27 Jul2024
16 Jul2024
Development New World guitar for sale
Now Sold
German spruce soundboardAs well as the Douglas Fir/Brazilian rosewood guitar below, I am also selling a development New World guitar.
It has back and sides of Katalox, also known as Mexican Ebony. I came across it when visiting Keystone Guitar Tonewoods in Essex a dozen or so years ago. I was intrigued by its ringing tap tone and close grained dark appearance, so bought a couple of sets. They sat on a shelf in my warm shop, air-drying and half forgotten for over a decade, until last year when I took them down, tapped them again, and couldn’t resist building one into a guitar.
The soundboard is close grained German spruce, with my inlaid ebony logo on the shoulder.
It has my preferred Highlander pickup fitted.
I strung the New World guitar in November 2023 and was captivated by the rich, smooth and even sound. The bass is strong and smooth, the treble strong and clear without a hint of edginess. I love it; this is a guitar for life.
I shall build more Katalox guitars, though it can be hard to find. I found only two sets on offer in Europe and bought them both. So I now have another three sets.
Katalox has another advantage: it isn’t listed on any CITES appendix so exporting is easier.
Katalox back and sides
Specification New World K
| Soundboard: | German spruce |
| Back and sides: | Katalox (Mexican ebony) |
| Neck | Wengé |
| Fingerboard: | Ebony |
| Bridge: | Ebony with two piece bone saddle |
| Binding: | Santos rosewood with red/gold/green purfling |
| Trim: | Birdsfoot edging with red and black purfling |
| Body Width: | 402mm (15.8″) |
| Body Length: | 495mm (19.5”) |
| Max body depth: | 101mm (4.0”) |
| F/b width at nut: | 45mm (1.75″) |
| Scale: | 643mm (25.3”) |
| Tuners: | Gold Gotohs |
| Pickup | Highlander |
Price
The New World K is priced as a New World African Blackwood at £11,250.00. While unmarked, it has been with me for seven months so the cost is £10,500.00 including Hiscox Artist Line case and Highlander pickup.
US price is $15,000 including shipping and insurance. Katalox is not CITES listed so shipping is straightforward. As with the Douglas Fir MS, this is an opportunity to buy from me without the usual wait.
14 Jul2024
2023 Douglas Fir / Brazilian rosewood MS guitar
Sold subject to confirmation
I am selling a 2023 Douglas Fir and Brazilian rosewood MS guitar, the first Douglas Fir MS I built. It has a fitted Highlander pickup and is completely unmarked, having spent the year with its super careful owner, Benji Lock-Powell. Benji is parting with it for personal reasons.
I have now built three guitars with Douglas Fir soundboards and all are exceptional. As well as being beautiful to look at, Douglas Fir gives a truly bright treble along with a rich characterful bass. I personally love it, and am currently building a New World with a Douglas Fir soundboard for myself.
The guitar’s Brazilian rosewood has full CITES certification, which will be provided to the new owner. As the photos show, this particular set is special, strikingly figured with green edging showing in natural light. The finish is excellent, the photo of the back below perfectly reflecting the room around it.
It includes a fitted Highlander pickup (the best) and comes in a Hiscox Artist line case.
Click on photos for larger images
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Priced at £11,000 ($15,000 to the US including shipping), £4000 below new list price, this is an opportunity to buy a very special Brazilian rosewood guitar immediately.
For any queries, please contact me by email stefan@sobellguitars.com or telephone me on 07740 600 282.
02 Jun2024
Rod Paterson
The Easy club: Jim Sutherland, Jack Evans, John Martin and Rod Paterson
Rod Paterson was a lovely man and a great singer with the most wonderful voice. He died last Thursday.
One of the many talented Edinburgh musicians in the 1980s, Rod was a founder member of the great band ‘The Easy Club’, along with Jack Evans, Jim Sutherland and Norman Chalmers; Norman was later replaced by John Martin. There is an excellent account of the band by Jack Evans on the Rare Tunes site: https://raretunes.org/the-easy-club/
Rod will be mourned by his many friends and admirers.
01 Mar2024
Museum piece
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Joseph McKeever from Dublin brought his mandolin to me for a new nut; he bought the mandolin from Kieren Curren of Altan many years ago.
The label is a Turf House label; I worked from Turf House from 1975 until 1979. This mandolin had steel strips built into the neck (and is absolutely straight) rather than the later adjustable truss rods, meaning the mandolin was built earlier rather than later. And looking at it, I would say it’s very early, probably built soon after summer 1975. I expect Kieren will know.
It’s had a refret and the bridge has been lowered somewhat, but it’s otherwise completely original and perfectly sound. Lovely to see such an early mandolin in such good condition.
With the mandolin I built nearly 50 years ago
01 Mar2024
Scam guitar sale
Model 1 Butterfly as shown on my website in 2017
I’ve been contacted regarding a 1993 Model 1 Butterfly advertised on Facebook. This was originally advertised on my website and sold by Alan Hutchinson in 2017.
The scammer says this guitar has recently serviced by me, and has used my 2017 website item https://www.sobellguitars.com/1993-model-1-butterfly/ I haven’t serviced this guitar recently, if ever.
It was suspiciously cheap, confirming the old adage ‘if it seems to good to be true, it probably is’.
I can’t contact the real owner, but this is clearly a scam.
30 Jan2024
Mark Knopfler guitar auction at Christie’s
Tomorrow, Wednesday January 31st, Christie’s are holding an auction of Mark Knopfler’s guitars. It’s a large part of his collection, and includes some fantastically expensive Gibson electrics. I understand that 25% of the proceeds will go to charity.
Included in the auction is the Martin Simpson model Mark bought from me in 2013. He is very kind about it, describing it as ‘a fantabulous guitar’. He has played it on tour and on a track on his forthcoming album.
When he collected it, Mark wouldn’t have a pickup or strap buttons because he couldn’t bear to let me drill holes in it, saying it would be for studio use only. But in (I think) 2018 he asked me to fit both so he could use it live (right).
I fitted a Highlander, my preferred pickup. Mark assumed it was a combined undersaddle and microphone combination, and was surprised to hear such a true sound came from a pickup alone.
Picture below shows Mark with the amplified guitar in his state of the art Chiswick studio.
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Mark collecting the guitar from my house in February 2013
Live with the guitar in Italy, 2019
The estimated sale price is given as £7000 – £10000, but I’m reliably informed the actual price could be double or more. We’ll see tomorrow.
The guitar is lot 114, here’s the link. If you are making a bid, good luck. https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-6465819
Wednesday 31st Jan
Watching the auction live, prices for the first three guitars, one electric and two Ovations, were around up to and over 30 times the higher estimated prices. WOW. These are Knopflers better known guitars, many used on his hits.
A mere 5 times the estimated £5000 price for a Chet Atkins Hollowbody seems positively cheap. And I’ve checked the buyer’s premium, it’s an extra 24% plus VAT, so another quarter on top.
The auctioneer is taking lots of time to extract more bids after bidding seems to have stalled, coaxing bid after bid out of the audience, telephone bidders and website bidders. She tells which songs each guitar was played on (sometimes a clip is played). She’s American and to start with, kept saying dollars instead of pounds. But made a joke of it, is good at relaxing people. She’s really good.
Later
Knopfler’s MS Sobell was eventually sold at £32000, more than three times the higher estimate. On top of this, the buyer will have paid Christie’s buyer premium of 24% plus VAT, so a total of over £40000.
29 Dec2023
New 5 course cittern for sale
Now sold
Colin Keefe and I have been collaborating for over two years now. It’s been effortless; Colin is as likeable and straightforward as he is a consummate craftsman, we have an excellent understanding and get on particularly well. And we have the same aim – perfection.
Together we have now completed six instruments; a preliminary cittern and five more for customers, each of which has been received enthusiastically. Some of their (completely unsolicited ) comments below.
We are now making the first (five course large bodied cittern available). Available for immediate delivery or collection, it comes in a mildly adapted guitar case. Price, including case, is £6600.
It looks and sounds wonderful. Call me on 01434 673567 or email stefan@sobellguitars.com for more information.
Some recent customer comments
Jens Schneider on his mandola:
…Later I had the chance for a closer look, the mandola is in perfect shape, looks great and has a sweet but also super rich and resonant tone with a lot of sustain and nice balance between treble and bass. Playability is fully effortless and any note I fret is just precisely to the point where-ever, even up the neck…
Sean Holden on his bouzouki:
…I played the new bouzouki for 10 seconds and my jaw hit the floor. This is the best bouzouki I’ve ever played by a country mile. Thanks so much for a brilliant job. :-)…
Gary James Mcgovern:
Just a quick line to say lovely to meet you both yesterday. I’m absolutely delighted with the instrument, it’s a truly commendable piece of work.
11 Jun2023
New Sicilian arrives in US
The first new Model 1 Sicilian has reached its new owner. Bryan Caldwell in California received it last Friday. Bryan says:
Hi Stefan,
Despite DHL listing Monday as the day of delivery, the guitar showed up this afternoon (Friday)!
I am beyond pleased with it. What a wonderful instrument. I’ve been playing guitar for more than 50 years and I’ve owned Martins (too many to count), Gisbons, Kevin Ryan (2), Guild (1), Goodall (2), Collings (5), Santa Cruz (3), Taylor (2), and more – and that’s just the flat tops, and this stands out among them all.
I was happy to read this.
22 Apr2023
Return of the Model 1 Sicilian
Click for full size image
Click for full size imageI called my first guitar my Model 1. Hardly imaginative but very logical.
A couple of years later, a very slightly modified shape became my Model 1 Sicilian (the first went to Sicily), and in this form I built it for many years.
Since around 2000 I have been building Martin Simpson, New World, Steinbeck and Anniversary models. But I have recently re-fretted some Sicilians and been reminded what excellent guitars they were. So I have built a new version, to the original shape and dimensions but with my later soundboard and construction developments. It is now in my catalogue as a regular model.
The backs and sides are best old Indian rosewood, bought 30 years ago and air-dried on my shelves ever since. The soundboard is 5 year old German spruce, and the neck is 20 year old Brazilian mahogany.
The first of the new Sicilians, shown left, has a non standard Wengé neck, available as an option.
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