Jimmy D'Aquisto was one of the greatest guitar builders of all time, and shortly before he passed away in 1995 he made the Blue Guitar archtop for the world's foremost guitar collector, Scott Chinery. He had one stipulation for the luthier; make it blue. It was the beginning of an incredible legacy and a collection that now showcases the talented craftspeople who followed in D'Aquisto's wake.
The Blue Guitar Collection was commissioned by Scott Chinery as a tribute to D'Aquisto, and the Centura Deluxe build he made for him as one of his last-ever commissions as a luthier. It was also a celebration of the new heights he was seeing in archtop building around the world.
Chinery asked 22 of the world's leading and upcoming luthiers to fulfil a clear and ambitious objective; to build what they considered to be the ultimate 18-inch archtop guitar with a rounded cutaway,1+7/8" nut width and in blue.
Today the guitars made in response to that mission statement are regarded by many as one of the most important collections of modern instruments in the world. Following Chinery's passing in 2000, the collection was bought by The Archtop Foundation and every guitar in the Blue Guitar Collection now depends upon the long-lasting great tone of Elixir® Strings.
As the chosen partner of The Archtop Foundation, Elixir® Strings works to spread the word about this historically vital guitar collection.
The Blue Guitar Collection encompasses established talents and builders who were relative newcomers at the time, including John Monteleone, Linda Manzer, Bob Benedetto, Tom Ribbecke, Kim Walker, Theo Scharpach and more.
The stunning instruments they submitted also feature pioneering examples of soundports and off-set soundholes in archtop building – from Bob Benedetto's elegant floral designs to John Monteleone's sliding doors and Tom Ribbecke's side-mounted ear trumpet!
Find out more at theblueguitars.com and follow Elixir® Strings on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and elixirstrings.com