Dell'Arte Model 503

Made Nov. 2004. 14-frets clear of body. Macaferri-style cutaway, small oval hole ("petite bouche") guitar, the same style used by Django Reinhardt in later years. Model "503" refers to the serial number of Django's original Selmer, I believe. Lovely Indian rosewood back & sides, mahogany neck, spruce (probably Englemann) top. Ebony fingerboard. All woods are solid and are high quality. Bigtone pickup installed which sounds great, with no feedback. This model has a very beautiful art-deco style "Dell Arte" emblem, sort of a cross-shaped medallion, inlaid in pearl on the headstock. I like this much better than other models which have just the script "Dell Arte" inlay.

I had never played this type of guitar before, but now I understand the reason for the design. It is very lightly-built and the top is slightly arched. Strings attach to a brass tailpiece and pass over a rosewood bridge like other archtop designs. I have played and owned many high quality acoustic steel strings, Martin, Santa Cruz, Collings, Lowden, Larrivee, but all of them were based on the same "flat-top" acoustic guitar design. This Dell Arte guitar is by far the most responsive acoustic guitar I have ever played, and from what I read and understand, this superior sound quality is due in large part to the Macaferri design. I have always found a few "dead" notes on acoustic guitars, usually 5 or 6. This guitar has "almost" none (see below).

I play many styles, traditional jazz, swing, Charlie Christian, Django, Western Swing, fingerstyle blues, John Renbourn-style stuff, Tony Rice & Norman Blake, almost anything you can do on an acoustic guitar. I am also a classical player, fingerstyle jazz, Chet Atkins-Martin Taylor-Joe Pass. Anything acoustic sounds fabulous on this guitar.

This Dell Arte is the only acoustic I've ever played that has no dead notes in the bass, not even above the 12th fret, none. I compared it directly to a Santa Cruz T-Rice model. The Cruz's 6th string was dead from about C# up. As a fingerstyle player I need bass notes everywhere, 9th position, 11th position -- no problem with Dell Arte. As a matter of fact what floored me about the guitar within seconds of picking it up was the sound of low "G", incredibly deep, resonant and clear.

All that being said, I do find one note on the guitar, 3d string "C" at 5th fret, that does not come out as well as all others. I changed to new gypsy-jazz strings which helped, but not completely. I suspect that a professional setup, including reshaping the bottom of the bridge to fit completely flush with the arched top, will help, as will playing on it with a heavy pick for several months.

In general, these guitars do not sound like American-design flat tops. If you've heard Django or his many followers, Bireli Lagrene, Stochelo Rosenberg, you know the sound. But what truly surprised me was how wonderful it sounds in all other styles, including fingerpicking. I thought these guitars didn't have much bass response or sustain. I was completely wrong on both points.

I have a couple nitpicks here. There is a tiny trace of glue squeeze out visible on the upper side of the fingerboard at approx. 16th fret. The archtop bridge is similar to a violin design, with a gap in the middle. The fit was good, but I can see a bit of daylight under the back edge, which means it's not fitting perfectly flush with the top. I do not expect to see these things in a $3000.00 small-shop-built instrument.

Otherwise, the finish, fretwork, neck setup is great.

All materials are very high quality and I have no doubt it will be durable and reliable.

Unknown, but I'm probably going to contact them about the bridge fit issue mentioned above. I believe the warranty is 5 years.

Been playing 33 years. I've owned other Martin acoustics, Fender, Guild and Yamaha electrics. Most significantly I own a Robert Ruck classical guitar which I waited 8 years for on his order list, and received in 2003. Once I got the Ruck, every other acoustic guitar I've had, or heard, paled in comparison. Every note on the Ruck is open, clear and responsive. That is a quality I want and which I've never found in other acoustics, steel or nylon-string, until this Macaferri-style Dell Arte, with the exception noted above. I compared this Model 503 with the Dell Arte "Angelo Debarre" Model, which is a few hundred more expensive. Model 503 sounded better to me, not quite as dark. The Debarre model has highly-figured Koa which is gorgeous, and fancier purfling, etc. However, the basses were a little muddier.