2014 Benedetto Bravo Elite

No name is more associated with contemporary archtop guitars than that of Robert Benedetto. In a career that stretches back nearly half a century, Bob pioneered refinements in sound and playability that set the standard for the modern archtop guitar. Born in New York City, Bob began building archtop guitars in the 1960s, quickly attracting a clientele that reads like the "Who's Who" of jazz guitar: Bucky Pizzarelli, Chuck Wayne, Joe Diorio, Cal Collins, Johnny Smith, Jack Wilkins, Ron Eschete, Martin Taylor, Howard Alden, John Pizzarelli, Andy Summers, Jimmy Bruno and Kenny Burrell have all played Bob's guitars. Beginning in 1999, Bob took a more managerial role by overseeing the production of his guitars at larger shops (first at Fender's Custom Shop and later at the current Benedetto factory in Savannah, GA.)

The Bravo Elite is designed to provide Benedetto's famous tone and playability in an instrument that is both feedback resistant and tonally sophisticated. Essentially an 16", thin bodied version of Benedetto's La Venezia model, the Bravo Elite features all solid woods, including a parallel braced top constructed of AAA alpine spruce, flamed maple back and sides, and a flamed maple neck. Like the La Venezia, the Bravo Elite utilizes violin style binding-free construction and a beautiful violin burst finish.

Aesthetically, the Bravo Elite features the clean, sleek, cello inspired look first pioneered by the legendary James D'Aquisto. The fingerboard is free of fret markers, except for Benedetto's signature floral inlay at the 12th fret. The ebony cello style tailpiece pairs nicely with the attractive ebony fingerboard rest, adjustable bridge, tuning buttons, and tone/volume knobs. As one would expect from Benedetto, the workmanship is all beyond flawless, with every detail executed to the utmost perfection.

This instrument is the proverbial "closet queen," as it's in mint condition with no signs of wear making it indiscernible from a new one. With over a year wait from Benedetto, this example is not only available now, it's $5K less than what a new one would cost!

This is the CASH price...add 3% if you'd like to pay with a credit card. Add 4% for international credit card orders.