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2016 AJL Model XO 503
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SN# 2216
Body size at lower bout: 15 5/8" (400mm). Scale length: 26 3/8" (670mm) Nut Width: 1 3/4" (45mm) Body depth at tailpiece: 4" (100mm) Neck depth, 1st/10th frets: .76/.84
Materials: Brazilian rosewood laminate back and sides; bookmatched solid European spruce top; solid black walnut neck; solid ebony fingerboard; rosewood bound body.
Hardware: All original brass hardware including aged AJL logo Selmer stye tuners; AJL logo Selmer style tailpiece; solid compensated rosewood bridge, clear scratchplate, double-acting truss rod.
Notes: Noted luthier Ari-Jukka Luomartanta doesn't just build master quality guitars, he plays them himself. A member of the Hot Club De Finlande, he has performed gypsy swing with Andreas Oberg, Robin Nolan, and Basie style big bands throughout Scandinavia and Northern Europe. Granted a Certificate from the Master Craftsman's Council in Helsinki, Ari dove deep into the intricacies of Selmer style guitars in intensive research in Paris. Now he builds a full line of gypsy and archtop guitars one at a time by hand in his atelier in scenic Kokkola, Finland, right on the Gulf of Bothnia.
His XO models use innovative artisanal techniques to recreate the vibrant resonance of guitars many decades older in age and play. The solid Euro spruce soundboard is thermally aged and tuned with uneven sanding to maximize resonance, then coated with a hand rubbed shellac finish and a thin matt lacquer dusting. The neck is reinforced with stiff, lightweight carbon rods to add stability under tension, and to minimize vibrational drain from the body.
This Model 503 is a faithful tribute to Django's own renowned petite bouche model, and is crafted, like the vintage Selmer original, with a striking figured Brazilian Rosewood laminate body. The long 670mm scale adds punch and projection, with the generous 1 3/4" (45mm) nut offering added comfort and facility on the solid ebony fingerboard.
This striking instrument boasts custom features including aged gold AJL logo Selmer style tuners and engraved logo tailpiece. At just 4lb 3oz (1.90kg), the guitar is happily light and well balanced, and trimmed with solid rosewood binding, matching the polished compensated bridge. With smooth low action over comfy D-profile neck, the guitar plays effortlessly with a fresh high precision setup, and double acting truss rod.
This instrument is in all original condition, and apart from a speck of pick wear near the soundhole and a trace of weathering on the veneer, shows few signs of age altogether. Meticulous to a fault, Ari produces his own custom molded cases, stamped with the serial number of the guitar.
AJL guitars are rarely seen on the vintage market: players tend to be keepers. Here's a chance to jump the queue for a new one, and bag a bargain too. One only: call now.
Setup: This instrument is strung with light gauge silvered steel strings, and will accommodate lighter or heavier gauge strings, according to preference.
