Eastman FV680CE-SB Frank Vignola Signature Archtop Eastman FV680CE-SB Frank Vignola Signature Archtop Eastman Premium archtop designed by master luthier Ryan Thorell! Arts & Entertainment > Hobbies & Creative Arts > Musical Instruments > String Instruments > Guitars > Acoustic Guitars eastman-fv680ce-sb-vignola FV680CE-SB 5.0 1
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My "excuse" for this purchase is recurring shoulder pain: I've been seeking a smaller guitar that can handle gypsy jazz as well as other styles. This checks all the boxes. It's very comfortable to hold and play, and sounds great. The acoustic tone is a little tight, dark and old-timey, for lack of a better description, with enough volume to handle a mannerly jam. The amped tone is clean and sweet, and opens up completely. Michael's support before and during the purchase process has been utterly ...
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Eastman FV680CE-SB Frank Vignola Signature Archtop

Eastman FV680CE-SB Frank Vignola Signature Archtop

This Selmer/archtop hybrid guitar was designed by the Utah based luthier Ryan Thorell for Frank Vignola, a longstanding luminarie of the American Gypsy and swing scene. Frank's style fuses the acoustic pyrotechnics of Gypsy jazz with the cool sophistication of American swing and bebop, requiring an instrument that is truly acoustic/electric. There's no doubt that Thorell succeeded brilliantly in this endeavor, by designing an instrument with impressive acoustic volume and tone that is easily amplified and feedback resistant.

An evolution of Frank's previous Benedetto signature model,  the Eastman FV680CE-SB has body contours based on that of the Selmer Maccaferri models made famous by Django Reinhardt. The most notable feature is the Maccaferri style cutaway which instantly identifies this instrument's Gypsy heritage. Innovations include a smaller, more comfortable 15" body; a shorter, more ergonomic 25 3/8" scale; carved cello style tailpiece; carved ebony pickguard; stylized soundholes on the lower treble bout; and a sound port on the upper bass bout. Unlike traditional Gypsy guitars, this instrument has a carved, AAA spruce top that is unusually thin to allow for maximum acoustic resonance. A floating Lollar Johnny Smith pickup and pickguard mounted tone and volume thumb wheels are also included.

The acoustic sound of this instrument is truly unique, as its hybrid qualities allow one to achieve punchy, Gypsy style leads one minute and complex, mellow jazz tones the next. The projection is astonishing, with plenty of volume for rowdy Gypsy campfire jams or acoustic, big band rhythm work. The Lollar Johnny Smith pickup translates these qualities beautifully into an amplified sound that is rich and full, while retaining a very acoustic-like vibe, even at high volumes.

For many, this thoughtfully designed instrument will solve so many of the problems that acoustic swing and Gypsy players face. With Gypsy guitars being notoriously difficult to amplify, and most archtops sounding too "electric," this guitar will allow the player to easily plug in and perform at high volumes while retaining an acoustic flavor to their sound. Additionally, the short scale allows even the most difficult runs and chord voicings to be played with ease. The fact that Eastman made this "miracle guitar" available to the public for a fraction of the $8500 that Thorell charges is nothing less than a gift to swing and Gypsy guitarists everywhere!

Item Number:
9910
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$3,799.00 $3,039.00 (Save 20%)
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Item Options

Set Up Options (takes 2-4 weeks)
Install Clear Pick Guard ($50.00)
Set Up Special: Fret Dress, Custom Bridge, Restring, Tailpiece Leather, Adjust Action and Truss Rod ($215.00)
Install Strap Button in Heel and Endpin ($30.00)
Custom Pickguard?
No upgrade
Tortoise (bound) ($250.00)
Black (bound) ($250.00)
Tortoise Deluxe (bound) ($400.00)
Would you like a pickup installed?
No upgrade
Schatten AT-04 Pickup for Archtop Guitar ($239.00)
Fishman Archtop Guitar Pickup ($275.00)
K&K Pure Archtop Pickup ($280.00)
Benedetto B6 Standard Mount Humbucker ($229.00)
Benedetto A6 Standard Mount Humbucker BLACK ($229.00)
Benedetto A6 Standard Mount Humbucker GOLD ($229.00)
Benedetto PAF Standard Mount Humbucker BLACK ($229.00)
Benedetto PAF Standard Mount Humbucker GOLD ($229.00)
Kent Armstrong Adjustable Built-In PAF (Handmade) ($279.00)
Kent Armstrong Built-In Single Coil (Handmade) ($279.00)
Tailpiece Upgrades
No upgrade
Frequensator Style Trapeze Tailpiece Gold ($158.00)
Frequensator Style Trapeze Tailpiece Nickel ($148.00)
C Jazz Tailpiece Chrome ($305.00)
C Tailpiece Chrome ($175.00)
G Tailpiece Gold ($320.00)
Byrdland Tailpiece Gold ($145.00)
Fancy Trapeze Tailpiece Gold ($185.00)
Fancy Trapeze Tailpiece Chrome ($175.00)
C Tailpiece Gold ($185.00)
Finger Style Tailpiece Gold ($518.00)
Tuner Upgrades
No upgrade
Schaller da Vinci Gold ($282.00)
Schaller da Vinci Black ($210.00)
Schaller da Vinci Chrome ($205.00)
Grover Imperial Gold ($250.00)
Grover Imperial Chrome ($205.00)
Schaller Classic Deluxe Gold ($245.00)
Schaller Classic Deluxe Chrome ($205.00)
Gotoh Stealth Gold ($290.00)
Gotoh Stealth Black ($290.00)
Guitar Specs

Reviews and Ratings

Overall
Quality
Value

EASTMAN FV680CE

Pros: Comfortable to hold and play, sounds great both acoustically and plugged in

My "excuse" for this purchase is recurring shoulder pain: I've been seeking a smaller guitar that can handle gypsy jazz as well as other styles. This checks all the boxes. It's very comfortable to hold and play, and sounds great. The acoustic tone is a little tight, dark and old-timey, for lack of a better description, with enough volume to handle a mannerly jam. The amped tone is clean and sweet, and opens up completely. Michael's support before and during the purchase process has been utterly superb (as usual).

Submitted by: C on 01/06/2024 09:03:03 AM

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