Dan Koentopp is a tried and true craftsperson, from what we can tell by the quality of this 2015 Chicagoan oval hole archtop. A delicate and exacting touch brings together a hand-carved Romanian Maple back with a matching Carpathian Spruce top bound in rich red Macassar Ebony and outfitted with a cello-style tailpiece and Macassar Ebony pickguard. A full 17 inches across the lower bout with three inch body depth around; five pounds on the nose, and a slinky smooth setup. The voice is characterized by a warm, round quality that permeates the bass, miss, and trebles—and translates faithfully when amplified with the Barbera bridge pickup (volume knob under the guard). Waverly tuners help keep build weight down, and Dan appointed this Chicagoan with Pearl skyscrapers on the headplate and a corresponding Pearl inlay on the backplate reminiscent of an “espresso art” tulip.
From tuners to tail, this 2015 Chicagoan from Don Koentopp is a work of functional art. We can’t think of higher praise than that.
Other keywords: arched top, arch top, fingerstyle jazz, handcarved, cutaway, ebany, hoffee