Account & Info
  • About
    • Close
    • The Shop
      • Request Appointment
      • Our Team
    • Community Involvement
      • House Concerts
    • Custom Builds
      • Our Builders
      • All Builders
      • Repairs
    • Reviews, Testimonials, & Awards
      • Awards
      • Pro Player Comments
      • Client Testimonials
  • Resources
    • Close
    • Services
      • Appraisals
      • Consignments
      • Custom Builds
      • Estates
      • Layaways
      • Repairs
    • Policies
      • Store Policies
      • Trading/Selling
      • Shipping Policy
      • Methods of Payment
      • Terms of Service
      • Copyright & Trademark
      • Privacy Policy
    • Education
      • Body Sizes, Explained
      • Tonewoods
      • Baritone Guitars
      • Builders
      • Suggested Links
  • Returns
  • Account
    • Close
    • My Account
    • My Cart
    • Checkout
    • Register
    • Log In
  • Cart
  • Connect with Us
Dream Guitars
  • Connect with Us
  • 0Shopping Cart

3 Day Trial on All In-Stock Instruments Anywhere in the US
Showroom By Appointment Only

Call Dream Guitars
Dream Guitars
Menu
  • Instruments
    • spotlight-sizedBrowse By
      • New Arrivals
      • On Sale
      • Our Builders
      • All Builders
      • Instruments Wanted
    • acoustic-sizedAll Steel
        • Flattop
        • 12 Fret
        • Baritone
        • Multiscale
        • Composite
        • Resonator
        • Travel/Mini
        • 12 String
        • Harp
        • Vintage
    • classical-sizedAll Nylon
        • Classical Guitars
        • Flamenco Guitars
        • Crossover Guitars
        • Vintage
    • electric-sizedAll Electric
        • Solid Body
        • Semi-Hollow
        • Hollow Body
        • Vintage
    • archtop-sizedAll Archtop Guitars
        • Electric
        • Acoustic
        • Vintage
    • banjo-sizedAll Other Strings
        • Ukuleles
        • Banjos
        • Mandolins
        • Basses
        • Left Handed
        • Vintage
    • Close
  • Amplification
        • Audio Sprockets
        • Grace Design
    • Close
  • Cases
      • All
        • Case Accessories
        • Access
        • Calton
        • Caseadillo Case Covers
        • Hoffee
        • Karura (no longer available)
        • Reunion Blues
        • Visesnut
        • Other
    • Close
  • Accessories
        • Cables
        • Capos
        • Dream Guitars Gear
        • Humidification
        • Music CDs and Tabulature
        • Stands
        • Straps
        • ToneRite
        • Tools
        • Tuners
        • Tuning Machines
        • Tone Traveler by DrHerringbone
        • Miscellaneous
    • Close
  • Instruments Wanted
  • Videos
    • perform_thmPerformances
        • Al Petteway
        • Antoine Dufour
        • Cliff Eberhardt
        • Clive Carroll
        • Craig D’Andrea
        • Grant Gordy & Ross Martin
        • Jimmy Bookout & Tom Billotto
        • Jordan McConnell
        • Konarak Reddy
        • Loren and Mark
        • Paul Asbell
        • Peppino D’Agostino
        • Peter Thorn
        • Preston Reed
        • Scott Ainslie
        • Steve James
        • Toby Walker
        • Tony McManus & Beppe Gambetta
        • Vicki Genfan
    • lessons_thmLessons
        • Al Petteway
        • Allen Shadd
        • Clive Carroll
        • Doug Young
        • Grant Gordy
        • Juan Benavides
        • Konarak Reddy
        • Pat Donohue
        • Paul Asbell
        • Paul Heumiller
        • Ross Martin
        • Scott Ainslie
        • Steve James
        • Toby Walker
        • Vicki Genfan
    • interview_thmInterviews
        • Al Petteway
        • Bill Tippin
        • Brad Daniels
        • Cliff Eberhardt
        • Danny Ellis
        • Jason Kostal
        • John Osthoff
        • Jordan McConnell
        • Kevin Pederson
        • Larry Brown
        • Larry Robinson
        • Leo Buendia
        • Paul Heumiller
        • Preston Reed
        • Steve James
        • Thomas Rein
    • perform_thmCollections
        • Applegate Guitars
        • Blanchard Guitars
        • Circa Guitars
        • Greenfield Guitars
        • Henderson Guitars
        • Klein Guitars
        • Laskin Guitars
        • Matsuda Guitars
        • McConnell Guitars
        • Olson Guitars
        • Petros Guitars
        • Ramirez Guitars
        • Somogyi Guitars
        • Tippin Guitars
        • Traugott Guitars
        • Kim Walker Guitars
        • Dream Guitars Builder Spotlights
        • Classical Guitars – Legendary Makers
        • Flamenco Guitars
        • Vintage (Pre-1970) Gibson Guitars
        • Vintage (Pre-1970) Martin Guitars
    • interview_thmGear
        • Humphrey Amplifiers
    • lessons_thmOther
        • Shop Tour
        • Visit Us
    • Close
  • Blog
  • Visit Us
    • Advanced Instrument Search
    • Close
  • Menu Menu

Home / Shop / 1987 Sobell 12 String Archtop Indian/European

1987 Sobell 12 String Archtop Indian/European

SOLD

Add to Compare
Photos & Video
Specs
Description
Accessories
Contact
Status
Sold
Brand
Sobell
Product Year
1987
Model
12 String
Serial #
88107
New/Preowned
Preowned
SKU
29
Condition
Very Good. A few tiny dings, two hairline back cracks repaired by Master Luthier Bill Tippin, and one small soundhole crack repaired by luthier Ken Jones.
Body Type(s)
Large, Jumbo
Back & Sides
Rosewood - Indian
Top
Spruce - European
Rosette
Herringbone
Top Trim
Herringbone
Fingerboard
Ebony
Fingerboard Bindings
None
Fret Markers
None
Frets to Body
12
Headplate
Rosewood
Headstock Inlay
None
Body Bindings
Rosewood
Tuner Finish
Gold
Cutaway
None
Pickup
None, we can install one, ask about options
Body Length
20.625 in
Upper Bout
11.75 in
Lower Bout
16.5 in
Body Depth Heel
4.25 in
Body Depth Tail
4.875 in
Scale Length
25.5 in
Scale Length (mm)
647.7 mm
Nut Width
1.81 in
Nut Width (mm)
47.8 mm
String Spacing
2.38 in
String Spacing (mm)
60.452 mm
Weight
0 lb. 0 oz.
Audio File
Listen to Audio

12-String players, gather round: we’ve got one of the all-time greats in the store today: a 1987 Sobell 12-String Archtop! Stefan Sobell is recognized as one of the original builders of Irish bouzouki, and other double-stringed instruments, and his long career attests to decades spent honing his craft. It is always a pleasure to have one of his guitars in the shop, and it’s even more of a pleasure to have one of his 12-String Archtops. With Indian Rosewood back and sides and a carved European Spruce top, this guitar has a rich and dynamic range, with octave strings that project with clarity. What’s more, this guitar features 12×12 construction: it is both a 12-String and a 12-fret guitar. When these two design features are brought together, the result is effortless playability and an enveloping, complex tonality. Finally, Sobell believes that a 12-string design is best supported by an archtop body–and it’s clear why that is: the arched top creates just the right separation between the notes and make the pairs of strings discrete and clear. This is one of only a handful ever made and is as collectible as it is beautiful.

Stefan Sobell feels the archtop supports a 12 string best. It gives it clarity and separation, as well as great punch. This Sobell 12 string is very clear and very lively. Stefan has made only a few of these, so this is a rather collectible guitar.
Bright and singing mids and highs are the primary characteristic of this 12-string. This would be a wonderful addition to any collection. It is unique and adds a texture that is unobtainable from other 12-strings, almost a bouzouki quality, which makes sense given the builder. One of the easiest playing 12-strings I've seen, this one has that characteristic clear and punchy tone that Sobell is known for. It would be ideal to add to a recording mix or ensemble where the clarity is the most important thing.
Please enter instruments in the format Year Brand Model [Optional: woods, details] Comma separated
Please enter instruments in the format Year Brand Model [Optional: woods, details] Comma separated
Please hold down the 'Control' button on your keyboard ('Command' on OSX) to select more than one option.

Reload
Scale Length 25.5 in
Nut Width 1.81 in
String Spacing 2.38 in
Woods Spruce - European, Rosewood - Indian

12-String players, gather round: we've got one of the all-time greats in the store today: a 1987 Sobell 12-String Archtop. Stefan Sobell is recognized as one of the original builders of Irish bouzouki, and other double-stringed instruments, and his long career attests to decades spent honing his craft

Stefan Sobell feels the archtop supports a 12 string best. It gives it clarity and separation, as well as great punch
Bright and singing mids and highs are the primary characteristic of this 12-string. This would be a wonderful addition to any collection
Copyright 2023 © Dream Guitars All Rights Reserved.
Website by Integritive Web Design :: Asheville, NC
Looking to Trade or Sell?
Scroll to top