Clips recorded using Fryette S.A.S. distortion pedal, Fender Pro Junior amp, Planet Waves Custom Pro cables, and Apogee Duet into GarageBand.
When Matthew Artinger established
his namesake guitar company in
1997, he was just 19 and fresh from an
apprenticeship with a local master cabinetmaker.
Since then, the Pennsylvania-based
luthier has built a line of hollow,
semi-hollow, and solidbody
guitars based on designs that blend
traditional feel and tone with
aesthetic features like dramatic
body curves and carves, and
wooden pickup covers and
control knobs. In his one-man
shop, Artinger currently makes
between 30 and 40 guitars
per year. We spent some quality
time with one of these
instruments—a Semi-Hollow
model with twin humbuckers
and Brazilian rosewood
appointments.
Hybrid Construction and
Impeccable Craftsmanship
The construction of Artinger’s Semi-Hollow unites design concepts from
Gibson’s ES-335 and Les Paul—specifically
the latter guitar’s use of a maple cap.
In the case of the Artinger Semi-Hollow,
the body is made from a chambered piece
of solid mahogany that’s capped with a
thin piece of solid carved maple. This resonant
combination is affixed to a carbon
fiber-reinforced mahogany neck that feels
especially stable.
The Artinger’s tonewoods are something
special. The big-leaf maple cap is
tiger-striped and eye-catching, but not
overly dramatic or flashy. The mahogany
neck and back have a tight, beautiful grain
pattern. But the Brazilian rosewood used
for the Semi-Hollow’s fretboard, headplate,
truss-rod cover, tailpiece, control knobs,
and even toggle-switch tip is the most
striking wood, with its swirling chocolate
figuring. I only wish that the Brazilian had
been used on the pickup surrounds as well,
instead of black plastic.
Accessories on our Semi-Hollow are
premium stuff too. The gold Gotoh 510
tuners are smooth and precise, and the
Gotoh bridge is an upgrade from a standard
Tune-o-matic-style bridge. A Dunlop Flush
Mount Straplok system is also included.
The ornamentation on our Semi-Hollow
is pretty and tasteful. The fretboard has
micro-dot position markers that are shifted
toward the player below the 12th fret and
toward the treble side above it. There are
pearl dots on the side of the fretboard,
and the neck has ivoroid binding that
also appears on the top of the body, the
headstock, and the two cat-eye-style soundholes.
Paua abalone trim on the edges of
the neck and headstock is cool, if just shy
of excessive, while a Brazilian rosewood heel
cap is a nice and subtle detail.
Craftsmanship on the Semi-Hollow is
absolutely top-notch. The catalyzed acrylic
finish is totally flawless and handrubbed to a
luxurious gloss. The fretwork and the string
slots on the bone nut and metal saddles are
similarly meticulous. The only thing even
approaching a flaw that I could find was
just a hint of roughness on the body interior
where the mahogany had been routed.
Great Feel and Killer Sounds
When I first took our Semi-Hollow from
its big Cedar Creek case, I was pleased to
find it light at just 6.85 pounds. I gave
both the headstock and bridge a little tap
and they resonated noticeably—a clue that
this would be a toneful guitar.
Hanging on my shoulders, the Semi-
Hollow felt balanced and comfortable.
It also felt very compact, especially compared
to Gretsch semi-hollowbodies or an
ES-335, which is a full 2" wider.
The neck has an inviting medium-sized
C profile, and with its 25" scale, 12" radius,
and smooth, low action, the guitar can feel
like it’s playing itself. It takes very little
effort to traverse the neck playing single-note
lines or barre chords along its length.
The guitar feels just a little tight for bending,
but that’s certainly attributable to its
.011 set of strings.
Unplugged, the Semi-Hollow has a
colorful and echoic character, thanks to
its chambered construction and wooden
tailpiece. The sound is warm and at times,
unmistakably mahogany-like, with a little
extra snap that’s likely attributable to the
maple top.
Running through a Fender Pro Junior,
our Semi-Hollow—equipped with twin
Seymour Duncan ’59 humbuckers that can
be coil tapped—offered a broad spectrum
of killer tones. On the neck humbucker, the
Artinger is rich and open sounding, which
called for some blues-rock meandering—
especially with an overdrive pedal in the
mix. And rolling back the tone and volume
conjured a harmonically rich jazz tone that
was perfect for some Wes Montgomery
chordal fatness.
But the Semi-Hollow also has a rude
side. The bridge humbucker has a penetrating
tone that will cut and command
attention for fierce rock soloing and driving,
forceful rhythm work. No matter how
aggressively I picked or set up the amp,
the chambered body and maple/mahogany
combination contributed a woody resonance,
while single notes remained crisp
and articulate.
The Semi-Hollow would be a remarkable
guitar on the strength of its humbucking
sounds alone. But the coil-tapping
capabilities are a big bonus. By tapping
both coils and using various pickup combinations,
each alone or together, I was able
to get sounds that were almost Fender-like
in the manner of Ernie Isley, but with some
of the hollowbody color of Leo Nocentelli’s
funk moves.
The Verdict
If you’re a semi-hollow aficionado searching
for a guitar that departs from the traditional
templates, you should definitely check out
an Artinger Semi-Hollow. This guitar looks,
feels, and sounds awesome. The mahogany
back and maple top tonewood combination
gives the Artinger an expansive range of
colorful and detailed tones. It’s lighter and
tonally more diverse than a standard semi,
and its Brazilian-rosewood components
reflect a design sensibility you don’t often
see on offerings from major manufacturers.
And at around $5000, this completely
handmade guitar isn’t that much more than
a lot of big builder’s high-end offerings.
Buy if...
you’re in the market for a serious, professional, and capable semihollow that deviates from the norm.
Skip if...
you’re a traditionalist when it comes to guitar design, or your billfold is a little thin right now.
Rating...
Street $4990 - Artinger Custom Guitars - artingerguitar.com |
“Soon after learning to play, I began buying old, junker Kays and Harmonys with my chore money,” remembers Artinger. “For years, I tore apart and rebuilt those guitars. I ended up building my first guitar from scratch when I was 16. It was a Martin from a dreadnought kit.”
But Artinger didn’t approach guitar building as a hobby or something to fiddle with—he knew this was going to be his life. To improve his woodworking abilities, Artinger took a job helping a local master cabinetmaker, and then at age 19, he founded Artinger Custom Guitars. The shop has had some up and down moments over the years, but Artinger is still glad he made the decision to be a luthier.
“As a 19-year-old entrepreneur stepping into this business, I’d have never believed that at age 33, I’d have built more than 500 instruments and still be going this strong,” says Artinger. “I have no idea what may be around the corner for me or Artinger Custom Guitars, but I’m ready and willing to build it.”
Art Deco Archtop
The Art Deco Archtop has a carved German spruce top, a carved figured bubinga back, bubinga sides, and a Brazilian rosewood neck matched with a 25"-scale ebony fretboard. This particular model features a one-off, custom headstock with a floating Artinger logo. Other custom appointments include its hand-carved ebony bridge and tailpiece.
Quilted Sapele Hollowbody
Featuring a one-piece sapele top and back with matched sapele sides, the Quilted Sapele Hollowbody has a 25"-scale ebony fretboard with abalone and ivory inlays, a carved ebony tailpiece and bridge, and Seymour Duncan P-90s with custom sapele covers. The mahogany neck is reinforced with carbon fiber. Unless a customer requests otherwise, Artinger uses carbon fiber in all his necks because he feels it increases strength and stability without adding significant weight.
10th Anniversary Florentine Hollowbody
Although tin is the traditional gift for a 10th wedding anniversary, the 10th Anniversary Florentine Hollowbody could provide a beautiful exception to the rule. This model features a relief-carved chevron quilted maple top, a relief-carved mahogany back and sides, a dual carbon-fiber reinforced mahogany neck, and a 25"-scale ebony fretboard. To really set the guitar off, Artinger applied flamed koa binding and tiger-eye finish, Ken Parker-inspired soundholes, 10th-anniversary inlays, and a Brazilian rosewood headstock and pickguard. This particular instrument features Seymour Duncan ’59 pickups.
Kyngsland
This beauty boasts a carved flame-maple top, mahogany back and sides, and a striking oxblood finish. The Kyngsland model also comes with a dual carbon-fiber reinforced mahogany neck, a 25.5"-scale ebony fretboard with custom parallelogram inlays, a Bigsby tremolo tailpiece, Throback Electronics PAFs, and NOS vintage pots, caps, and wiring.
Pricing and Availability
A fan of unique instruments, Matt Artinger says if a customer can imagine a guitar, he’ll try to build it. His base prices start at $3600 for a chambered solidbody and up to $5500 for hollowbody models. “I’ve made some life-long friends through these guitars,” says Artinger. “I couldn’t even imagine building guitars on spec at this point.” Currently, Artinger Custom Guitars is a one-man shop, and the wait time on an order is 9-12 months.
artingerguitars.com