|
 ANDERSEN STRINGED INSTRUMENTS |
| ACOUSTIC GUITARS |
| Andersen archtop guitars all share certain specifications. The body depth is 3 in., and the scale lengths available are either 24.9 in. or 25.4 in. The soundboard is crafted of either Engelmann or Sitka spruce. The back, sides, and neck are highly figured maple; and the pickguard, bridge, fretboard and peghead face are ebony. The instrument's tailpiece is a graphite composite with an ebony veneer. The archtops are finished in Amber Blonde or Clear Blonde. Andersen does offer several options on various models, as well as suggestions for floating pickups. The base price also includes a standard hardshell case. While work backlog is around twenty months, a delivery date will be confirmed when an order is placed. For those who prefer to purchase a guitar without the wait, Andersen occasionally has completed guitars available for sale (call for information). Prior to 2001, left-handed ($200) and seven-string models ($600) were available. The Gold Standard ($16,500), is the flagship archtop of the Andersen line. 14k gold wire is used in place of all regular silver wire. The body is made of German spruce and maple and features the gold wire for binding. This guitar also features the "teardrop" f-holes. This guitar is available in 16, 17, and 18 in. lengths. The Emerald City ($11,000) and Metropolitan ($10,500) are the most ornate members of the Andersen family of archtop guitars. The designs are reminiscent of the Art Deco style popular in the 1930s and 1940s. Construction details include hand engraved mother-of-pearl inlays, ivoroid binding around the body, f-holes, neck and peghead; and the most highly figured maple for the back, sides, and neck. The Emerald City is available in either a 17 in.or 18 in.body width, and the Metropolitan is only available in a 17 in.body width. The Metropolitan was designed in collaboration with vintage guitar enthusiasts John G. Stewart and K.C. Wait. The Emerald City Reserve ($13,000) is a limited edition model built with rare woods reserved especially for this model. Wood combinations include a European spruce top and European maple back, or an Adirondack spruce top with a ninety-year-old one-piece American maple back. Further model specifications will be supplied by Andersen. The Model 16 ($7,500), Model 17 ($7,500), and the Model 18 ($7,500) are elegant in their simplicity. The Model 16 has a 16 in. body, the Model 17 has a 17 in. body width, and the Model 18 has an 18 in.body width. By using a minimal amount of inlay and decoration, Andersen is able to build a guitar whose design and materials are first class, yet at a price somewhat less than the more ornate instruments. Body, f-holes, neck and peghead are bound in ivoroid. The Oval Hole Archtop model ($7,000) is designed as an archtop with a warmer sound than a traditional model. Andersen feels that the oval soundhole allows the guitar to sustain more than an f-hole top. The overall design of this model is intended to make the guitar as lightweight and resonant as possible. Andersen's newest model is the Model 14 "Litte Archie" Archtop guitar ($7,000). The Model 14 is designed as an option for guitarist who travel on airplanes. Due to space consideration, and the tightening of regulations regarding "carry-on" luggage, Andersen devised an archtop guitar that is full-sized where it needs to be, and reduced where the designs allows. Thus, the scale length (25.4 in.), neck size and shape, and bridge/soundboard design retain their usual size. The body and peghead size then are reduced: the body width is 14 in., and the depth is 2 in. (or 2.5 in.). Pickup choices range from Armstrong, Bartolini, or EMG. Andersen collaborated with guitarist Bill Frisell on this new electrified archtop model. The Streamline (last price $5,500) is an archtop that was available only through dealers. The Electric Archie ($7,500), is a 14 in. like the Litte Archie, except it has two pickups and f-holes. The Vanguard ($7,700) is an archtop that has a mounted pickup and controls. Andersen also offers the Concert Model flattop ($5,500). |