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1999 Comins Chester Avenue
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 by 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#: 0080, label signed by the builder
Body size at lower bout: 17", Body Depth: 3" Scale length: 25" Nut: 1 3/4"
Finish: amber blonde finish, nitrocellulose lacquer type.
Materials: Solid bookmatched handcarved fine grain Adirondack spruce top; handcarved AAA flame maple back and sides; 3 piece tiger flame maple neck; solid ebony fingerboard; hand-engraved pearl headstock logo; deluxe 9-ply body binding; 5-ply headstock and neck binding; triple bound f-holes; solid bone nut.
Hardware: Hardware includes hand carved ebony tailpiece and multi-bound finger rest; gold Schaller 16X1 tuners with ebony keys, compensated adjustable ebony bridge; Kent Armstrong floating PAF pickup with thumbwheel volume and tone controls, endpin jack.
Notes: Bill Comins has been making master quality instruments by hand at his Pennsylvania workshop for a number of years, and building in the process a formidable reputation for meticulous detail and precision craftsmanship. Using the design concepts of Bob Benedetto as a starting point, Comins has evolved a line of instruments that reflect both his personal vision and his high standards for fit, finish and tone. This guitar is an example of his top-of-the-line Chester Avenue model.
This spectacular instrument is constructed of bookmatched fiddleback flame maple, tap-tuned hand carved solid Adirondack spruce, with its characteristic reddish mineralization; the lightest, most responsive tonewood known to man. The X-braced top is sweet and responsive, with appealing sustain and clarity. The voice is truly exceptional, loud, clear and open with some of the woodiness of instruments many decades older. The compensated ebony bridge employs gold bushings around the bridgewheels for smooth adjustment, and the peghead echoes the design of the classic prewar asymmetrical Epiphone Masterbilt peghead.
The instrument is without cracks, pick, buckle, thumb or fingerboard wear, and apart from some scattered checking in the deeply ambered blonde finish, she shows little signs of play. The neck profile is truly fine; slim and perfectly tapered for effortless fingering. Action is smooth and low over freshly dressed fretwork. Comins guitars are rarely offered for resale, built like a Rolex, and represent a rare opportunity for the discriminating player. Current base price on the Chester Avenue is $12,500, with a wait time over a year. One only, call now.
Setup: This instrument is strung with medium gauge nickel roundwound strings (.012-.054). The guitar will accommodate lighter or heavier gauge strings, according to preference. String action is set at 5/64" to 6/64" 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 black plush lined hardshell case.
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