NEW YORK – Whether you play gypsy jazz, blues or garage band rock ’n’ roll, the Jasper52 online auction of vintage guitars on Wednesday, Feb. 20, likely has an instrument to amp your interest. Acoustic Spanish, Romantic and concert guitars are joined by a chorus of more than a dozen electric guitars. Bid absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers.
The opening number is a Melody M6500 short-scale bass guitar made in Italy in the 1980s that has a massive ash body. It carries a $700-$900 estimate.
It’s followed closely by a Fenton-Weill solid body guitar (above) that was made in England in 1961. Amplifier manufacturer Henry Weill, an electronics engineer, collaborated with the legendary guitar maker Jim Burns to produce this model in the early ’60s before Burns founded his own company. The export name of this model was Hohner Zambesi, as indicated on the pickguard. The body is solid mahogany and the neck is also mahogany. The guitar is typically English, sounding very warm with Burns Mini Tri-Sonic pickups (est.) $1,600-$1,700.
Also from the “British Invasion” era is a Hofner 176 Deluxe electric guitar made in Germany in 1965. The guitar (below) features a 3 Mini-Humbucker pickup that produces a beautiful range of different sounds. It looks and sounds typically ’60s, ideal for surf music, pop, British rock or blues (est. $1,700-$1,900).
Topping the presale estimate charts at $5,600-$5,800 is an Orphea Orp1 Elite, described as a new luxury model for professional musicians. This series, produced in limited quantity and numbered, is made with selected high-grade woods and has a 2 Seymour Duncan P90 Vintage Soapbar pickup.
Moving to acoustic models, the auction offers a flamenco guitar made in Madrid in 1955 by the legendary José Ramirez. The instrument is built in the Spanish way with a massive spruce top with the back and sides in cypress wood. Restorations are noted. The light guitar has a warm and powerful sound (est. $1,700-$1,900).
A six-string Romantic-era guitar dating to the 1820s was made by master Italian luthier Luigi Nizzola. The high-quality instrument was made according to the period standards with a solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides. It has an ample, warm sound (est.
$6,700-$9,000).
A unique lot in the sale is an Eastern European guitar handcrafted in the early 20th century by an unknown maker. It has been electrified with a high-quality Hole pickup Hilos from the 1950s, the beginning of the electric guitar era. The guitar has been restored and is in perfect playing condition (est. $675-$875).
A 1920s banjo and a three-quarter-size French violin are included in the auction for good measure.
The Jasper52 vintage guitar auction will begin Wednesday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m. Eastern.
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