1984 Jean-Pierre Favino Archtop

This rare Favino archtop is most likely a one-of-a-kind instrument: A large body, carved top, parallel braced, F hole jazz model built by the legendary Parisian Gypsy luthier Jean-Pierre Favino. Jean-Pierre's father did build F hole jazz models in the 60s and 70s, but they were constructed using bent tops and other characteristics typical of Selmer Maccaferri guitars. This instrument, however, is more akin to something you'd expect from American archtop builders like Jimmy D'Aquisto or Bob Benedetto.

This instrument is a purely acoustic archtop with an oversized 17 3/4" lower bout and a 25" scale length. It was exquisitely crafted with Brazilian rosewood back and sides, a cedar top, and a maple neck. Additional details include a rosewood headstock veneer, a solid rosewood bridge, and a stylized ebony fingerboard. This instrument has been fitted with a set of Schaller deluxe tuners and a Frequensator trapeze tailpiece.

Built as a pure, acoustic archtop, this instrument  delivers a wonderful, full bodied acoustic tone. Unlike more typical archtop guitars, which tend to be more specialized for amplified playing, this instrument will fill the room with sound without any additional amplification. It has a beautiful balance, with an especially rich and satisfying midrange that adds depth and complexity to the tone. This guitar also produces enough high end bite for crisp leads and stinging chordal work. It's a true acoustic jazz machine which is not an easy thing to find!

This instrument was very well taken care of over the years so it has very little wear and tear. There are some light pick scratches on the top, light finish checking, a small bit of finish rubbed of the very top of the headstock, and some light fret wear. There is a top crack emanating from top of the treble F hole but it is just a surface crack and doesn't go all the way through.

The action is set at a rock bottom 2.1mm which makes it a breeze to play!

This is a great opportunity to own a unique and beautiful instrument which not only sounds great but is a piece of Gypsy jazz history!

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