Claudio Pagelli is one of a handful of luthiers who excel in guitar luthiery combined with exquisite aesthetic design without being gaudy or ostentatious. I love great inlay work, but that has little to do with guitarmaking in my opinion and more to do with aesthetics and looks. And it can be downright ugly when overdone with too much expensive bling and pictures of things which detract from the guitar itself. The guitar IS the artwork — not an artwork made to look like a guitar (and sound bad).
The Pagelli Massari Archtop is a prime example of Claudio’s work. I love the overall design, shape proportions, tonewoods and finish choices. It’s one of the pinnacle works for Archtops.
It was on sale at Dream Guitars back in 2015 and again in 2021 on reverb.com, but now gone.
Specifications:
- Top: Swiss Alpine Spruce (moon cut)
- Back: Canadian Quilted Maple
- Sides: Canadian Quilted Maple
- Neck: Flamed Swiss Maple
- Tuners: Schertler Swiss Precision
- Tailpiece: Ebony
- Binding: Ebony
- Finger Board: Ebony
- Bridge: Ebony
- Pickup: Custom Wound Häussel Humbucker
Description:
A hand carved aesthetic marvel boasting a flawless 17”-wide single-cutaway body with Canadian quilted-maple back and sides and a “moon-cut” Swiss Alpine spruce top intricately crafted to enhance vibrational clarity. Moon-cut spruce is found in the Swiss Alps at high altitudes. This species is rare and slow growing with a tight grain pattern and light in both weight and color. Felled only during the winter and before a new moon, it is stored at high altitude for at least a year before milling. Exhibiting outstanding and unique characteristics, this rare tonewood is open and airy with clear tonal qualities and incredible responsiveness.
The artistry is evident throughout this piece. The top features a pair of f-holes that are unique in design with a curve that flows with the cut of the body. The f-holes are intricately carved with a narrowing mid-section that could only be accomplished with the finest of precision. The soundhole on the side of the upper bout is to direct more focused sound to the musician. The special Custom Wound Häussel Humbucker has pole pieces in the middle, like a single coil. It catches the vibration of the strings at one defined point, making the sound clear like on a single coil, but without any hum. Many of the guitar’s elements are created from ebony including the binding, neck heel, the headstock veneer, the knobs on the Schertler tuners, the tailpiece, the bridge, fingerboard and fretboard.
Boasting clear and full bodied acoustic tones, The Massari has surprising versatility crossing over from jazz to blues and acoustic rock settings seamlessly. There are virtually no constraints on where this musical treasure can go both stylistically and sonically. The Massari is a masterpiece worthy of becoming a legend.
