1992 Benedetto "Howard Alden" 7 string, One-Of-A-Kind $20,000

We have received for consignment directly from jazz great, Howard Alden, his very first 7 String Guitar. He has decided to pass this gorgeous instrument on as he currently plays the smaller Benedetto Bambino Deluxe-7. Howard has been a Benedetto player since 1992 and this one-of-a kind oval hole Archtop has followed him on concert tours throughout the world. Bob Benedetto built this custom 7 string to Howard's specs. Howard was looking for a laminated instrument that would be more suitable for traveling; at the same time he wanted to take full advantage of Bob Benedetto's skills as one of the greatest Archtop makers on the planet!  The end result was that Bob carved a beautiful spruce top along with solid maple sides; on the back he used laminated maple. For Howard, this was perfect and it became his primary guitar for quite some time. The Blonde color has gracefully aged over the years, and yes... the sound of the guitar is very warm and extremely responsive. This was the second oval hole Archtop Bob had ever built.

There's more... Howard has been gracious in that he is including several collectible out-of-print CD's that he recorded with this guitar. In addition, Bob Benedetto has written his thoughts about this instrument and Bob's personal note will also be included. Cindy Benedetto, who happens to be a wonderful photographer, has sent us some classic photos of Howard that were taken with Bob and also the late George Van Eps.  Lastly, Howard's "road worn" custom Calton case is also part of the package. It's in great working condition and it will make you feel like you're on your way to London for a weekend gig at Ronnie Scotts Jazz club!   This is a great opportunity to have a piece of guitar history from one of the greatest players and one of the most admired luthiers in the world!  

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