Isana Black Pearl Arch Top Acoustic Guitar (1959)
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Isana Black Pearl Model Arch Top Acoustic Guitar (1959), made in Nauheim, Germany, black lacquer finish, maple back, sides and neck, spruce top, rosewood fingerboard, molded fiberglass hard shell case.
This 1959 Isana "Black Pearl" is one of those rare guitars where a single celebrity connection has made it famous; in this case this exact model is associated with his majesty, Elvis Presley. When the US Army shipped Elvis to Germany in 1958, he apparently arrived without a guitar. Soon enough one of these ebony-finished Isanas was procured; apparently he received the guitar as a Christmas present from his father in 1958. Surviving paperwork indicates it was purchased on 20 December 1958 at Musikhaus Hummel in Frankfurt. During the course of his Army hitch stationed at Bad Nauheim he was photographed numerous times playing the guitar; he even fitted a Fuma pickup just below the fingerboard. He did not take the guitar back to the US when his service was over but it remained in Germany and is now apparently the centerpiece of the Gelsenkirchen Elvis Club collection in Dusseldorf.
Isana was a brand name used for guitars built by German luthier Josef Sander. His shop was in Nauheim (south of Frankfurt) and opened in 1947, remaining there until his death in 1976. Sander was an independent luthier, who built most of his instruments largely by hand although they share a family resemblance to instruments built by Framus, Hofner, Hoyer and other southern German concerns. This basic archtop acoustic model was offered in several finishes, but the black version is quite rare, with a very limited number ever built.
The "Black Pearl" is a very elegant looking instrument in this "tuxedo" livery; perhaps Elvis picked it specifically for the look; he was always a stylish cat! Construction is typical of German archtops from this period. The single-cutaway body is made of laminated maple, triple bound on top and single bound on the back. The abstract "slash' soundholes are another typically German feature; the pickguard is made of the same dramatically grained pearloid material Hofner often used but is in a shape unique to Isana, with the bracket made of the same material.
The laminated beechwood neck has a very flat-backed profile and is topped with a bound rosewood fingerboard with full-span pearloid block inlay and typical German zero fret. The headstock is similar to some period Hofners with a mixed pearloid/black celluloid overlay. The tuners are simple openback strips with oval plastic buttons. The brand name is displayed on a decal at the lower top under the tip of the treble side soundhole. It is posited that only a hundred or so of these "Black Pearls" were ever made, although that is hard to verify. Certainly similar sunburst finished Isanas can be found fairly easily, but this tuxedo version has been considered an Elvis-related collectible for decades. The guitar plays well and sounds quite decent, but it is the link to "The King" that has made the "Black Pearl" a long-sought-after piece.
Overall length is 42 in. (106.7 cm.), 16 in. (40.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 in. (635 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.).
This striking 65+ year old black beauty shows some light wear but remains quite clean overall and nearly all original. The original finish shows light checking with some dings, scuffs and dents overall, but no large areas of wear. As is common with German guitars with these laminated necks several of the seams along the back of the neck have been resealed with sone light topical touchup added; other than this the finish remains all original and unaltered.
The neck is quite straight for one of these early German archtops and the original frets are in good condition. All fittings and hardware are original except for the bridge, which is a later generic ebony piece. The guitar plays well and sounds better than many would expect; while hardly the equal to Elvis' old D-18 or his new J-200 his Isana seems to have served him well enough during his Cold War stay in Germany. This is a lovely example of this rare piece, and is provided with a striking "taxi" styled molded fiberglass case with a rockin' out Elvis sticker on the lid for good measure! Overall Excellent - Condition.
This 1959 Isana "Black Pearl" is one of those rare guitars where a single celebrity connection has made it famous; in this case this exact model is associated with his majesty, Elvis Presley. When the US Army shipped Elvis to Germany in 1958, he apparently arrived without a guitar. Soon enough one of these ebony-finished Isanas was procured; apparently he received the guitar as a Christmas present from his father in 1958. Surviving paperwork indicates it was purchased on 20 December 1958 at Musikhaus Hummel in Frankfurt. During the course of his Army hitch stationed at Bad Nauheim he was photographed numerous times playing the guitar; he even fitted a Fuma pickup just below the fingerboard. He did not take the guitar back to the US when his service was over but it remained in Germany and is now apparently the centerpiece of the Gelsenkirchen Elvis Club collection in Dusseldorf.
Isana was a brand name used for guitars built by German luthier Josef Sander. His shop was in Nauheim (south of Frankfurt) and opened in 1947, remaining there until his death in 1976. Sander was an independent luthier, who built most of his instruments largely by hand although they share a family resemblance to instruments built by Framus, Hofner, Hoyer and other southern German concerns. This basic archtop acoustic model was offered in several finishes, but the black version is quite rare, with a very limited number ever built.
The "Black Pearl" is a very elegant looking instrument in this "tuxedo" livery; perhaps Elvis picked it specifically for the look; he was always a stylish cat! Construction is typical of German archtops from this period. The single-cutaway body is made of laminated maple, triple bound on top and single bound on the back. The abstract "slash' soundholes are another typically German feature; the pickguard is made of the same dramatically grained pearloid material Hofner often used but is in a shape unique to Isana, with the bracket made of the same material.
The laminated beechwood neck has a very flat-backed profile and is topped with a bound rosewood fingerboard with full-span pearloid block inlay and typical German zero fret. The headstock is similar to some period Hofners with a mixed pearloid/black celluloid overlay. The tuners are simple openback strips with oval plastic buttons. The brand name is displayed on a decal at the lower top under the tip of the treble side soundhole. It is posited that only a hundred or so of these "Black Pearls" were ever made, although that is hard to verify. Certainly similar sunburst finished Isanas can be found fairly easily, but this tuxedo version has been considered an Elvis-related collectible for decades. The guitar plays well and sounds quite decent, but it is the link to "The King" that has made the "Black Pearl" a long-sought-after piece.
Overall length is 42 in. (106.7 cm.), 16 in. (40.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 in. (635 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.).
This striking 65+ year old black beauty shows some light wear but remains quite clean overall and nearly all original. The original finish shows light checking with some dings, scuffs and dents overall, but no large areas of wear. As is common with German guitars with these laminated necks several of the seams along the back of the neck have been resealed with sone light topical touchup added; other than this the finish remains all original and unaltered.
The neck is quite straight for one of these early German archtops and the original frets are in good condition. All fittings and hardware are original except for the bridge, which is a later generic ebony piece. The guitar plays well and sounds better than many would expect; while hardly the equal to Elvis' old D-18 or his new J-200 his Isana seems to have served him well enough during his Cold War stay in Germany. This is a lovely example of this rare piece, and is provided with a striking "taxi" styled molded fiberglass case with a rockin' out Elvis sticker on the lid for good measure! Overall Excellent - Condition.