Ordering / Tips / Friends
archtop.com
2012 Ribbecke Halfling
Price and Status: For pricing and hold status of this instrument, please check here. If this instrument does not appear on the Instruments page it has been sold. To be notified of examples of this or any other model in the future, please email your specific requests to [email protected].
Serial#: 1262 Dated: 2/15/12
Body size at lower bout: 17", Body Depth: 3 " Scale length: 25 1/2" Nut: 1 3/4"
Finish: Natural, nitrocellulose lacquer type.
Materials: Solid bookmatched Alaska cedar top; solid Indian rosewood back and sides; solid mahogany neck with rosewood facing on back of peghead; solid ebony fingerboard; abalone headstock logo; bound body, headstock, neck and soundhole; solid bone nut and saddle.
Hardware: Hardware includes solid rosewood finger rest and bridge; gold Grover Super Rotomatic tuners; active soundboard pickup system with thumbwheel volume control, internal 9V battery holder, and endpin jack.
Notes: Few have done more to further the craft of the modern archtop guitar than California luthier Tom Ribbecke. Since founding his first workshop in San Francisco in 1972, Tom has produced not only master quality instruments but master quality luthiers themselves, in workshops and videos that have made him a legend among builders worldwide. Now relocated to scenic Sonoma County, Ribbecke continues to produce hand built masterworks of stunning quality for a few lucky players each year.
A rare pin-bridge version of his renowned Halfling Model, this guitar incorporates a revolutionary design that employs a unique compound curvature of the soundboard. With a conventional arch on the treble side, the instrument produces the characteristic clarity and precision of a traditional archtop. A dramatically flattened profile for the bass side, combined with the round soundport, allows for greater bass response and sustain. This hybrid construction is designed to give the player a tonal response combining the best of both arch and flat top instruments.
This handsome example is constructed of dramatic, highly figured bookmatched Indian rosewood, with a solid bookmatched fine grained Alaska cedar top. The 17" Venetian cutaway body is X-braced, and finished in a lustrous natural finish. The neck is in a classic gentle D profile, with a generous 1 3/4" nut, and a fine solid feel. The voice is warm and woody, with exceptional bass response, and an attractive mellowness that translates smoothly through the pickup.
A one-owner guitar, this instrument has been well maintained, with all original finish and hardware. The body shows some scattered nicks here and there, but is otherwise without pick, buckle, thumb or fingerboard wear. Ribbecke's guitars are a rare and welcome find on the vintage market. Please call for a detailed in-hand audition, one only: call now.
Setup: This instrument is strung with medium gauge bronze roundwound strings. The guitar will accommodate lighter or heavier gauge strings, according to preference. String action is set at 4/64" to 5/64" at the 12th fret, with moderate relief for acoustic playing with medium strings. The action may be lowered or raised to your requirements with the adjustable bridge.
Case: Original premium Cedar Creek black arched plush lined hardshell case.
Home / Instruments /Accessories / Ordering / Tips / Friends