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2011 Hopkins Marquis

Status: Pricing and hold status for all instruments currently available is shown on 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 be found here. To be notified of examples of this model or similar instruments in the future, please contact [email protected],. Please be specific on which instrument(s) you're looking for, and we'll be happy to contact you as soon as they become available.

Serial#: 5911 Body size at lower bout: 17", Body Depth: 3" Scale length: 25 1/2" Nut: 1 11/16" Neck depth, 1st/10th frets: .87/.94

Materials: Solid bookmatched hand graduated spruce top; handcarved AAAA Big Leaf maple back, sides, and neck; solid ebony fingerboard; pearl headstock logo; 5-ply body, headstock and neck binding; triple bound f-holes; solid bone nut.

Hardware: Hand carved ebony tailpiece, finger rest and bridge; gold Gotoh 510 21:1 tuners, Creamery Alnico V pickup with thumbwheel tone and volume controls, 1/4" endpin jack; twin strap pins.

Notes: It is not difficult to find highly skilled luthiers building custom archtop guitars these days. But Peter Hopkins of Penticton, British Columbia, has raised solid craftsmanship to the level of fine art. Using design concepts of Benedetto as a starting point, Hopkins has evolved a line of instruments that reflect both his personal vision and his impeccable standards for fit, finish and tone.

Carved of AAAA flame Big Leaf maple of breathtaking depth and intensity, this Hopkins Marquis model is a spectacular presentation grade 17" archtop in the traditional style, with an X-braced 17" Venetian cutaway body. At barely 6lb, the instrument is both elegantly balanced and highly responsive. The hardware is crafted of solid dark ebony, and the finely graduated tap-tuned soundboard is hand graduated of fine grained quartersawn spruce.

Exceptionally clear and even through the range, the guitar has the open, woody quality of an instrument many times its age. Neck profile is a slim gentle D, with a full 25 1/2" scale, with smooth low action over a fresh high-precision setup. The guitar is fitted with a UK built Creamery Alnico V PAF humbucking pickup with thumbwheel volume and tone wheels.

This spectacular instrument has been maintained in showroom condition, and is the first Hopkins archtop we have had the pleasure to find for several years. Scarce in the best of times, and rarely seen on the vintage market, Peter Hopkins instruments are truly a pinnacle of the contemporary archtop guitar. One only: call now.

Setup: This instrument is strung with medium gauge nickel flatwound 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 Ameritage plush lined arched hardshell case.