2018 AGS Magazine

Benoit Lavoie
Stuart Day
Tim Bram
Raphael Ciani died in 1923 and most historians
believe that John D’Angelico, then just 18 years
old, assumed control of operations. The guitars
being built by John D’Angelico by 1932 were
largely modeled on the instruments made by
Gibson. D’Angelico, who died in 1964, built more
than eleven hundred high-quality instruments that
were revered for both their aesthetics and sonic
qualities and were played by a diverse group of
guitarists. John D’Angelico guitars such as the
New Yorker and Excel are functional works of art
coveted by players, museums, and collectors alike
to this very day.
James “Jimmy” D’Aquisto, born in 1935,
was just three years old when John D’Angelico
opened that first shop on Kenmare. Jimmy, like
John, was a descendant of Italian immigrants.
D’Aquisto was also a talented musician with a
great feel for jazz guitar and a sense of beat that
allowed him to play bass as well. He developed
an appreciation and interest in guitar making and
made repeated visits to the D’Angelico shop. In
1952, at the age of seventeen, Jimmy joined John
D’Angelico on Kenmare Street as a shop boy
and remained there for 12 years until the time of
John’s death.
When John died, Jimmy relocated to Long
Island where he continued the D’Angelico style
approach and built many fine instruments in that
tradition. It is important to note that D’Aquisto
was also driven by innovation and experimentation
and many historians believe that he created
an environment in which future guitar makers felt
free to explore non-traditional building methodologies
and techniques. To this day, Jimmy is
recognized as a guitar maker of historic note and
is admired for work that is often described as
“ground-breaking” by his peers and followers.
In many respects, the work of John D’Angelico
and Jimmy D’Aquisto, who both died at the age
59, provided context and foundation for the archtop
guitars that are being presented and played
today. In performance terms, the work of those
two masters set the stage for the exciting times in
which we now live. The Artisan Guitar Show has
focused on providing a mix of magnificent archtops
along with world-class flattop guitars.
Please enjoy this photo essay featuring the
diverse archtop guitar makers and instruments of
the Artisan Guitar Show. These instruments will
hold a place in history for generations to come.
John Monteleone
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