Gary’s Story
I was thrilled to be working with Bob Benedetto late in his career on a pair of master guitars — two 18-inch Cremonas. One was specified for a customer and one was for Artistic Guitars and me. The order also led to Artistic Guitars becoming a Benedetto dealer.
My connection with Bob went back much further. In the early 1980s, while searching for a handmade boutique archtop, I wrote to Bob and he sent me photographs of his Cremona and Fratello models. At the time, the top-of-the-line Cremona was $3,000, which was beyond what I could spend.
For S-2000, I wanted to model the instrument in part after Bob’s 25th Anniversary 17-inch Cremona. I gave Bob a complete set of specifications, including neck width and thickness. Most importantly, I wanted the neck profile based upon the feel of my 1998 Gibson L-5 CESN neck.
I wanted a very clear, close-grained European spruce top; exceptionally clear and flamed aged European maple for the back and sides; and Bob’s slightly patina’d Honey Blonde nitrocellulose lacquer. Bob and I exchanged numerous emails about X versus parallel bracing, one-, three- or five-piece neck construction, and many other details.
We ultimately selected a highly flamed one-piece maple neck. The guitar uses violin-style purfling and binding, a dark ebony fingerboard with a 12-inch radius, and restrained inlay so the wood and craftsmanship remain the focus.
The headstock veneers, Chuck Wayne-style narrow finger rest and tailpiece are made from burled Amboyna. The wood has an unusually sweet aromatic fragrance that can fill the room while the guitar is being played.
The 18-inch lower bout adds cavity volume, bass response, acoustic volume and projection. The guitar is very lightweight and resonant, with a clean, crisp acoustic sound, excellent clarity and responsiveness. Amplified, the Benedetto pickup preserves the acoustic character beautifully.
I must say, this one is PERFECT!