D'Lorenzo Guitars

Dallas Guitar Show

Scott — Wed, 02 May 2012 21:45:51 +0000

Back from Dallas Guitar Show- lots of visitors, lots of oohs&ahh’s, especially regarding Blue Flame line.

Jazzmonster (and Willie Nelson/Merle Haggard sideman) Clint Strong dropped by to try out D’Lorenzo archtops. An instant crowd materialized, wowed by Clint’s virtuoso playing!

Instruments for sale

Scott — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 16:52:29 +0000

At times we will list instruments for sale. These are usually D’Lorenzo demo models or prototypes, and therefore may have minor wear&tear or minor cosmetic defects that do not effect the tone, playability or overall appearance.They will be given a good buffing and detailing before delivery. We also occasionally accept trade-ins which are detailed and adjusted as necessary and then offered for sale. Currently we have:

D’Lorenzo DL’75 ( single cutaway archtop: carved spruce top/laminated figured maple back/sides, well flamed maple neck,ebony fingerboard, Kent Armstrong neckmounted mini-humbucker. $2,200.

Epiphone Emperor (early/mid 90′s) archtop. Blonde finish with paf clone humbucker, cello style tailpiece and custom figured maple pickguard. A very good sounding/classy looking instrument for only $950.

D’Lorenzo tele thinline style carved/figured maple top solidbody. Fender ’52 pickups, fancy fingerboard inlay. Great tone/feel & appearance for only $1,350 incl. case

Photos can be made available for serious inquiries.

D’Lorenzo Archtops

Scott — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 14:55:44 +0000

Archtop guitars are more closely related to the violin family of instruments than the spanish type of guitars which would include classical, flamenco and steelstring instruments. Why did early archtop builders such as LLoyd Loar make this departure from the Spanish tradition? Loar is well recognised for his knowledge of the science of
acoustics, so we can assume his design principles were not based on
mere aesthetics (although they are the most graceful and beautiful of
all guitars!)*. In fact Loar designed and built the archtop to be heard
in an orchestra or danceband (before the electric era) as a chordal/rythm instrument. The acoustic properties of a bowed instrument ie: strong,percussive attack and quick decay (the bow provides the sustain, any ongoing resonance from the instrument may
clash with the bowed note) also would make for a loud, percussive “cutting” rythm guitar. And when they were eventually fitted with a magnetic pickup, they were ideal for playing a rapid stream of eighth
or sixteenth note jazz solos typical of the bebop era.
But times,taste and musical styles change. Many contemporary guitarists (including many jazz players) have evolved a more lyrical,
expressive “singing” style of guitar playing that demands a more sustained note capability as well as a detailed “woody” tone for solo
and fingerstyle playing. Rethinking traditional principles of archtop design and construction have let to the development of the “NCAT” (New Concept Arch Top) series of D’Lorenzo guitars. Immediately noticeable are the abbreviated “comma” soundholes and a one piece neck/heelblock (a feature on all D’Lorenzo acoustics). Less obvious are
the solid linings (for increased side stiffness) and a braced rather than carved back. Not only does a braced back improve resonance and “sparkle” but also allows the use of nontypical woods such as Cuban Mahogany or Lacewood to further individualize the tone of an instrument. The result is a recognizable archtop sound but with more sustain and a detailed “woody” tone.
Don’t worry- if you want a more traditional archtop with f-holes and carved back, we can build one for you, but with the improved acoustic response of the one piece neck/heel and solid linings. All archtops are available as pure acoustics or with a mini-humbucker and /or acoustic bridge transducer.
*editorial opinion!