Jazz Guitar Life would like to thank Jazz Guitarist Warren Greig for sharing his beautiful arch-top with us all! Enjoy 🙂
In the 1980’s I subscribed to Guitar Player Magazine which had an article on Jimmy D’Aquisto and his collaboration with Fender. Earlier he had designed a guitar for Hagstrom called the Jimmy which was an excellent arch top.
For several years after I looked for the Fender model that was built in Japan and around 2014 got the Elite model from a guy in Alberta who hadn’t played it much so it was in pretty much mint condition. I was able to pick up for around 1700, I believe they are now worth around 3500.00. The guitar has an ebony fingerboard, maple sides and back, spruce top and a single schaller humbucker.
Over the years I mostly played a 49 Gibson 175 and a Martin CF archtop designed by Dale Unger. The Elite had a slight twist in the neck, medium frets and a 9.5 radius. In September this year I took it to Cosmo Music to get the neck straightened, radius changed to 12 like Gibson and a medium jumbo stainless steel refret. It’s the third guitar I’ve put through their Plec machine for a stainless steel refret but first arch top. The other guitars were GL Asat’s with jumbo MFD pickups. The results on those two were so great I wanted to put through an arch top so I picked the one with the smallest frets.
The Elite has a great acoustic tone and the pickup sounds good to me. The recent work I had done better suites my playing style with taller frets and the 12 inch radius. I had used the guitar on the first track of a CD I recorded In 2019 and released in 2020. But aside from that hadn’t played the guitar much at all. I hope to play it more now and as long as I use nickel strings the frets should last longer than me.
Warren Greig
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Warren Greig Is a Canadian Jazz Guitarist and composer based in Toronto, Canada and Cianciana, Sicily. His most recent CD Terminus Station was released in 2020 and features the compositions of Jim Hall, Wes Montgomery, John Scofield and Pat Metheny. Give a listen at warrengreigmusic.hearnow.com
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I love the Fender DÁquisto Elite. I own 3 of them…a blond, a black and a sunburst.
The sunburst is from the Fender Custom Shop.
I can’t say enough about them ….I just wish I played better !!!!
Hi Anthony and thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment. Sounds like you have a great collection. Maybe you could share them with us one day? As for the playing better…join the club 🙂
Thanks again and take care.
Lyle – Jazz Guitar Life
I’ve owned an Elite for several years and love it. Replaced the pu with a DiMarzio and did a refret job. Great guitar!
Hi William and thanks for dropping by! Sounds like you got a great guitar there as well 🙂
Take care and all the best.
Lyle – Jazz Guitar Life
I have an ’84 Elite. Wonderful Guitar. When I bought the guitar it had a replacement roller bridge installed. The original was included. Plays and sounds great as is so I haven’t put the original back on. Someday..maybe.[url=https://postimg.cc/VdsX7c20][img]https://i.postimg.cc/hPTMtDrs/1-B9-E5507-E7-D1-4-E35-8-D25-BAA3-E918-AE7-F.jpg[/img][/url]
Nice Mark and thanks for sharing. Gorgeous guitars they are 🙂
Take care and all the best.
Lyle – Jazz Guitar Life