Kenny Hill Ruck Model Prototype 1998 French Polish

Update 22 June 2021:

As if this guitar wasn't amazing enough!  When Tommy Emmanuel came to Melbourne for a concert on the 11th he dropped by our store.  He played this guitar and loved it!  We have pictures and video of him.  It was an awesome mini concert and master class.  Grab this guitar quick because she is getting more legendary by the minute.

This is the first of her kind! 

There are articles written on this guitar. Go to the Hill Guitar web site and click on the information tab and then the Designing the Future link.  

She plays and sounds amazing. 

Our boss really wants this guitar, but the real boss says he has enough guitars at home, so she has to go.

Here are the facts:

·       Signature model headstock.

·       Heritage model rosette. The blue floral rosette is an older Hill design.

·       The purfling was most likely an on-the-spot choice, having a few more veneer lines than the production model. 

·       Alessi Tuning Machines ($700) but we have the original Gotoh tuners as well.

·       Solid top, red cedar.

·       Solid Indian rosewood back and sides.

·       Modified Fan-brace (every other fan bar is wide).

·       Portholes in upper bout.

·       French polish finish all around.  For a few years while these were being made, they were finished with lacquer on the back/sides/neck with a French polished top. This guitar is entirely French polished.  

·       Kenny Hill signature with date, model and number #00.

·       The top is signed and dated by Kenny Hill.

 

This was most likely a guitar Kenny built out of his house in Ben Lomond. 

Being a prototype, the decorative choices were likely made based on what was laying around the shop. 

The top and headstock were recently refinished by Kenny Hill’s French polish expert. 

All work done on this guitar has been done by Kenny Hill or his people.