2022 Calliope 17" archtop, all massive wood, by Emanuele Faggion - Italy - Brand new

**EmanueleFaggion** · 05-09-2023, 04:00 AM

Hello everyone.
This is a Calliope model, 17" width, completely built and designed in Italy in my workshop.
The guitar is brand new, and I built it to bring it at a guitar fair. Now I would like to sell it.
For this particular guitar, I chose to make a deep, vivid carving, and to focus on clean but distinctive design. This model is named Calliope, like the Greek muse of poetry and arts. It is a tribute and a way to remember to try living with art and uniqueness.
Its style follows the important marks left by the great Archtop masters of our time: Monteleone, Beauregard, Marchione, Mirabella and many more.

I personally build all of my guitars in their entirety, in order to give organicity and identity. I hand build them in my workshop in northern Italy.

All of my archtops are made by hand out of massive wood. Furthermore, the thicknessing for the top and the back is different for every guitar, since every single piece of wood has its own internal strenght and flexibility; my task is to find the exact point where the wood gains its maximum responsiveness, but it's still able to hold the string tension.

SPECS:

Model: Calliope, 17" waist
Top: Bavarian Spruce, 30+yrs old cut
Back/Sides: Canadian Maple
Bracing: X-Bracing
Soundport: Yes, Calliope design
Fretboard: Canadian Maple
Neck: Laminated European Maple
Bridge: One piece Canadian Maple
Tailpiece: One piece Canadian Maple
Bindings: Canadian Maple, Brass
Frets: Medium/Higher
Pickup: Benedetto S-6
Electronics: Schatten hidden thumbwheel controls
Nut: Unbleached bone
Finish: Glossy nitrocellulose
Tuners: Rubner Germany, ebony buttons
Truss rod: Two way, slim, 4 mm Allen key

Other details:

- Hand picked, first quality woods
- Fully handmade in Trissino, Italy
- Wooden components stored in dry, controlled area
- Careful, precise hand thicknessing of table and back
- Voicing at closed box, for optimal responsiveness
- Dovetail neck construction
- Constant flexibility/strength ratio check
- Humidity controlled working environment
- Quality SKB Hard case included
- Certificate of authenticity and merch included

Price:

7.950,00 € - negotiable price
+ Shipping. I ship worldwide

Video:

Pics:

**marcwhy** · 05-09-2023, 07:38 AM

Beautiful!!

**Jimmy blue note** · 05-09-2023, 08:58 AM

Extraordinary design. I wonder if they come with 7 strings? (That's saved me many times from being tempted to have a new guitar, my secret GAS filter!)

**EmanueleFaggion** · 05-09-2023, 09:13 AM

(Sorry, double post)

**EmanueleFaggion** · 05-09-2023, 09:13 AM

Originally Posted by Jimmy blue note

Extraordinary design. I wonder if they come with 7 strings? (That's saved me many times from being tempted to have a new guitar, my secret GAS filter!)

Thank you very much!
Since I build one-off, custom pieces, it can be done also as a 7-string.
Your anti-GAS filter has been defeated :-)

**wintermoon** · 05-09-2023, 09:16 AM

Very exotic looking guitar, good luck w the sale.
Just a suggestion, the video demo is so saturated w reverb/delay it's difficult to hear what the guitar really sounds like.
Maybe have a video highlighting it's acoustic sound?

**Woody Sound** · 05-09-2023, 09:34 AM

Love those tuners. Unless I missed it, you might want to include the neck (nut) width.

**nevershouldhavesoldit** · 05-09-2023, 10:03 AM

That’s a stunning work of art!

**Jimmy blue note** · 05-09-2023, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by EmanueleFaggion

Thank you very much!
Since I build one-off, custom pieces, it can be done also as a 7-string.
Your anti-GAS filter has been defeated :-)

Uh oh! :-)

How about a mic about 2 feet away slightly off to the side and the guitar unamplified. That's a sound that can tell a story of the wood and the air.
I'll hope that it's not TOO irresistible. Thank you

**EmanueleFaggion** · 05-10-2023, 01:36 PM

Thanks everyone for the much appreciated inputs!

Nut width is 45 mm.

Yes, the recording has effects in, that's because I preferred to leave the guitarist some "artistic space" and let him play his piece as it was written to be played. This because I also wanted to give the impression that the guitar can be used also as a tool for the musician. But I agree that in the nearest future I should make a vid with only the pure acoustic sound.
The problem is that I am a complete disaster playing guitar :-)) , so I will have to call some friend and let them play for me.
I Hope I will be able to do it next week!

**ArchieHollow** · 05-10-2023, 01:59 PM

Bellisimo. Superba creazione!

**RobbieAG** · 05-10-2023, 05:30 PM

That's a beautiful work of art! I wish I was closer.

**EmanueleFaggion** · 05-11-2023, 06:30 PM

Originally Posted by ArchieHollow

Bellisimo. Superba creazione!

Grazie infinite, e ottimo italiano :-)

**ArchieHollow** · 05-11-2023, 07:32 PM

What's this plate beneath soundholes in the archtop?

**EmanueleFaggion** · 05-12-2023, 03:33 AM

Originally Posted by ArchieHollow

What's this plate beneath soundholes in the archtop?

These are some sort of very small "braces": since the f-holes are divided into two different holes (and the design is like that also for a sonical reason, not only aesthethic), there is a little part of spruce beetween the two holes, which would be free to move. This could cause some unwanted vibration, so I decided to couple it with the other part of the top, to make it move accordingly.
Also, they are made for reinforcement and to avoid movements of the table in that part, which is really thin.

**ArchieHollow** · 05-12-2023, 10:30 AM

Emanuele,
I see now that is a support brace. Is it about 4mm wide 5-ply double bound wood center?

**EmanueleFaggion** · 05-13-2023, 10:49 AM

Originally Posted by ArchieHollow

Emanuele,
I see now that is a support brace. Is it about 4mm wide 5-ply double bound wood center?

That is exactly 4mm, congratulations for your eyesight!
Inner portion is brass, like the binding on the fretboard/headstock and other details.

**ArchieHollow** · 05-13-2023, 07:53 PM

Wow. Brass in the binding. Reminds me of using brass strips to section artwork inlays in terrazzo floors and tables.

**ArchieHollow** · 05-13-2023, 10:43 PM

By the way, I love working with stone inlays and terrazzo artistry

**RJVB** · 05-14-2023, 07:56 AM

Still one of the most beautiful instruments I've seen! That colour ... a subtle yet bold departure from the classical red/yellow/brown schemes found in this kind of violin-inspired lutherie!

Originally Posted by EmanueleFaggion

Yes, the recording has effects in, that's because I preferred to leave the guitarist some "artistic space" and let him play his piece as it was written to be played.

Are you sure there is no contradiction in there?

This because I also wanted to give the impression that the guitar can be used also as a tool for the musician.

I for one think you're not doing credit to your work if you just recorded the electric sound. You could get essentially the same sound from a simple stick with the same pickup at the same position w.r.t. the strings and saddle.

**yebdox** · 05-14-2023, 09:37 AM

Originally Posted by EmanueleFaggion

Thanks everyone for the much appreciated inputs!

Nut width is 45 mm.

Yes, the recording has effects in, that's because I preferred to leave the guitarist some "artistic space" and let him play his piece as it was written to be played. This because I also wanted to give the impression that the guitar can be used also as a tool for the musician. But I agree that in the nearest future I should make a vid with only the pure acoustic sound.
The problem is that I am a complete disaster playing guitar :-)) , so I will have to call some friend and let them play for me.
I Hope I will be able to do it next week!

Do you live anywhere near Alessio Menconi? He’s a great player with a more traditional sound. Really a lovely and unique piece!