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1996 Triggs 16 Custom
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SN#: 08960142, signed by the maker
Body size at lower bout: 16" Scale length: 25 1/2" Nut Width: 1 11/16"
Materials: Bookmatched handcarved tap tuned solid Adirondack spruce top; solid highly figured bookmatched quilted flame maple back and sides; solid tiger flame maple neck; solid ebony fingerboard; 7-ply tortoise bound body, fingerboard and peghead; triple bound f-holes; bone nut.
Hardware: All gold hardware includes Stromberg style trapeze tailpiece; gold Super Rotomatic 16X1 tuners. Solid compensated adjustable ebony bridge, contoured swirl tortoise pickguard; twin Kent Armstrong Handmade P-90 Single Coil pickups; master tone, volume, and blend controls with 1/4" endpin jack.
Notes: In the mid-80's, Gibson's new management inherited a proud company with it's reputation in tatters. Wasting no time, company brass hired master luthier Jim Triggs to head up the newly revitalized Gibson Custom Shop. Drawing on his extensive experience in high-end luthiery, Triggs almost single-handedly revived the firm's reputation as the industry leader in archtop guitars, carved mandolins, and extravagant custom creations for Gibson's celebrity clientele. Working on his own since 1992, Triggs quickly made a name with his superlative recreations of the classic Stromberg and D'Angelico archtops, as well as custom guitars for discriminating players worldwide.
A rare 16" cutaway from this maker, the Triggs 16 Custom has the Venetian cutaway body and parallel bracing of the legendary Gibson archtops of the 40's and 50's. Carved from all solid, AAA grade woods throughout, the guitar shows dramatic quilted maple of exceptional depth and intensity, with a solid one-piece barber-pole maple neck, and sides to match. Most notably, the soundboard is carved of solid Adirondack spruce, regarded by many as the lightest and most resonant variety, and renowned for its performance in prewar Martins, Gibsons and DeAngelicos. (The red-streaked, occasionally irregular grainlines in the top are characteristic of this highly prized tonewood, now quite hard to find in soundboard dimensions.) The solid ebony fingerboard has elegant Super 400 split block inlays, and the tailpiece is a faithful recreation of those found on the legendary Stromberg guitars. The guitar is fitted with Twin Kent Armstrong Handmade P-90 Single Coil pickups, with master tone, volume, and fader controls and 1/4" endpin jack.
The guitar is in wonderful condition, without pick, buckle, thumb or fingerboard wear, and shows only a single small ding in the upper bass bout of the soundboard near the binding. The 16" body slings handily under the arm, and is a model of comfort to play. Long scale 16" guitars are hard to find, and the acoustic voice is clear and even, with excellent snap and fine forward projection; through the amp, it's pure classic 50's tone with the P-90 style pickups. A special plus is the pickup blend control on the cutaway horn, allowing a virtually infinite shading of tone between the two pickups. The neck profile is a slim gentle "D", sublime in the hand with its nicely radiused fingerboard, and slim low action over fine high medium jumbo frets. An artful blend of traditional design and modern craftsmanship, Triggs handcrafted guitars are rarely found on the vintage market, and offer exceptional value to the serious player.
Setup: This instrument is strung with medium gauge nickel roundwound strings (.013-.056), and will accommodate lighter or heavier gauge strings, according to preference.
Case: Original deluxe arched plush hardshell case.
