A work of art in quite its own category, and one which engages with the player and audience to create new sonic experience—the Borghino Shakti Deluxe. Designed in collaboration with John McLaughlin, this instrument couples a Jumbo flattop body with a fast neck and seven sympathetic strings strung diagonally across the soundhole. The fretboard is scalloped and set up with light strings to facilitate frictionless runs and added latitude for bending vertically and horizontally.
The sympathetic strings are also also to be strummed, or plucked depending on your attack and use of fingers or picks, in addition to serving to add sympathetic resonance. This latter effect leads to an intensely enveloping voice that is quite honestly a thing unto itself.
Borghino has installed a Barbera Soloist pickup system for both sets of strings to best capture the complexity of the Shakti sound (including several audiophile reference cables for maximum fidelity), and added dramatic arm & rib bevels to the body for added comfort when playing. Additionally, the body has been built with a subtle Manzer Wedge, meaning the bass side is narrower than the treble side, pivoting the top back towards the player and allowing for easier right arm access. Tightly figured Ziricote back and sides pair with Bearclaw Italian Spruce on top, extensive Abalone appointments, and a custom case to house this feat of lutherie.
In collaboration with John McLaughlin, Mirkho Borghino will donate $3000 of the sale of Shakti Deluxe #1 to the Cancer Institute of Miano, Italy: https://www.istitutotumori.mi.it/en/home.
Other keywords: fingerstyle, luthier, 1 of 10, modern guitar, indian jazz, indian classical, carnatic, 2019
John McLaughlin was one of my early guitar heroes. I remember sitting in awe at his concerts at age 17. He was certainly one of the many great players who inspired me to do what I do in the world. Here he has teamed up with Mirko Borghino of Italy to create the Shakti Deluxe. This is an incredible instrument that pairs a set of sympathetic strings with a standard six string guitar neck for world of inspiration. A portion of the proceeds of each of this limited series will go to charity, a win-win for the world. 
Approaching a kind of spiritual experience, this Shakti Deluxe from Mirko Borghino collaborating with John McLaughlin breathes new life into the word “inspiration.” | Scale Length | 24.5 in |
|---|---|
| Nut Width | 1.75 in |
| String Spacing | 2.125 in |
| Woods | Spruce - Alpine, Ziricote |
A work of art in quite its own category, and one which engages with the player and audience to create new sonic experience—the Borghino Shakti Deluxe. Designed in collaboration with John McLaughlin, this instrument couples a Jumbo flattop body with a fast neck and seven sympathetic strings strung diagonally across the soundhole
John McLaughlin was one of my early guitar heroes. I remember sitting in awe at his concerts at age 17
Approaching a kind of spiritual experience, this Shakti Deluxe from Mirko Borghino collaborating with John McLaughlin breathes new life into the word “inspiration.”