This guitar was ordered and built for Keahloa musician active in Hawaii in 1938 to go with his New Yorker. This one being less ornate and more for daily use in his band has a 17" maple body with simple dot inlays headstock and fingerboard bound with ivoroid. The specials were usually custom ordered and the name used as a grab bag of various features . This one has the pearl banner headstock inlay with D'Angelico's signature and a fleur dis lis.
The guitar features a dark stained birds eye maple body of very old dense wood with a gorgeous spruce top with the style B parrellel bracing pattern. Its voice is clear and distinct with all the punch, clarity and sweetness a real D'Angelico is known for. At the date of construction all the componets were solid woods aged a minimum of 10 years and probably over 50! All pieces were hand carved from a solid block, the tops are candle and tap tuned as they're being carved for optimum performance. Necks were also hand carved from the finest woods for that "feel" that a master luthier strives for. The maple for back and sides is either flamed or birds eye or a combonation of both. The arch was formed and carved; the sides hand bent.
This guitar would have been near the lower end of D'Angelico line but by todays standards its near the top of guitars ever built. Two cracks in top and one brace were repaired. Some other parts had to be changed: the changed parts on this are the pickguard , the bridge and the tailpiece, case is original with a replacement handle.
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