New model by Tom Ribbecke

**Mark Kleinhaut** · 01-13-2017, 10:22 PM

Tom has created this modified version of his Testadura that incorporates some of the Halfling model. I just got it yesterday- first of its kind;

**Jabberwocky** · 01-13-2017, 10:44 PM

I am almost afraid to ask: how much money is Tom Ribbecke asking? I got a quote of $22000 on a Halfling...

What's RGC's status? RGC built the affordable Ribbeckes. Too bad the Kiso Ribbecke venture didn't work out.

**neatomic** · 01-13-2017, 11:10 PM

beautiful warm tone...enjoy

cheers

**helios** · 01-14-2017, 03:22 AM

Congratulations on a beautiful guitar and video! I really enjoy it when a NGD is accompanied by a demo, as it makes for a full experience. The workmanship looks fantastic! I like the riffs a 1:44 min

**Frank67** · 01-14-2017, 03:34 AM

I love that tone. Full and articulate with a beautiful ringing sustain and that gorgeous warm attack. Sounds and looks like a real winner! And I love your lyrical phrasing and clean playing. Enjoy!

**Rob MacKillop** · 01-14-2017, 05:59 AM

Ridiculously good playing, as always, and the guitar sounds superb. Congratulations to both player and luthier. Well matched.

**goldenwave77** · 01-14-2017, 08:10 AM

Great playing and the guitar itself sounds great.

Would it be possible for you to do a clip, playing something a little more uptempo against some backing?

**Mark Kleinhaut** · 01-14-2017, 09:01 AM

Originally Posted by goldenwave77

Great playing and the guitar itself sounds great.

Would it be possible for you to do a clip, playing something a little more uptempo against some backing?

well, sure, but what are you looking to hear? (Just don't say freebird)

**goldenwave77** · 01-14-2017, 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by goldenwave77

Great playing and the guitar itself sounds great.

Would it be possible for you to do a clip, playing something a little more uptempo against some backing?

I think your playing is "beyond category". But it seems to me a legitimate question for these boutique models is how they sound in "a mix".

I've seen Russell Malone twice, live. Once he had an L5, and I think once he played his Buscarino.

I love Johnny Smith, but in some live clips, his guitar sound is kind of getting lost.

I think for many potential buyers of these instruments, the question is how they will sound in a real, live musical grouping.

So...anything. "Song For My Father", "Softly as in a Morning Sunrise", "Cherokee"...something boppish maybe.... I leave it up to you...the question is how this instrument sounds, in a mix.

(FWIW, I think this instrument has an interesting semi-electric sound....lots of clarity, but also richness, and good bass without the boominess that I think some boutique-y designs have.

PS: Just keep it clean...I'm not a distortion guy, and somehow I think you're not, either.

**Mark Kleinhaut** · 01-14-2017, 09:48 AM

Originally Posted by goldenwave77

I think your playing is "beyond category". But it seems to me a legitimate question for these boutique models is how they sound in "a mix".

I've seen Russell Malone twice, live. Once he had an L5, and I think once he played his Buscarino.

I love Johnny Smith, but in some live clips, his guitar sound is kind of getting lost.

I think for many potential buyers of these instruments, the question is how they will sound in a real, live musical grouping.

So...anything. "Song For My Father", "Softly as in a Morning Sunrise", "Cherokee"...something boppish maybe.... I leave it up to you...the question is how this instrument sounds, in a mix.

(FWIW, I think this instrument has an interesting semi-electric sound....lots of clarity, but also richness, and good bass without the boominess that I think some boutique-y designs have.

PS: Just keep it clean...I'm not a distortion guy, and somehow I think you're not, either.

Thanks is for explaining. You're nailing a key issue that hits where the rubber meats the road- what's the real world performance. Since I just got this instrument the day before yesterday I've yet to find that out- maiden voyage will be Friday 1/20 on a quartet gig. I've played this room many times so after that I'll know for sure. My other Ribbecke, a full body Halfling model cuts it very well and I expect this new one to be at least as good if not better. Being a thin line, this guitar is more like an es335 than a big jazz box, boutique or otherwise.

If if I have time to do a backing track mix I'll do one, though I'm sure you get that that's not real world either by any stretch. Ps- I'm not much into distortion effects either

**goldenwave77** · 01-14-2017, 11:04 AM

It's all a little complicated, actually. YT videos with guys playing s/ heavy distortion tell us almost nothing about how an instrument sounds, IMO.

Solo, clean playing tells us more... some backing would replicate the real live experience better, though, as you point out, it's not entirely realistic.

At the Detroit Festival, the main setting is about 5,000 people in a public park surrounded by 30-story skyscrapers from the 20's and 30's. The live sound there, with sound reinforcement/amplification, is very good...kind of a natural amphitheatre.

Even good live sound is probably not up to the pristine, level of a good recording studio...though sometimes the immediacy of the live experience outweighs the ability to tweak.

**Woody Sound** · 01-14-2017, 11:18 AM

Beautiful arrangement, beautiful tone. Congrats.

ps - How wide is the lower bout?

**QAman** · 01-14-2017, 11:23 AM

Beautiful tone and complete control of the instrument - real polished playing -thanks for sharing - and good luck with your new Ribbecke.

**Mark Kleinhaut** · 01-15-2017, 10:58 AM

I don't know how this thread got in two places. Sorry about that. Here's a photo. New model by Tom Ribbecke-image-jpg

**Rob MacKillop** · 01-15-2017, 11:19 AM

Wow, that's stunning.

**kris** · 01-15-2017, 11:41 AM

Great Guitar!!!!

**goldenwave77** · 01-15-2017, 12:24 PM

Boy, that is a BIG sound. Sounds great.

Didn't realize from the initial clip that this was a thin-line instrument.

**Mark Kleinhaut** · 01-15-2017, 01:57 PM

It's settling in too.

**Cunamara** · 01-15-2017, 01:59 PM

Originally Posted by Jabberwocky

I am almost afraid to ask: how much money is Tom Ribbecke asking? I got a quote of $22000 on a Halfling...

That was $22,000?!? For a guitar? Good grief. I guess that's understandable if it takes 800 hours of labor plus the costs of materials (which aren't cheap for high quality guitars) to make one. I've never built an archtop so I don't know.

**Rob MacKillop** · 01-15-2017, 02:19 PM

Nice new video, Mark. That's one clean machine.

**Tom Karol** · 01-15-2017, 03:27 PM

Drop dead gorgeous - the looks, the sound, and the playing!

**Mark Kleinhaut** · 01-15-2017, 03:38 PM

One strange and surprisingly beautiful thing about the finish is how it looks red when straight on, but from an angle it's more brown. I think there's some muli layered lacquer going on.

**Jabberwocky** · 01-15-2017, 05:14 PM

Originally Posted by Cunamara

That was $22,000?!? For a guitar? Good grief...

Don't wish to take away from Mark's New Ribbecke Guitar Day. The quote of $22000 was on a Halfling built by Tom Ribbecke, not by the Ribbecke Guitar Co. The ones built by the now dormant RGC ran about $8000, the last time I checked in 2014.

Mark's Ribbecke Testadura-Halfling thinline is very nice sounding. I guess it helps greatly to have Mark playing it. I am interested in it only if I can afford it. If I can't afford it, like I can't afford a Marchione, well, I move on.

That is why I asked if RGC is building it or Tom Ribbecke. Golden Age Fretted had a Tom Ribbecke Testadura for sale and they wanted $12 500 for it.

Perhaps it might be better to ask Tom Ribbecke directly as Mark probably does not know what TR intends to sell it for.

Sorry, Mark, did not mean to put you in a spot.

**Mark Kleinhaut** · 01-15-2017, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by Jabberwocky

Don't wish to take away from Mark's New Ribbecke Guitar Day. The quote of $22000 was on a Halfling built by Tom Ribbecke, not by the Ribbecke Guitar Co. The ones built by the now dormant RGC ran about $8000, the last time I checked in 2014.

Mark's Ribbecke Testadura-Halfling thinline is very nice sounding. I guess it helps greatly to have Mark playing it. I am interested in it only if I can afford it. If I can't afford it, like I can't afford a Marchione, well, I move on.

That is why I asked if RGC is building it or Tom Ribbecke. Golden Age Fretted had a Tom Ribbecke Testadura for sale and they wanted $12 500 for it.

Perhaps it might be better to ask Tom Ribbecke directly as Mark probably does not know what TR intends to sell it for.

Sorry, Mark, did not mean to put you in a spot.

No worry- price is naturally in everyone's mind. My Halfling, which I've had about 8 years, was an RGC build. My new one is by Tom individually. Naturally it costs more, though I don't think it's right to publicize what I paid and I have no idea what he'd charge for anything today, except that it would me more. My instrument is the culmination of discussions and ideas exchanged that started nearly 4 years ago. The model I have is based on the Testadura, but there's significant modifications. Honestly I had no idea how it would actually sound, and the end it was blind trust in Tom's work. I'm quite happy with the outcome, but it was a risk.