Instruments available now

  • New Sicilian Guitar

    This guitar is now sold (more can be built to order).

    I am making my new Model 1 Sicilian guitar available, the first Sicilian I have built for around 20 years.

    This was my standard guitar for several decades until I concentrated on later designs, MS model, Steinbeck, New World and Verona guitars. After re-fretting Sicilians recently, I decided to build more.

    This is the first. Best 30 year cut Indian rosewood back and sides, 5 year cut German spruce top (from Transylvania), and on this particular guitar, a Wengé neck instead of the standard Brazilian mahogany.

    Beautiful, powerful, bright and instantly projecting, it’s a wonderful instrument.

    Complete with Artist line Hiscox case it costs £8500.

    Specifications

    Soundboard: German spruce
    Back and sides: Indian rosewood
    Neck: Brazilian mahogany, Wengé extra cost option
    Fingerboard: Ebony
    Bridge: Ebony with two piece bone saddle
    Binding: Black with red/green/gold purfling
    Trim: Birdsfoot edging with red line
    Body Width: 16.25″ (41 cm)
    Body Length: 19.25″ (49 cm)
    Max body depth: 4.5″     (11 cm)
    F/b width at nut: 1 3/4″ (45 mm)
    Scale: 650mm = 25.6”
    Tuners: Gold Gotohs, Gotoh 510s extra cost option
    Pickup: Optional

    For more information email stefan@sobellguitars.com
    or telephone  +44 (0) 1434 673567

  • Left handed Model 1 for sale

    For as long as I can remember, buying or selling a left-handed guitar has been a problem.  If you are selling, there are no left handed buyers, if you are buying, no sellers.  So here is an opportunity for both buyer and seller.

    Martin Mathews is selling his 1989 left handed Model 1 Guitar.

    It has Indian rosewood back and sides, German spruce soundboard, Padauk neck, ebony fingerboard and bridge.  It comes complete with excellent Clark case and original Baggs pickup.  It is in outstanding condition, playing perfectly and sounding lovely.  Martin says:

    My left handed Stefan Sobell Model 1 guitar is for sale, a 1989 model in beautiful condition.  It’s built of  Indian rosewood/German spruce with a Padouk neck and is fitted with a Baggs pickup.  It comes in the original Jack Clark case with original documentation.


    This guitar has appeared on many of my albums.  It was the featured lead instrument on my first solo album ‘Autumn’ (2010), especially prominent on tracks ‘Aycliffe Richard’s Waltz’ and ‘O’Hanlon’s Rocky Road Reel’, as well as featuring as accompanying guitar throughout that album.
    It also features in my Wall to Wall series of solo CDs:  ‘Lindisfarne to Walltown’, ‘Cowraik to Sliabh Croob’, and ‘Greencastle to Carrickmacross’ (2015-2018), both as melodic lead and accompanying instrument.
    All the aforementioned albums are available to listen to or download on the usual formats  –  Spotify, iTunes, YouTube etc.  Over the years I have used it for studio work with Cúig, Vin Garbutt, the Jig Doctors and Steamradio.


    I have owned many of Stefan’s instruments.  The first was a 10 string cittern bought in 1976 prior to joining the Champion String Band with Tom Gilfellon and Chuck Fleming. Subsequently I’ve had a large bodied cittern, octave mandolin, long scale mandocello and mandolin along with this guitar.  All have been fabulous examples of his craftsmanship and excellence as a luthier.

    I’m currently recording my latest album ‘No Time Like The Present’ which again features this guitar and, once completed, the guitar will be for sale.

    Martin Matthews

    Martin can be reached by email at     steamradio.martin@googlemail.com

  • Two African Blackwood guitars available

    I am offering two African Blackwood guitars for sale.  Both are among the guitars built for myself because they interest me, both are beautiful looking and sounding guitars in mint condition. Now it’s time to sell them, as I have more in the pipeline.

    Because of the strong US dollar and week UK pound, this is an opportunity for US players to buy at a lower price than for many years.

    African Blackwood
    German spruce
    D guitar
    Now Sold
    The D guitar is built on my large 12 fret Model 2 body with two extra frets added before the nut, so lowering the pitch by one tone.

    I originally devised the D guitar when wanting to accompany in F but preferring G chords. The extra two frets also gave a wonderful deep resonant sound. Fitting a capo at the second fret gives standard guitar tuning, string scale and tension.

    This is a guitar with all standard guitar strengths plus the extra depth and resonance available from the extended scale.

    The German spruce soundboard comes from the Gleissner stock of best quality soundboards aged between ten and twenty years. It is mellowing nicely already, and has prominent Bearclaw figuring.
    The rich, dark African Blackwood back and sides were on my shelves for nearly twenty years before the build, so are also well aged.

    sobellguitars.com/verona-guitar

    D guitar back detail

     

    D Guitar specifications

    Scale: 725mm (28.54″)
    Soundboard: Aged Bearclaw German spruce
    Back and sides: African Blackwood
    Neck: Wengé
    Fingerboard:  Ebony
    Bridge: Ebony with bone saddles
    Binding: Rosewood with red, green and gold purflings
    Trim: Arrowhead with red line
    Max body width:  410 mm (16.14″)
    Max body length  525 mm (20.66″)
    Body shape:  Model 2
    Tuners: Gold plated Gotoh 510s
    Nut width:  45 mm (1.77″)
    String spacing at bridge: (2.36″)

    African Blackwood
    Figured Sitka
    Verona guitar

    The Verona model was inspired by a conversation with Massimo Raccosta, a guitarist and guitar collector living in Verona.

    Built with a pickup as an integral part of the design and a shallow body to fight feedback, the Verona model has a satisfying balanced sound, and a surprisingly strong bass even unamplified.  A fellow guitar builder played one for a while but had no idea how shallow it was until he turned it over; he hadn’t noticed any lack of bass.  The pickup sound is strong and versatile in that it suits many different musical styles; it is one of those guitars that somehow just feels right.

    This guitar has the most stunning Bearclaw Sitka soundboard and beautiful old African Blackwood that blends in to the dark Wengé neck. It is fitted with the excellent Highlander under-saddle pickup with its Highlander external battery box.

    sobellguitars.com/verona-guitar/


    Verona Model back

     

    Verona Model specifications

    Scale:  650 mm (25.6″)
    Soundboard:     Bearclaw Sitka
    Back and sides:  African Blackwood
    Neck:  Wengé
    Fingerboard: Ebony
    Bridge:  Ebony with bone saddles
    Binding: Black with red, green and gold purflings
    Trim:  Birdsfoot with red line
    Max body width:  415 mm (16.3″)
    Max body length: 495 mm (19.5″)
    Depth: 75 mm heel, 55 mm tail
    Nut:  45 mm
    Tuners: Gold Gotoh 510s, black buttons
    Pickup:  Highlander

    D Guitar images

    Verona Model images

  • New Small Mandolin for sale

    This mandolin is now sold subject to confirmation.

    Small mandolin available.  Birdseye maple back and sides, German spruce soundboard.  It looks and sounds wonderful.

    Email stefan@sobellguitars.com or call 01434 673567 for more information.