Jaen / Astoria Thinline / 2011 / Amber / Guitar For Sale
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I thought of this guitar as some kind of comfortable L5. It has a 17" body, the same as L5s, but the sides are much narrower (54 mm instead of 86 mm). With 16 frets out of the body, access to the higher frets is easier too.
Decoration has been kept at a minimum. Given that the top is Maple, much harder than Spruce, it was possible not to install any binding at the body. With the thumbwheel control knobs hidden under the pickguard it has a extremely clean appearance.
The quality of the woods used in this guitar is simply stunning. I chose a back with a strong flame, and a narrow fiddleback pattern for the top and sides. However, the lack of decoration makes it really affordable.
The tone of the guitar is very clear and rich when not amplified. It lacks some of the low end of deeper all-acoustic carved archtops, but not as much as you could expect from such a narrow body, because the width of the soundbox compensates. Thus, it can be used perfectly for acoustic recordings, especially if you use bronze strings on it. When played as an electric guitar, you'll find that the richness of the acoustic tone still remains. You won't find that simple, flat tone so common in guitars that have a lot of weight on their tops. This is because its construction is light, without a bridge pickup and with the pots under the pickguard.
- Price includes shipping to many countries (contact me)
- 18% VAT included (deductible in some cases - contact me)
- Return policy: 100% refund after 3 days if not satisfied
A - Soundbox
- Rialto/Astoria, 17"
- Depth: 54 mm
- Top, Back and Sides: Master Quality Curly European Maple
B - Neck
- Scale length: 25.5"
- Nut: 43 mm (1 11/16")
- Hard Curly Maple
- Inlays: Motif at 12th fret
- Ebony binding (to hide fret tangs)
- Neck joins body at 16th fret
C - Electronics
- Benedetto B6 pickup, V/T under pickguard (thumbwheels)
- Fittings: All ebony, including pickup ring
- Grounded tailpiece
E - Other
- Tweed hard case
- Gold/Black hardware
- Schaller machines
Guitarras Jaén, Spain 
I started making guitars in 1992. My philosophy is to work on very small batches of at most four guitars, as this lets me focus better on the needs of each client. I am a believer in applying the best method available to each job in the making, so that the final result is the most precise, beautiful and responsive: you'll se me using my hands, conventional tools, power tools and CNC. Together with the finest craftsmanship, I use the finest selected materials available. The final ingredient is my love for logical, functional and useful improvements hidden under a traditional look.
My building process is as follows:
Most ideas that you have for your guitar will adapt to my basic templates for 15, 15.5, 16, 17 and 18 inches, but don't let that imprison your imagination. I absolutely enjoy and find the greatest provilege in digging your own design ideas, especially if you are a seasoned player with a lot of years of hard work behind you, or a good guitar connoisseur. After this initial brainstorming, that can take several weeks in some cases, the design comes to an end as a list of frozen specs. Then I begin making the guitar, which will typically take from two to four months. During that time I will send you reports on a weekly basis. Or, if you take your time and come to my shop, I will show you the progress and let you choose the woods and materials.
If you have a dream guitar in mind, I will make it real!
