# New guitar for my red guitar collection by master luthier Tom Ribbecke!



## guitarjunky (Sep 11, 2007)

I am very excited to share some pictures of a very exciting one of a kind guitar created by Tom Ribbecke for my Red Guitar Collection!

I will share pictures from the start to the end of the project...

At first just for fun, I will do a guitarmaking strip tease... No infos, just pictures to put you in the mood! And I sure hope that the waiting is worth it!

So there you go... The first pics of the guitar to be delivered at the next Montreal Guitar Show


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## Alain Moisan (Jan 16, 2010)

Pretty awsome maple you got there. It's definitly going to make a nice looking guitar.


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## guitarjunky (Sep 11, 2007)




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## guitarjunky (Sep 11, 2007)




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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Starting to take shape there


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## guitarjunky (Sep 11, 2007)




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## guitarjunky (Sep 11, 2007)




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## guitarjunky (Sep 11, 2007)




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## guitarjunky (Sep 11, 2007)




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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Dying to see Red.....


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## copperhead (May 24, 2006)

that is a unique shape almost "GHOST" like but i like it ......keep us posted ...................


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## rollingdam (May 11, 2006)

The shape is based on a John D'Angelico archtop ofter referred to as the can opener


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## guitarjunky (Sep 11, 2007)




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## guitarjunky (Sep 11, 2007)




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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

How red? Translucent? Burst?

I really dig this sort of thing, especially in archtops. Never had a good one just an old Harmony and an Epiphone Emperor, but I've spent hours at The 12th Fret and Elderly in archtop dreamland. 

Are you having a Calton case or something fitted for it?

Looks fantastic.

Peace, Mooh.


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## guitarjunky (Sep 11, 2007)




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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Wow! Great photos, thanks. Will it be amplified?

Peace, Mooh.


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## guitarjunky (Sep 11, 2007)

Here are some info on this marvelous project and guitar in the making with info gathered from my exchanges with Tom Ribbecke... 

This is an extract from one of his emails when he was telling me about his vision...

«This instrument is really about my deep respect for the makers who have done a teardrop, no disrespect of any kind to these remarkable inspirational builders , all of whose work inspires and instructs me whenever I see it. It is also an homage to the future and an interpretation that works well with the Halfling design, as it gives me more bass area of the soundboard, so elongating the scale legnth is a natural evolution of this opportunity. 

The ergonomics are also an unexpected result but there is a built in armrest effect. Also the wood choice is very old material from the cello world, but has figure and the sort of pitch marks that are more typical in the cello/violin world. This reflects the guitar builder of today working with an imperative to choose materials with "mojo" over visually clear material with lesser inherent tone.

As for the team working on this instrument, he adds...

« For the sake of clarity, I have a private practice where my very high end instruments are made with a much higher concentration materials and my hands, and here we make all kinds of custom order Archtop (including versions of the Halfling, which is an archtop instrument), acoustic-electric and custom instruments.

The Ribbecke Guitar Corporation is the production arm located three miles away you can see the shops at Guitar Planet
The production guys are all fine craftsmen and women and these are very fine instruments, we chose to make them in America using primarily hand techniques (almost everything is done in the shop) and as a result they are expensive in their own right. and these folks have all worked under my direct supervision.

The Halfling is one voice of the archtop guitar, I understand this is not for everyone! I appreciate the fact that people are open to new processes! It simply provides a voice for folks who want an archtop guitars seperation and clarity with a more steel string like bass fullness, and the feedback resistant design of the Halfling,

So many players of today unlike 30 years ago now bring great Steel string and archtop repetoires together in there music that this was designed with this in mind.

Your instrument is the product of both shops...and the body was made by me, the neck by RGC, the color will be shot by me, all the final detail (sanding of finish polishing of parts etc..) will be done by both, and in this way I am able to control the cost of an extraordinary project like this.... »


The specs:

The body is based on a 17" guitar size and the reverse teardrop allows for maximized bass rsponsealso contributing to a fatter treble respone

Body depth is 3 1/4" scale is treble side 25" bass side 26 3/4" overall body length is 24"

This instrument is a homage to the future, in the fine tradition of D'Angelico, D'Aquisto and Monteleone, and their incredible work, but this one reverses the location of the teardrop side and employs the "Halfling" top design,

The scale length is of "fanned fret" style made popular by American Luthier Ralph Novak, This was done to make use of the extra bass "real estste" available by putting the "tear" on the bass side.

The instrument features a "Kasha " style bridge,

The back and sides are very old air dried big leaf Cello maple, top is a wide grain Sitka spruce all fittings are ebony,

Neck is contructed with Birdseye maple and is reinforced with carbon fibre and features a two way truss rod.

Finish will be nitro lacquer,

Will have a bartoloini/ Ribbecke Pickup and electronics concealed under the finger rest...

nut width is 1/3/4"

So there you have it folks!


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## guitarjunky (Sep 11, 2007)




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## guitarjunky (Sep 11, 2007)




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## guitarjunky (Sep 11, 2007)




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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Fabulous work there. Going to be a great addition to the collection


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## guitarjunky (Sep 11, 2007)

GuitarsCanada said:


> Fabulous work there. Going to be a great addition to the collection


yes , very excited about this! see in Montreal in a few days!


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## mrmuzikhead (Jun 24, 2007)

Hope to see it in Montreal. It's gorgeous!


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## copperhead (May 24, 2006)

that is a beautiful guitar... nice pics


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