The justjazzguitars collection of vintage and rare jazz archtops.

jazz guitars for sale




Restored but still acoustic.	and finally, electric and very jazzy!

The pickguard design mirrors the tailpiece and so adds balance to the whole design!		is a fully acoustic Hofner Jazzica, finished in high-gloss Black polyester with Gold fittings. It is based on a hand made prototype for the Series 1, which I discovered in Germany in January 2006, and which has now been refurbished and re-finished. The body is smaller at 15½” lower bout than the eventual production model and has an exceptionally slender neck. It has superb acoustic characteristics and was clearly hand-made by a master luthier, probably in 1988/89. It is now in “as new” condition, except that the tone has mellowed nicely with age. Uniquely it was a fully acoustic Jazzica. Unlike all production models, there were not any holes in the body for pots, switches, etc. For modern day Jazz use, I fitted a Shadow AZ floating pickup with a single Volume pot mounted on a unique, hand carved, engraved and polished ebony pickguard.

The pickguard takes its design cues from the “Moderne” tailpiece and perfect symmetry in design gives the whole guitar poise and balance. The choice of Ebony adds a sense of strength and richness whilst the engraving is enhanced by a subtle black pin-stripe. The carving & engraving of the pickguard was completed in Provence in 2006, hence the naming of this unique guitar.


Making the pickguard.
The pickguard was hand made from a solid Ebony blank, shaped and engraved to reflect a mirror image of the "Moderne" tailpiece. The engraving was flooded with a gloss black pinstripe and the control panel also painted gloss black. The pickguard shape was then highlighted by the addition of a contoured strip of vintage b/w/b binding.


An Ebony blank, measured and marked.		Fully profiled and contoured by hand.

Engraved to copy the lines of the tailpiece.		Signed off and ready to add a volume pot.

Complete with gloss pinstripe and control panel and edged with vintage b/w/b binding.


La Provençale has a rich and mellow tone with a deep bass and brilliant highs, coupled with long sustain and excellent harmonics. Acoustically, it has real power. Electrically, the Shadow AZ is perfectly matched to the guitar’s natural characteristics and gives a pure jazz output. This is very much a player’s guitar. A real Jazzica – with passion!

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