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1996 EVD Model A-1 'Flying Eagle'
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Serial#: 239, hand signed by the builder.
Body size at lower bout: 16 " Body Depth: 3 1/2" Scale length: 25 1/2" Nut: 1 3/4" Neck depth, 1st/10th frets: .82/.89
Materials: Solid bookmatched handcarved German spruce top; handcarved figured curly maple back and sides; solid 3-piece flame maple neck; Madagascar rosewood fingerboard; abalone headstock and tailpiece inlay; 5-ply body binding; solid bone nut.
Hardware: Macassar ebony tailpiece, compensated adjustable ebony bridge; gold Gotoh 18X1 tuners; Armstrong Handwound PAF floating pickup with volume control and endpin jack; bound tortoise pickguard installed, additional original inlaid pickguard included.
Notes: Founder and Director of Denver's Colorado School of Luthiery, E.V. Dick has enjoyed an unusually prolific career. Since his debut in 1976, Ed has crafted close to 450 stringed instruments, and facilitated some 40,000 repairs and counting, to date.
This guitar, his Model A-1, fuses tradition, innovation, and painstaking craftsmanship in a single instrument. The 16 inch body has an extended Venetian cutaway for enhanced upper fret access, with a slightly increased body depth that optimizes for warmth without sacrificing clarity and balance.
It's immediately apparent that Ed cut no corners on his choice of tonewoods as well. The soundboard is hand graduated of fine grained German spruce with an abundance of crossgrain silk. But the back is the real showstopper: carved of solid, slab cut curly maple, it is comprised of a single continuous piece, without a centerseam. Tonewood of this size is so rare that in over 30 years we've only seen a tiny handful of archtop guitars with solid one-piece backs.
The soundboard is distinctive as well. Braced with a single tone bar affixed directly under the centerseam, the A-1 pays tribute to the renowned Stromberg and Levin archtops of the 40's and 50's. At a mere 5lb. 4oz, the guitar is phenomenally light in weight, and deftly balanced. The neck profile is a comfy gentle D, with smooth low action over a fresh high-precision setup, on a solid Madagascar rosewood fingerboard with a generous 1 3/4" nut. The inlay work is of particular note: unusually ornate, this presentation grade ornamentation features a pearl eagle landing in an abalone tree-of-life, which is echoed in both the Macassar ebony tailpiece and the additional original pickguard, which is emblazoned with a stalking panther.
A true acoustic instrument, this guitar has a strong, clear voice, excellent projection and balance, and open mids and bass not always found in traditional archtop guitars. Apart from a few random finish nicks, and a bit of scattered checking in the traditional lacquer finish, the guitar shows few signs of play, and is fitted with a Kent Armstrong Handwound PAF floating pickup, with volume control and endpin jack. An additional original ebony bridge is included as well, with a bone insert in the saddle.
A unique creation from a veteran builder, this striking guitar represents countless hours of meticulous craftsmanship, and a singular design vision. 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 deluxe arched tweed plush lined hardshell case.
