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.
919-682-5552