D'Aquisto New Yorker

Pressed solid spruce top, beautiful grain, ebony board with MOP inlays, and a headstock with inlay that looks close to the ones on the originals. Floating pickup with volume and tone controls mounted on the pickguard.

After many years of half way hinting at it, I am finally starting to get serious about jazz guitar. My favorite tones would be Pat Martino on "El Hombre" (Gibson Johnny Smith), Benson on "Body Talk" (D'Angelico, I believe) and anything Wes (L5). I have 0.12 flats on it right now which having played nothing heavier than 10's for many years are enough of a challenge, yet still give me some serious tone. I am primarily using my Reverend Hellhound with this guitar. The D'Aquisto being a floater, leans more towards the Johnny Smith's tone, but with a little tube grit dialed in, it gets very close to an L5 sound. With a bit more treble, it nails Benson's tone as well.

Guitar came set up for me by the place I bought from and survived the shipping process well. My only nitpick is that the pole piece on the high E is a tad off center, but it does not effect the tone in any way. Otherwise the fit and finish is first rate. Simply put, it is a stunning guitar.

Seems very well made to me. No rattles, hardware and electronics are solid.

Been playing rock, blues and the rock side of fusion for years, and though I don't play professionally anymore, I'm told that I'm good enough to scare most people who hear me play in those styles. But real jazz? Bop? Well, that's another story! It's kind of hard to be back at square one finding my way. I decided that if I was going to do this I needed a quality instrument to inspire me. I had no intention of spending close to 3 grand for a plywood ES 175, let alone taking out a mortgage for an L5! I tried the Eastman's but found the 800 models ordinary, and the 900's inconsistent, in the neck size. A friend suggested this guitar and on his word, I bought it sight unseen. This baby just sings and I couldn't be happier.

Spruce Top, gorgeous flamey Maple back & sides. Blonde finish 2004 model from Japan, full body archtop, single floater and vol & tone controls. 10 here but not highly featured in that it can play a lot of styles but then this is a jazz guitar, why would you buy one of these to play rock ? So my score is 10 for lots of features because the way the guitar is finished off with 7 ply binding and all its inlays & craftsmanship is what you would regard as features on a jazz guitar.

Suits me well as I am learning to play jazz guitar. I run this through a Roland Cube 60 or a Polytone Mini-Brute II.

Sound is rich, lush & full and very alive, better than what I imagined. The ultimate jazz tone.

Set up was fine but was shipped with roundwound 11's which went straight in the bin & replaced with a set of D'Addario Chrome flatwound 12's. The guitar is built very well, no quality issues that I could see at all. Those japanese luthiers know how to build a good guitar.

Its an archtop so in most jazz settings it will hold up fine provided its given the correct handling and respect one would give to an archtop. I would confidently & happily play wihout a back up if I had to but I always have a Gibson ES-135 that comes out with me when I gig anyway so theres always another instrument on stage. Yes I could depend on the New Yorker as its well built as far as archtops go.

Bought directly from Japan, would go to a luthier anyway rather than messing about callling japan and shipping the guitar around the world. But the guy Harry who sold it to me from Gemeni Guitars in Tokyo was very nice to deal with.

I have been playing for 32 years mostly rock and learning to play jazz now. I have gatheres a lot of gear over the years: Gibson -ES-345 BB King, ES-135 & Les Paul Custom, Heritage H575 Custom and a Fender 70's strat being my main guitars , plus a handlful of cheaper guitars I picked up over the years. My amps I have a Roland Cube 60, Polytone Mini Brute II and Mesa Boogie DC-5 and a Roland GT-8 processor. I wanted a Gibson L5 Wes Montgomery but this one caught my attention as I loved the looks of it, very classy and sophisticated. I am glad I bought it as I am very pleased with the instrument. Its LOUD acoustically and has a very good acoustic tone and its also louder than my H575 when plugged in on the same amp settings.

Mine was made in the mid 80s (I think ), in Japan. Solid, pressed spuce top, solid figured maple back and sides. 22 frets, split block inlays on the ebony fingerboard, the distinctive mother of pearl N.Y.er scroll inlay on the front of the headstock (and stuff on the back too) single floating pickup with volume control only (ebony knob!), gold jack and tuners, ebony tail piece, bridge and scratch plate. Absolutely beautifull blond finnish, one small scratch (I got mine 2nd hand),plenty of binding, large body single cutaway arch-top, slim neck large well polished frets and plush logoed delux case, the entire thing reeks of style.

It is the ultimate jazz guitar - perfect for solo, duo, trio and reasonably feedback rejecting so I've even been able to use it at those (gasp) loud trad. jazz gigs. I think this is a characteristic of the pressed top.
I use it with a variety of amps; no effects. It doesn't need anything except for a bit of reverb.
Not many different sounds, but the best sound of it's type imaginable. A really nice acoustic tone, very balanced response across the strings and up the neck.

Bought second-hand, tweaked the action a little to suit my preference. Also lowered the pick-up at the bass side.
The back doesn't look to have been bookmatched at all, which surprised me. The frets were really well finished, the construction is flawless.

Everyone asks me "are you going to play it at gigs?" What the hell are these things for? I even find it impossible not to play it at home.
I expect it's going to get scratches and marks. Strap buttons, shmap buttons...
It's got a good solid case, which unfortunately has D'Aquisto spray-painted in gold on it, so I'm worried about it being stolen. But living where I do, you can't leave a guitar in the car anyway.

I've been playing for 20 years and own a 1954 Levin Archtop, which will retire. Assuming I had insurance, I would probably buy one again. I love that I got it at an unbelievable price and it has the most exquisite tone. It's the sort of instrument that you play in a context where it's all about tone. My favourite feature is that I'm the envy of every jazz guitarist I know, and I know a lot of good ones.
I had been hunting for a guitar with a cutaway which sounded as good as my cronkey old Levin which my Dad bought before I was born (a really plain old guitar with a carved top, whose sound everybody commented on). I tried lots of different things, plywood guitars, Corts and other things, some expensive, but they were all overpriced and didn't deliver the sound.

Made in 2003 in Aria's custom shop in Japan. 22 medium jumbo frets on an ebony fretboard with beautifully done split block inlays of mother of pearl. Solid spruce top. Bookmatched flame maple sides and back. Single mini-humbucker with single volume and single tone controls mounted on finger rest. Maple neck. Natural finish with ivory trim/binding. The S-holes have triple binding, the edges of the body is like 7 or 8 layers of binding. Schaller "Imperial" style tuners. All gold metal parts. Beautiful inlays on front and back of headstock. Headstock has an ebony face and rosewood back. Gorgeous. Comes in one of the nicest cases I have ever seen/or owned. A jazz guitar's main feature should be tone. So, given what I paid for this guitar, I'm giving it a 10.

Sounds wonderful. Makes you want to play jazz. Inspires me to play. Full sound. Plugged in you get a wide range of tone control from bright to mellow but 99% of the time, I play it acoustic. It's loud and clear and fun to play. I like the frets, the neck shape and the tone.

Almost perfect fit and finish. I think the frets could have been leveled and dressed a tiny bit better but you will not believe how nice they are for this price. I've played numerous high-end archtops and this holds it's own against most of them.

If I were still gigging, This guitar would go to every gig. It's well built, sounds and plays fantastic and won't put you in hawk. I would gig without a backup. This guitar is nicer than many professional jazz musicians' instruments.

Don't know. I did call to get a warranty card since mine came with no paperwork. The company referred me back to the dealer. In other words not much help. But I still love this guitar.

I've been a guitar fan, player, gear-head for about 28 years now. This is the kind of guitar I used to think I would never be able to own. Aria has made it possible for a regular person to own a professional quality jazz archtop they can be proud of. I like it better than my Gibson jazz guitars (although the neck is quite gibsony feeling). The craftsmanship is just stunning. I can't say it's the perfect guitar for everyone, but it sure got me to archtop heaven.

NAMM exhibited, made around 2001 in Japan at Aria's Custom Shop, 22 frets, bookmatched solid carved straight-grain (1/4 swan Sitka) spruce top, volume and tone controls at the pick-guard, floating mini-humbucker, passive electronics, bookmatched flammed maple body, 1/4 swan maple neck, perfect blond finish & appointments, round cutaway, ebony bridge, Gotho machines, incredible "C-shaped" neck, 25.5 cm string length, ebony scale, thin frets, Canadian HS-case with D'Aquisto?s Luthierie address and with folder & letter of provenance from Barry Fry (New Age Guitar) and Aria's Rep in the USA. Yeap, an exquisite archtop with "pedigree"...

Very interesting sound with a lot of projection and depite the 25.5 cm very easy to play at heavy gauges (I had it in 0.11 or 0.12). The extra length imparts a nice twang & woody character that is unique. I can't avoid comparing it with a Benedetto Manhattan (made by him), a ES-175 reissue and an Ibanez PM100 (all of which I own). It is as easy to play as the shorter scale instruments (ES-175 & PM-1000. It has a sound very different from the lush, temperamental and introspective Benedetto and more imposing than the other 2. It loves straight-ahead up tempo bop & hardbop. The longer scale length is very nice bonus for those with classical guitar skills. As the late David Rubio used t say: "It is easier to stretch then to compress fingers"

It came "ready&smoking" from Barry's Shop. The pick-up is fixed, by screwws to the neck but one can easily adjust volume/tone in conjunction with the amplifier to get it going superb. I di dnot ffin any flaws with this one. It was put tgether by skilled Luthier(s). No buzz no dead spots, no uneven resonances, even and lively response across the fretboard. A charm to play.

i Had it for >2 years now and used in several gigs. It works well in all circunstances: a performance instrument.

Never needed. I have very good luthires at hand in case I need it (we all should have them near, I guess).

Playing since the mid-sixties (typical GAS sufferer). Better take this New Yorker to any place than to have to support insurance companies and Banks in order to enjoy an original.

Reissue of the classic "New Yorker" acoustic archtop, made in Japan.

This guitar is an all acoustic instrument with a solid spruce top, solid flamed maple back and sides and an ebony fretboard.

It has a solid ebony tailpiece, bridge and finger rest (pickguard), gold Imperial style tuners and not to forget the magnificent D' Aquisto headstock.

This guitar has a 25.5 scale length and is finished Blonde.

Forget 10's on this baby, heavy gauge is the order of the day, the heavier the better. You need'em to get the top working.
I'm using Thomastik George Benson flatwound 14's.

The tone is very mellow, rich and full with lots of projection.
It's not a particularly versatile sound for different styles but oh what a sound.

The only guitar sound that has ever turned my girl's head, it's very distinctive.

Can't wait to fit a little Kent Armstrong floating pickup.

Setup wasn't great but then they rarely are.

It buzzed like crazy and needed a fret dress which is unexceptable on a new guitar of this price.

Also the finger rest was mounted in a very flimsy manner and fell off. I had my tech remount it in a much more secure manner.

The general construction however was top notch, beautifully built and very beautiful to behold.

I don't gig with this guitar but I think it would be ok as long as you were careful with it.

The finish is very high quality and very thin so I'm not sure how it will hold up over time if you were playing it out.

I swapped out the tiny strap buttons fitted for a set of Dunlop straplocks,much better.

Would I gig it without a backup...I couldn't afford a backup!!!

Never dealt with them.

I own a couple of Taylors, a couple of Gretsches a Telecaster and an Adamas.

This guitar is unlike any other guitar I've ever had.

Beautiful, rich, destinctive tone and it looks like a piece of art.

I wanted a Guild Artist Award or a Super 400 but the money they're asking for solid wood archtops is getting crazy.

I reckon my D'Aquisto could more than hold it's own against any of them.

I realy love it.