Devlin DV500 Archtop

I am selling this Devlin DV-500 Continental King jazz archtop for a friend. If you want to talk about obscure, this is the guitar. I bought it used several years ago, played it a while when I was in my jazz archtop phase, and sold it to my friend eventually. So I know something about the guitar It’s very well-made, and it sounds, looks, and plays great.  It is in near-mint condition, and looks very classy. The action is great, the neck is straight, there’s almost no fretweat, and everything works as it should. There are a couple of tiny spots that look like finish flaws, but they are beneath the finish. No dings, nicks, gouges, or other nonsense. That’s the good news. The bad news? What the heck is a Devlin? Believe me, there’s not much information available regarding Devlins, especially this model. And I’ve searched both Google and Bing in an effort to dig up some info.

Devlin Guitars was an Indianapolis-based company, now long out of business. I would guess that this guitar was probably made in Korea or China, but I don’t know its exact provenance for sure. The warranty card is included, but the online address is no longer valid. If you have headstock envy (only a high-priced, familiar brand will do), this is NOT the guitar for you. It’s of much higher quality than the Chibson-type stuff coming out of China these days purporting to be Made In The USA. The Devlin guitars were decent instruments, but they were obviously in the wrong place at the wrong time.

 There is not one piece of identification on the guitar, save the name and model number on the headstock. No serial number, etc. (no, I don’t think it’s a one-off, or a prototype)

 Here are some Specs:

Style: Set Neck Classic Jazz
Body: Solid Spruce Top w/ Flamed Maple back and sides
Neck: Figured Maple
Markers: Hand Set Abalone Block
Hardware: Gold
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Frets: 20
Binding: 5-Ply
Tuners: GROVER Rotomatic
Neck Pickup: Ceramic Mini Humbucker
Bridge: Rosewood w/ Contoured Base
Tailpiece: Rosewood
Controls: 1-Volume knob (on pickguard)
Body Depth: 2.0”
Upper Bout: 12.0”
Lower Bout: 17.0”
Scale: 25 1/2”
Weight: 7.12 lbs

 So that’s the scoop. It’s a nice, well-made jazzbox at a decent, affordable price. A beautiful hardshell case in excellent condition is also included. And to say this guitar is rare is an understatement. However, I don’t think it’s destined to become the next Gibson Explorer, regarding collector value.

I only ship to the lower 48 states, no exceptions. I am happy to answer any questions, but please ask them prior to committing to purchase, since there are no returns. Thanks for looking!