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2010 Redentore Gondolier

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Body Width: 17 " Nut: 1 3/4" Scale: 25" Depth: 2 7/8"

Finish: Solid ebony finish, nitrocellulose type.

Materials: Solid hand-carved maple back, sides and neck; solid hand-carved quartersawn spruce top; solid ebony fingerboard, solid mother-of-pearl logo, solid bone nut, grained ivoroid binding.

Hardware: Solid ebony tailpiece, gold Waverly open back tuners with ebony buttons, solid ebony compensated adjustable bridge with bone saddle and built-in piezo pickup, floating Bartolini humbucking pickup, adjustable truss rod, stereo endpin jack.

Notes: Nashville luthier Mark Piper made his bones with top-notch work for a host of legendary pickers, including George Benson, Larry Carlton, Steve Miller and Keith Richards, to name but a few. Tapped by Fender for the elite Guild Custom Shop, Piper created celebrity guitars to custom order, and finally worked directly with Bob Benedetto on his hand-built classics. Piper's own Redentore Gondolier is meticulously constructed entirely by hand, with a premium hand-carved solid spruce soundboard and solid carved maple body with the classic tone of the tap-tuned, X-braced Venetian cutaway design. The elegant 2 7/8" body sits handily under the arm, and at just 5lb 5oz. is notably lightweight and well balanced, on the lap or the shoulder.

The voice of the Gondolier is clear and direct, with excellent balance and separation. The neck has a comfy gentle "D" profile, effortless in the hand, and the frets are classic medium-jumbos, famously easy to play. Of special note is Piper's innovative bridge design; laminated of two pieces of polished ebony, it is topped with a saddle of solid bone for additional brilliance in the tone, and is fitted with an additional center thumbwheel to maximize support. The Bartolini floating humbucking pickup produces a smooth, silky tone, and is teamed in stereo with a piezo pickup system built in to the bridge, to capture the acoustic presence of the soundboard faithfully.

This custom made instrument has been maintained in superb condition, without pick, buckle, thumb or fingerboard wear, and showing only a few scattered nicks in the deep lustrous ebony lacquer. Simple and elegant as a silk tuxedo, the Gondolier offers true vintage craftsmanship in an handsome contemporary package.

Setup: Trussrod tension and neck relief adjusted; bridge height adjusted; bridge compensation set; bridge wheels and tuners lubricated; fingerboard and bridge oiled; body and neck cleaned and hand polished.

Case: Original deluxe Ameritage Silver arched plush hardshell case.