Every time an instrument built by Oskar Graf arrives at the shop, everyone here falls back in awe of this master builder's workmanship. Simply put, Oskar is truly among the best that there is. We have seen instruments by almost all of the most highly regarded luthiers in the world, and Oskar's instruments consistently rise above the rest in every category. His attention to detail is unrivaled, his finish-work is flawless, the feel and set-up of his instruments makes for an instinctive playability, and the tone he somehow builds in to his creations is beguiling.

The 16" figured West Coast maple and Sitka Spruce guitar shown here exemplifies all this and then some. From the tonewoods selected to the intricately detailed purflings and lush sunburst lacquer finish, nothing was overlooked in this archtop's build. Gracefully carved, with gorgeously recurved arches and chamfered f-holes. Tastefully bound and accented in ebony, the guitar's pickguard, bridge, and tailpiece are each hand-carved by Graf. Pickguard mounted ebony-covered Kent Armstrong PAF humbucking pickup and discreet volume and tone controls, gold and ebony Schaller tuners, gold pearl headstock logo inlaid into an ebony headstock overlay that is bordered by a fine 18 karat gold line.

Graf's archtop guitars are crafted entirely by hand, which affords him the ability to adjust the instrument's voicing to suit the properties of the wood he's using. This guitar has a very open and expressive voice when touched lightly, but has lots of power and cut in reserve to meet the demands of a heavy attack. Overtones are present but controlled, and treble string response is rounder and fuller than most.

The neck has a 50's Gibson round feel, but with a wider 1-3/4" nutwidth. 25-3/8" scale.

With deluxe hardshell case

Click HERE for our hi-def video feature of this instrument.