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Ribbecke Halfling Thinline 1098 Archtop Guitar  From Tom Ribbecke

17" thinline archtop from Tom Ribbecke

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Our product photos are the actual, specific serial number for sale!

This specific item was photographed by us here in Durham, North Carolina. We are a very small team dedicated to providing you the most accurate photos possible, through our obsessive focus - individually photographing nearly everything that comes through the door. Questions about what you see? Want more information, photos, or just a friendly conversation with someone that cares and who has actually had their hands on this exact item? Contact us now!
Tom Ribbecke Guitars

Available for Special Order

See something you like? This item is gone, but not forever. It can be special ordered, and even customized!

We can get it fast!

Because of our special relationship with Tom Ribbecke we can get this as fast, or faster than anyone in the industry. In some cases, we even have preferred build slots we can offer you.

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What We Think

Our first thinline Halfling is here and we are quite impressed! You would never imagine such great bass response out of a guitar this thin. It's truly amazing.

The Halfling is an amazing feat of lutherie. As soon as you put one in your hands you realize this. Immediately you notice the wealth of acoustic sound from the soundhole close to your ear. The guitar almost breathes on you as you play it. It makes for a connection between player and instrument never before dreamt of. It's so even and balanced top to bottom that you have to pinch yourself because you think you are dreaming.

Manufacturer's Description from Tom Ribbecke

The Halfling is a unique and proprietary design of guitar or Bass that uses the concepts of advanced luthiery design to create a more versatile and efficient stringed instrument by combining the flat bass side of a "Steel string" or "Classical" guitar top with the carved or arched treble side of the soundboard, to create an instrument that is capable of large full fundamental bass response with the separation of course (ability to hear and distinguish all the notes of a complex chord when ringing together.)

The traditional way of looking at the soundboard dictates the concept of either a flat thin top as in the Martin style steel string guitar, or the arched top for Jazz like the D'Angelico or Gibson instrument. We have combined the best of both worlds for the contemporary guitarist whose literature now crosses over into both worlds.

This is the logical conclusion of years of research and development beginning with the "Sound Bubble" guitars in the 80's and when Paul Szmanda gave me the opportunity to build something that I always wanterd to do. The first Halfling was created.

I also had the opportunity to work with the incredible Bassist Bobby Vega for whom I could not just build an oversize guitar with four strings, this is an artist who really required something special and he was patient enough for me to build the Bobby Vega model Halfling bass!

All of this led to the founding of a new company : the Ribbecke Guitar Corporation , wholly a separate entity from my private practice(Ribbecke Guitars)

This new company was founded to bring a domestically built less expensive instrument to be built on a production basis. Dealer inquiries are welcome and the Bobby Vega Halfling Bass will be ready to ship by June of 2005. Available in either a fretted or unfretted model watch the site and we will update the project regularly. These instruments are identified as Hafling guitars and basses. The Bass will be the only model available for the next year or so with guitars coming on line in about 18 months.

Tom Ribbecke Guitars

About Manufacturer

The Halfling project The Halfling is a unique and proprietary design of guitar or Bass that uses the concepts of advanced luthiery design to create a more versatile and efficient stringed instrument by combining the flat bass side of a Steel string or Classicalguitar top with the carved or arched treble side of the soundboard, to create an instrument that is capable of large full fundamental bass response with the separation of course (ability to hear and distinguish all the notes of a complex chord when ringing together. The traditional way of looking at the soundboard dictates the concept of either a flat thin top as in the Martin style steel string guitar, or the arched top for Jazz like the DAngelico or Gibson instrument. We have combined the best of both worlds for the contemporary guitarist whose literature now crosses over into both worlds( see artist quotes in the testimonial section) This is the logical conclusion of years of research and development beginning with the Sound Bubble guitars in the 80's and when Paul Szmanda gave me the opportunity to build something that I always wanterd to do The first Halfling was created. I also had the opportunity to work with the incredible Bassist Bobby Vega for whom I could not just build an oversize guitar with four strings, this is an artist who really required something special and he was patient enough for me to build the Bobby Vega model Halfling bass!

All of this led to the founding of a new company : the Ribbecke Guitar Corporation , wholly a separate entity from my private practice( Ribbecke Guitars) This new company was founded to bring a domestically built less expensive instrument to be built on a production basis. Dealer inquiries are welcome and the Bobby Vega Halfling Bass will be ready to ship by June of 2005. Available in either a fretted or unfretted model watch the site and we will update the project regularly These instruments are identified as Hafling guitars and basses. The Bass will be the only model available for the next year or so with guitars coming on line in about 18 months. A Halfling model guitar or Bass can be ordered from my own private practice as well and of course these are direct order instruments built to your specs and with all hand processes at a substantially higher price point. They are hand voiced and fussed over as are all my private practice instruments! And are only available direct from me?. We have a quartet under construction! A true collectors group!

Specifications

Tobacco Burst Finish

Spruce Top

Flamed Maple Back and Sides

Hardshell Case

1 3/4" nut width

25" scale

1 1/2" body depth

17" lower bout

Related Videos

Tom Ribbecke Guitars Hafling Thinline 16" at NAMM 2010

Tom Ribbecke, Legendary Guitar Builder, shows of the new Ribbecke Guitar Corp 16" Hafling Thinline Archtop Guitar to Chris with Sound Pure Guitars. This amazing new instrument features some beautiful Brazilian Cherry wood, and the extraordinary build quality that the Ribbecke name has come to mean. The entire Ribbecke line is available through Sound Pure who is always glad to answer any questions that you have about Jazz guitars, archtops, acoustics, and electrics, as well as the amps that make them the best that they can be, or the best recording techniques that Sound Pure has come to know in their legendary recording studio, the Sound Pure Studios. Please contact Sound Pure today with any questions you have about the Ribbecke line, toll free 888-528-9703.