12 string bouzouki for Joseph Sobol

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Yesterday Joseph Sobol collected his figured Sitka spruce and African Blackwood 12 string bouzouki. This has been under discussion and construction for just about two years now. Joseph has previously had me build at least three 12 string bouzoukis (I’m beginning to lose count).

For his two previous instruments, Joseph specified mahogany and Koa back and sides. This one has African Blackwood back and sides, along with a figured Sitka soundboard, as used on my Steinbeck guitars. And after playing it a while, when asked how he felt about it Joseph replied ‘this is the last’.

He thought it looked and sounded great, and so did I. Being so newly strung, we know it will open out in the months and years to come.

Today I received this email from him:

Dear Stefan— this new instrument is astonishing. By the time we got to York it had already opened up. You just have to touch it and it rings out like a choir and organ. Notes just leap off the board. Big day here in cittern world. Thank you for going out on the field one more time to make this magical thing.

Joseph