New guitar to check out .with a strong endorsment by Frank V

richdaigle

"I have been playing guitar for close to forty years now. The first 20 years, I was playing on a 58 D'Angelico New Yorker. The next 20 years on Benedetto's. From now on I play the new FV model built by Ryan Thorell. It prodcues the tone I want and the feel and look are so artful." Frank Vignola





I just wanted to drop a quick line to share Thorell guitars latest model with with some of our friends. This is the Frank Vignola model a handmade semi-archtop guitar. I am thrilled to have such an amazing musician endorsing our instruments and I wanted to use this opportunity to create a guitar with a unique voice in the world of fine archtop guitars.



There will be an initial numbered limited edition run of 10 guitars which will include:

- the limited edition finish that is pictured here

- a soundboard out of a special stock of hand carved Adirondack spruce

- and a limited edition inlay at the twelfth fret using indigenous Western desert hardwoods.

- included sideport apperature



Watch for our new website (with in the next couple weeks) which will include plenty of sound clips, juicy photography, and all the verbiage….

www.thorellguitars.com

Thanks!

Ryan Thorell

435-713-9507

<!-- e --><a href="mailto:ryan@thorellguitars.com">ryan@thorellguitars.com</a><!-- e -->

Stackabones

Gorgeous instrument!

Elliot

Why does the end of the neck look like its been chewed off?

simplygoodmusic

How beautiful!

But does that literally mean frank will no longer be using his benedetto?

richdaigle

Elliot wrote:

Why does the end of the neck look like its been chewed off?

He believes in using the whole tree...what you see is, the chainsaw marks from the African lumber jack that cut down the ebony tree...

Kidding...send Ryan a note, he'll send you a photo that shows more detail...he'd really like to hear what folks think...I didn't spot it till you mentioned it, i see a beveled edge so it's intentional and knowing Ryan it's functional and practical.

As far Frank being taken literally ...hmm...I think the term "literally" is often misused and is literally over used...kidding again, I'm pretty sure he set fire to his Benedetto last night in his backyard...literally!(misused version)

simplygoodmusic

Ryan Thorell

thanks for the complements!

The guitar isn't officially released yet, meaning I won't have anything up on my website for a couple weeks. But there will be some killin video shot this weekend of Frank playing, he also just played on a Matt Flinner date in Nashville with the guitar so pretty soon you will be able to really check the guitar out. Definatly check out my site for the full scoop on why this guitar is different, but the main thing is a hybrid approach to archtop design. The soundboard is handcarved from a 3/8" plate with a low neck angle, resulting in a soundboard load partially between an archtop and a flattop. The guitar then is braced with a bracing design I have been developing over the last couple years. This combines the Selmer style lateral bracing with parallel tonebars. The resulting tone as Frank describes it is "super-fat".
I will try to post a close up of the scalloped fingerboard. This picture doesn't do it justice. The scallop done is an interpretive version of some of the deco ogee shapes that D'Angellico used on his fretboard ends and fingerrests. I started really digging scalloped fretboards a couple of years ago because I can start to angle the bass side of the frets down sooner on the neck allowing for a lower action on the bass side of the neck that you can dig into...
ryan

MichaelHorowitz

simplygoodmusic wrote:

How beautiful!

But does that literally mean frank will no longer be using his benedetto?

I spoke with the folks at Benedetto a while back and they told me they decided to discontinue their whole line of endorsement/signature guitars (i.e. Vignola, Pizzarelli, Bruno, Taylor, etc.). They found that most people in the high end archtop market wanted something more personal and didn't like having someone else's name on the headstock (or tailpiece).

Also, it's not like Benedetto really needs any more exposure then they've already got. Everyone knows they're some of the best archtops ever made.

So, you'll see that many former Benedetto endorsees now have deals with other Luthiers for signature models. I think it's a good thing because up and coming Luthiers like Thorell can generate more interest in their instruments.

'm

richdaigle

ah ha! He has it complimenting the soundhole design.

Though I'm not sure of the price ...it will beat the price of a Benny with someone else's name on it by a mile.
RD

Elliot

Thanks Ryan I can see the scalloping fine now - the way it increases in amplitude was difficult to make out...not sure how it reads from a distance. Personally, I'd take it from 3 scallops to 2 as I think it would integrate into the overall design a little better and still reinforce the Art Deco/Nouveau look of this very beautiful guitar.

simplygoodmusic

Michael Horowitz wrote:

simplygoodmusic wrote:

How beautiful!

But does that literally mean frank will no longer be using his benedetto?

I spoke with the folks at Benedetto a while back and they told me they decided to discontinue their whole line of endorsement/signature guitars (i.e. Vignola, Pizzarelli, Bruno, Taylor, etc.). They found that most people in the high end archtop market wanted something more personal and didn't like having someone else's name on the headstock (or tailpiece).

Also, it's not like Benedetto really needs any more exposure then they've already got. Everyone knows they're some of the best archtops ever made.

So, you'll see that many former Benedetto endorsees now have deals with other Luthiers for signature models. I think it's a good thing because up and coming Luthiers like Thorell can generate more interest in their instruments.

'm

Actually I've always wondered about that. You are right, it does seem like high end signature guitars are somewhat useless. But I've always loved Frank Vignola's Benedetto, and that sound is really the holy grail of sounds to me. I am wondering how anything else will compare.