After years of making Citterns and mandolins, in 1981 famed English luthier Stefan Sobell finally ventured into the world of Archtop guitar building. Inspired by his 1930’s Martin C1, these archtops weren’t the usual Gibson style fare, but oval hole, fairly squat, 16-fret-to-the-body guitars with European spruce tops and, usually, rosewood back and sides. As with everything Sobell, he knocked it out of the park.

This 12-String from 1998 features, most likely, a European spruce top and Indian rosewood back and sides. Herringbone inlay, as well as a herringbone rosette on the triangular soundhole, pair nicely with the well-aged in natural finish. The top, by the way, is X braced, which, coupled with the triangularized oval hole, give this guitar a sound which is halfway between a small body Archtop and a small body flattop, fitting both sonic landscapes adeptly and surprisingly well.

This 12-String features a wide 2” nut, as well as a fairly thick C/V profile for a robust playing experience. The sound is large, to be expected, but focused thanks to the arched top and X bracing. Visually it’s in good condition, with only a couple marks on the top. There is a crack at the fingerboard extension on the treble side that has not been repaired.

Comes with a hard case.