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Gentlemen, this has some kind of a VIP flair to it: Beautiful "Zenith" archtop guitar, made by Framus in the late 1950s. As you know, Paul McCartney's first guitar was a Zenith No. 17 which was also made by Framus (however, the model without cutaway).

This is a heftily rare gem - and even more so because it still has its original case! And is all original!

Sound and Playability:

As all German archtops of that era, the guitar has a cutting wooden tone, really suited well for cutting through the mix of an ensemble. Soloing brings up Django instantly. Please watch my video, never mind the unrehearsed and sloppy noodling. ;-)

The guitar has a girthy neck.

String action is at a comfortable 2 mm on the 12th fret high E. It could still be lowered at the bridge a tiny bit depending on your taste.

The guitar plays very soft and comfortably with an almost straight neck with a minimal underbow, arguably just right. There are no deadspots.

New 11 gauge strings (Pyramid, bronze) are attached.

Measurments

4,4 cm nut width,

scale 640 mm,

width at lower bouts 44 cm,

depth 8,4 cm.

Flaws:

The guitar is in a good condition for its age, with the usual marks of use. The guitar has some dings and dongs. The frets show some wear which can be neglected.The neck is almost entirely straight with just a very slight underbow. There is no truss rod. Please look at the pictures. The neck situation is stable. As you can see, the body and binding saw some shrinkage over time, but it`s all stable.

The guitar is all original and even features its original pickguard, which is rare.

I polished the frets, oiled the fretboard and the tuners, and put on new 11 gauge strings. The guitar comes un-tuned, and is playable immediately after tuning it up.

Please also have a look at my other offers with old guitars and fine equipment.

 SHIPPING: Please check the shipping quotes in this offer. I ship with insurance, worldwide. Usually I am able to ship the item on the same day or next day of received payment. Please allow 1-2 days from pick up for delivery in Germany, 1-2 weeks within the EU, and 2-8 weeks anywhere else depending on your location. I accept a 14 days return and will pay for shipping if the item is in a different condition than described upon arrival.

 AFTER DELIVERY: After receiving the item, please inspect the package for obvious damages and make fotos if there are any. After unpacking, check the item immediately for damages or other undocumented flaws. I accept a 14 days return and will pay for shipping if the item is in a different condition than described upon arrival. Please note that I will only take the item back entirely, but not grant any reduction of price and generally only accept returns if the item was unaltered after arrival.

 CITES protection: all of the items I sell have been legally imported to the EU before January 1st 2017 and are registered with the authorities in Hamburg, Germany (if applicable).

 DATA protection: German financial regulations demand that I keep your address on file in an invoice. The only information that I store are the ones which this platform provides me. Please understand that I cannot delete that information from my files. You may ask what kind of info I have stored from you any time.

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Listed4 years ago
ConditionGood (Used)
Good condition items function properly but may exhibit some wear and tear.Learn more
Brand
Model
  • Zenith archtop guitar
Categories
Year
  • 1950s
Made In
  • Germany
Body Shape
  • Archtop

The Old Europe

Hamburg, Germany
Sales:981
Joined Reverb:2015

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