Steve Andersen Model 17 Made for and used by Bill Frisell Arch Top Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1995)
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Steve Andersen Model 17 Made for and used by Bill Frisell Model Arch Top Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1995), made in Seattle, WA, serial # 198, sunburst top, natural back and sides finish, maple back, sides and neck, spruce top, ebony fingerboard, original black gig bag case.
This lovely Steve Andersen carved top guitar was built just about 30 years ago specifically for Bill Frisell, who played it extensively for some years. It comes directly from Bill with a truly lovely letter of provenance detailing his history with the guitar. This reads in part:
"(Steve Andersen) built it specifically for me. He knew my music - what I liked with neck shape and all that. It turned out amazingly!" He also told us in person: "I asked for specific things. Mostly cosmetic, the binding etc. but also told him what I liked with the feel-shape of the neck."
The entire instrument was originally finished in natural, but as Bill explains: "I changed my mind and asked him to refinish the top in sunburst; you don't see many guitars with natural back, sides and neck and a sunburst top. I think it looks cool!"
Bill goes on to detail specific tracks the guitar was used on as a recording instrument, and adds "I've played this guitar on gigs with Julian Lage, Mary Halvorsen and Thomas Morgan etc. It's a good one!" It appears on the cover of his "Nashville" album with the top in the original natural finish. From bill: "This guitar is pictured on the front cover of my Nashville album. Still blonde. Photo was taken right after I got it. I played this guitar on these albums: Bill Frisell- Good Dog, Happy Man ("Big Shoe"), Bill Frisell-Elvin Jones and Dave Holland ("Moon River"); Henry Threadgill- "Listen Ship". Played it a lot in Seattle on solo gigs and stuff like that. More recently a duet concert with Mary Halvorson at Roulette in Brooklyn earlier this year."
The instrument itself is a traditional 16 3/4" wide carved top guitar, built with beautiful flame maple for the back, sides and neck and lovely even-grained spruce for the top. The fingerboard, bridge and tailpiece are high-grade ebony and all bindings are wood. The delicately carved top is X-braced, the one-piece neck is a lovely shallow "C" profile that feels effortless to play. A floating pickup/pickguard assembly is fitted, wired to an output jack in the side. A strap button is fitted to the side on the upper bout.
This is a simply lovely guitar to play, with a sweet and mellow sound anyone who has listened to Bill Frisell will recognize. Bill seems to gravitate more to Tele-style instruments these days so has decided to let this archtop go after nearly 30 years. It comes with a handwritten letter from Bill and a selection of materials including the biography "Bill Frisell Beautiful Dreamer" by Philip Watson and a large collection of Bill's music on Vinyl and CD including several this guitar is featured on. The "Nashville" album picturing the guitar (in its original natural finish) is included on both Vinyl and CD. In concluding his personal letter Bill writes of the guitar "I hope you like it". We can't imagine anyone who appreciates Bill's unique contributions to the world musical landscape would not love this guitar!
Overall length is 43 in. (109.2 cm.), 16 3/4 in. (42.5 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 2 7/8 in. (7.3 cm.) in depth, measured at rib. Scale length is 25 1/4 in. (641 mm.). Width of nut is 1 23/32 in. (44 mm.).
Despite being one of Bill Frisell's long time performance instruments this guitar shows only very light wear; Bill is a careful steward of his guitars! There is some light handling wear overall and that's about it. The top has a few tiny dings and dents, the back and sides have light checking and a few small marks as well. There is a tiny grain check on the back at the bottom end of the top seam.
The back of the neck has some small marks with a few small chips to the heelcap. The back of the headstock has more checking than the rest of the finish. There are a couple of small plugged holes and attendant dings in the top of the fingerboard extension presumably from prior pickup installations.
The guitar plays and sounds extremely well, as might be expected from a performance instrument used extensively by a player of Bill's caliber. It remains exactly as last used by Bill Frisell, including the strings and setup and resides in a Guild-branded gig bag. This is simply the nicest and most complete package of a personally used instrument and attendant materials we have ever received from any artist. Overall Excellent Condition.
This lovely Steve Andersen carved top guitar was built just about 30 years ago specifically for Bill Frisell, who played it extensively for some years. It comes directly from Bill with a truly lovely letter of provenance detailing his history with the guitar. This reads in part:
"(Steve Andersen) built it specifically for me. He knew my music - what I liked with neck shape and all that. It turned out amazingly!" He also told us in person: "I asked for specific things. Mostly cosmetic, the binding etc. but also told him what I liked with the feel-shape of the neck."
The entire instrument was originally finished in natural, but as Bill explains: "I changed my mind and asked him to refinish the top in sunburst; you don't see many guitars with natural back, sides and neck and a sunburst top. I think it looks cool!"
Bill goes on to detail specific tracks the guitar was used on as a recording instrument, and adds "I've played this guitar on gigs with Julian Lage, Mary Halvorsen and Thomas Morgan etc. It's a good one!" It appears on the cover of his "Nashville" album with the top in the original natural finish. From bill: "This guitar is pictured on the front cover of my Nashville album. Still blonde. Photo was taken right after I got it. I played this guitar on these albums: Bill Frisell- Good Dog, Happy Man ("Big Shoe"), Bill Frisell-Elvin Jones and Dave Holland ("Moon River"); Henry Threadgill- "Listen Ship". Played it a lot in Seattle on solo gigs and stuff like that. More recently a duet concert with Mary Halvorson at Roulette in Brooklyn earlier this year."
The instrument itself is a traditional 16 3/4" wide carved top guitar, built with beautiful flame maple for the back, sides and neck and lovely even-grained spruce for the top. The fingerboard, bridge and tailpiece are high-grade ebony and all bindings are wood. The delicately carved top is X-braced, the one-piece neck is a lovely shallow "C" profile that feels effortless to play. A floating pickup/pickguard assembly is fitted, wired to an output jack in the side. A strap button is fitted to the side on the upper bout.
This is a simply lovely guitar to play, with a sweet and mellow sound anyone who has listened to Bill Frisell will recognize. Bill seems to gravitate more to Tele-style instruments these days so has decided to let this archtop go after nearly 30 years. It comes with a handwritten letter from Bill and a selection of materials including the biography "Bill Frisell Beautiful Dreamer" by Philip Watson and a large collection of Bill's music on Vinyl and CD including several this guitar is featured on. The "Nashville" album picturing the guitar (in its original natural finish) is included on both Vinyl and CD. In concluding his personal letter Bill writes of the guitar "I hope you like it". We can't imagine anyone who appreciates Bill's unique contributions to the world musical landscape would not love this guitar!
Overall length is 43 in. (109.2 cm.), 16 3/4 in. (42.5 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 2 7/8 in. (7.3 cm.) in depth, measured at rib. Scale length is 25 1/4 in. (641 mm.). Width of nut is 1 23/32 in. (44 mm.).
Despite being one of Bill Frisell's long time performance instruments this guitar shows only very light wear; Bill is a careful steward of his guitars! There is some light handling wear overall and that's about it. The top has a few tiny dings and dents, the back and sides have light checking and a few small marks as well. There is a tiny grain check on the back at the bottom end of the top seam.
The back of the neck has some small marks with a few small chips to the heelcap. The back of the headstock has more checking than the rest of the finish. There are a couple of small plugged holes and attendant dings in the top of the fingerboard extension presumably from prior pickup installations.
The guitar plays and sounds extremely well, as might be expected from a performance instrument used extensively by a player of Bill's caliber. It remains exactly as last used by Bill Frisell, including the strings and setup and resides in a Guild-branded gig bag. This is simply the nicest and most complete package of a personally used instrument and attendant materials we have ever received from any artist. Overall Excellent Condition.