Sadowsky Guitars have announced the release of the Jim Hall Signature Model Archtop Guitar. The result of 4 years of prototyping and collaborating, the Jim Hall Guitar is designed for the working musician as well as the discriminating collector. Sadowsky Guitars is honored to have this association with the premier jazz guitarist, Jim Hall.

Sadowsky Guitars has maintained and repaired the guitar that James D'Aquisto made for Jim Hall. This guitar has been Jim's main guitar for the last 15 years. Roger and Jim began to collaborate on a Sadowsky model that would be more than just a copy of his D'Aquisto. In addition, Roger and Jim were both committed to the idea that this would have to be a guitar that Jim would personally play, not just endorse. The Sadowsky Jim Hall guitar meets all of Jim's requirements as a player.

After numerous prototypes, Roger continued to refine the guitar by reducing the thickness of the plates to provide a more acoustic response, reducing the depth to control feedback, designing a new ebony tailpiece with a string ground and reworking the neck until if felt just like Jim's D'Aquisto. Special attention was paid to an all nitrocellulose lacquer finish with a distinctive "Jim Hall Sunburst". Incorporating Roger's sense of aesthetics and design, the result is a beautiful looking, feeling and sounding guitar that has been enthusiastically received by Jim.

Jim Hall  Guitar FAQ

What is the origin of the Jim Hall Guitar?

I have been maintaining and repairing Jim Hall’s D’Aquisto guitar for over 15 years.  Several years ago, I began to think about designing a guitar based on Jim’s D’Aquisto that would be affordable for jazz players. I told Jim of my idea and he was very encouraging.  After almost 4 years of prototyping, I finally had a guitar that Jim was willing to play and put his name on.

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Where is the Jim Hall guitar built?

The Sadowsky Jim Hall guitar is being made at the best archtop workshop in Japan under the supervision of the head of my Sadowsky Tokyo workshop, Yoshi Kikuchi.   The Sadowsky Tokyo shop was established 10 years ago to meet the demand for my instruments in Japan.  Yoshi Kikuchi is one of the most highly respected instrument makers in Japan and all of the guitars are personally inspected and set up by Yoshi   at the Sadowsky Tokyo workshop before they leave Japan.

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Why Japan?

I tried all of the laminated tops available to builders (from both the US and Germany) and none of them met my standards.  I realized I would have to make my own.  Only my workshop in Japan has the veneer and the veneer press capable of making the plates exactly to my specifications.  The quality of workmanship is as high as anywhere in the world.  I also have my own shop in Japan to supervise the production.

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Why is the guitar made of laminated wood instead of solid wood? 

a) Jim Hall’s D’Aquisto is made of laminated maple.
b) Jim’s previous guitar was an ES-175 which is also a maple laminate guitar
c) Jim and I and many other players believe that a laminated top sounds superior to a solid wood top when played through an amplifier, with less feedback as well.  The original prototypes had both a 5 ply maple and a spruce top.  The 5 ply maple was the clear winner when played through an amp.

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Why don’t you use a floating pickup?

I do not offer a floating pickup.  There is no sonic advantage with a laminate top instrument.  Also, as a repairman, it always bothered me how difficult it was for a player with a floating pickup to try another pickup on his guitar. It is always a very labor intensive procedure and there are few pickup choices.  It want to know that if a player wants to try another pickup in his Sadowsky, it is simple to drop in another one and have a listen.

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What pickup is on the Jim Hall Guitar?

I analyzed the original DeArmond/Guild humbucker in Jim’s D’Aquisto and had the pickup replicated by Steve Blucher of DiMarzio Pickups.

What work is done at the Sadowsky shop in NYC?

All of the instruments sold direct by Sadowsky Guitars receive their final fretwork and set-up here at our shop in Brooklyn.

My thanks to Roger Sadowsky for providing the info for this page. Roger's web site is at:
http://sadowsky.com/