Florentine

Marc Beneteau Cutaway Steel String Guitar 1988

On April 30, 2021 /

Here we have a Marc Beneteau Cutaway steel string acoustic guitar combining Spruce and Mahogany, built during 1988 in St. Thomas, Ontario. Marc Beneteau has been building guitars since 1974 and his instruments are well built and well respected, and used by stellar players like Don Ross. This Marc Beneteau Cutaway pairs a Sitka Spruce top with Tropical Mahogany for the sides, back, body blocks and neck. and uses Indian Rosewood for the bridge and unbound fingerboard. The body binding is Satinwood and the cutaway style is Florentine.

Used

This instrument has sold

Gibson ES350 Electric Archtop Sunburst 1951

On March 26, 2021 /

Here’s a real beauty – a Gibson ES350 Electric Archtop built during 1951 at the historic Parsons Street shop in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The ES-350 was built from 1947 to 1956, and for 1957 received a thinner body and new name – the ES-350T, the T standing for Thinline. This model was played extensively by top artists like Barney Kessel, Chuck Berry, B B King and Tal Farlow. At its 1947 introduction, the Gibson ES350 was named the ‘ES-350 Premiere’ and was a full body, single cutaway archtop with a single P-90 pickup in the neck position. For 1949, it received a second pickup. Construction was typical of Gibson’s electric archtop production, with Laminate Maple for the top, sides and back, part of an attempt to reduce feedback at stage volumes.

Vintage

This instrument has sold

Gibson ES135 Cutaway Thinline Archtop Sunburst, 1996

On February 2, 2021 /

The single cutaway, thinline Gibson ES135, built from 1991 to 2004 started out as a quite different guitar – the 1954 ES-130 non-cutaway archtop electric, renamed the ES-135 in 1956 and discontinued in 1958. For 1991, Gibson blended the ES-334 concept with the ES-175 body shape and added a pair of P-90 or humbucking pickups and either a trapeze or stop tailpiece. The model was discontinued in 2004. The Gibson ES135 shares many construction features with other ES (Electric Spanish) thinline models.

Used

This instrument has sold

Gibson Les Paul Florentine Korina, 1996

On October 15, 2020 /

Here is another rarity, a Gibson Les Paul Florentine Korina, Custom Shop built and with two features making it most unusual – the Korina top and the lack of F holes. This limited edition model, which later became the Les Paul ES, featured a heavily rooted Mahogany body and separate top, in this case Korina or Black Limba though many had heavily figured Maple tops. Most of the production had F holes, making sense given the nearly hollow body, but a few like this one have closed tops.

Used

This instrument has sold

Gibson Byrdland Venetian Cutaway Archtop Sunburst, 1991

On October 9, 2019 /

The Gibson Byrdland Florentine Cutaway model has been in production since 1955 though Gibson also offers the original sharp Venetian cutaway. It is based on a thinline version of the classic L5-CES body, but with a short scale length of 23.5 inches, two inches shorter than the L5. The Byrdland was introduced as a custom model for two top Nashville session players, Billy Byrd and Hank Garland.

Used

This instrument has sold

Gibson Byrdland Florentine Cutaway Sunburst, 1968

On October 6, 2019 /

The Gibson Byrdland Florentine cutaway model originally had a rounded, ‘Venetian’ cutaway between its introduction in 1955 and 1960, and regained the Venetian cutaway in 1969. Modern Custom Shop ‘reissue’ models are available with either shape, since 1992. The Byrdland had its origins in the requirements of busy working session guitarists – two working session guitarists in particular. Hank Garland and Billy Byrd were two of the top Nashville players throughout the 1950’s.

Vintage

This instrument has sold

Florentine

Marc Beneteau Cutaway Steel String Guitar 1988

Gibson ES350 Electric Archtop Sunburst 1951

Gibson ES135 Cutaway Thinline Archtop Sunburst, 1996

Gibson Les Paul Florentine Korina, 1996

Gibson Byrdland Venetian Cutaway Archtop Sunburst, 1991

Gibson Byrdland Florentine Cutaway Sunburst, 1968

THE TWELFTH FRET

MORE SERVICES