For Sale: Fairbanks F-40 Custom, 2016, SOLD

[Robbypad]

Dale Fairbanks F-40 CUSTOM, crafted in 2016 using hot hide glue and torrified woods. The neck is torrified mahogany, back & sides are torrified maple and the top is torrified red spruce or as most would refer to it, Adirondack Spruce (Dale Fairbanks refers to it as "Torrified Red Spruce". Fingerboard and bridge are Madagascar rosewood. The guitar has a vintage C shaped neck and is modeled after the vintage Gibson J-185. eing a custom, the guitar has a thinner than normal top, much like what Ervin Somogyi has been building the past few years to make the sound bolder. Because of the thinner top commissioned, builder Dale Fairbanks recommends only using light gauge strings.

This guitar is like new with respect to back, sides, neck and headstock. There are light pick indentations around the pickguard and on the bass side of the low E string. That's the way I got it. I don't use picks.

Really cool guitar. If you like vintage, this is a new guitar with that vintage tone.

Replacement cost on this Fairbanks guitar is $5,500.

FAIRBANKS F-40 CUSTOM PRICE: $SOLD plus $150 shipping (USPS Priority Express, 2 day, Guaranteed, Signature Required)


Thanks for looking!

Robbypad

SPECIFICATIONS

Guitar Fairbanks F-40 Custom
Braces Traditional X / Scalloped bracing
Case Original Guardian Hard Shell Case
Cutaway No
Length 40 7/8"
Body Length 20 3/8"
Upper Bout 11 7/16""
Waist 9 3/8"
Lower Bout 16"
Depth 3 3/4" to 4 3/4"
Nut Width 1 3/4"
Spacing-Bridge2 1/8"
FB Radius 12"
Scale 24.75" / 24 3/4" / 628.65mm
Electronics No
Fingerboard Madagascar Rosewood
Finish Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Frets to Neck 14
Frets Total 19
Inlays MOP rectangle fret markers, Fairbanks headstock logo, herringbone rosette and body purfling, 2 crosses & 2 dots on bridge, gold crown and Fairbanks on headstock
Luthier Dale Fairbanks
Truss Rod 2 way adjustable in headstock
Notes USE LIGHT GAUGE STRINGS ONLY! Hot hide glue, vintage C shaped neck, modeled after vintage Gibson J-185
Nut Unbleached bone
Pickguard Celluloid Tortoise
Replacement Cost $5,500
Rosette Two circles w/b/w & w/b/w/b/w/b/w
Saddle Unbleached bone
Serial # 166
Tuners Kluson
Where Made South Windsor, Connecticut
Back Torrefied Maple
Binding Vintage ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene)
Bridge Madagascar Rosewood
Headstock Mahogany w. ebony front overlay, back painted black
Neck 1 piece Torrefied Mahogany
Sides Torrefied Maple
Top Torrefied Red Spruce (Adirondack to most people)
Year Made 2016

Fairbanks F-40 #166 2016 (1) by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/156597327@N06/]

Fairbanks F-40 #166 2016 (2) by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/156597327@N06/]

Fairbanks F-40 #166 2016 (3) by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/156597327@N06/]

Fairbanks F-40 #166 2016 (4) by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/156597327@N06/]

Fairbanks F-40 #166 2016 (5) by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/156597327@N06/]

Fairbanks F-40 #166 2016 (6) by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/156597327@N06/]

Fairbanks F-40 #166 2016 (7) by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/156597327@N06/]

Fairbanks F-40 #166 2016 (8) by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/156597327@N06/]

Fairbanks F-40 #166 2016 (10) by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/156597327@N06/]

Fairbanks F-40 #166 2016 (11) by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/156597327@N06/]

Fairbanks F-40 #166 2016 (16) by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/156597327@N06/]

Fairbanks F-40 #166 2016 (18) by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/156597327@N06/]

Fairbanks F-40 #166 2016 (19) by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/156597327@N06/]

Fairbanks F-40 #166 2016 (20) by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/156597327@N06/]

Fairbanks F-40 #166 Build sheet by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/156597327@N06/]

[Guitars44me]

BIG BOSS AXE!!

What a beauty. Wish I could...

Won't last!

Cheers

Paul

[canerod]

..... red Sitka spruce.....?

[Robbypad]

Red Spruce is a species of spruce native to North America, ranging from eastern Quebec and Nova Scotia, west to the Adirondack mountains and south through New England along the Appalachians to western North Carolina. So, top is not Torrified Red Sitka Spruce, just Torrified North American Spruce or as most would call it, "Adirondack Spruce". Good catch Canerod. Thanks for point it out to be Adi not Sitka!

[palolowarrior]

Originally Posted by Robbypad

Red Spruce is a species of spruce native to North America, ranging from eastern Quebec and Nova Scotia, west to the Adirondack mountains and south through New England along the Appalachians to western North Carolina. So, top is not Torrified Red Spruce, just Torrified North American Spruce. Overzealous typing........good catch Canerod.

Bruce,
I asked Dale Fairbanks about the top and in his own words “it’s torrefied red spruce”. Red spruce is as you described with origins in the Adirondak mountains. It looks like Adirondack red spruce, it resonates like red spruce a.k.a. Adirondack.

The bakery that did the torrefication does look to have a lot more pronounced bake than most. When you add up the top, back, sides, and neck having experienced this process you have an amazing guitar that rocks in your hands, lap, chest, and/or where ever it comes to rest on your body.

This guitar is quite the beast with a very responsive touch.

[canerod]

Red Spruce, Picea rubens is often generically referred to as Adirondack Spruce in the tonewood world. No confusion there. It was the description of " red Sitka spruce" that was erroneous. Sitka Spruce, Picea sitchensis, is not a Red Spruce.

[freaktone]

What a beauty!

[skiproberts]

Are you suggesting only using light gauge strings?
Pretty big top, how can you load it up with light gauge?
Jumbo usually need to be pushed with medium strings...

[Robbypad]

Hi Skiproberts,

Thanks for chiming in.

According to builder, Dale Fairbanks, the guitar was built for light gauge strings as the top is thinner than normal.

With the torrefacation of back, sides, top and neck, and the thin top plus use of hide glue, the guitar is very special with a really cool vintage, time worn sound.

Thanks,

Robbypad

[Diamondave]

Vintage mojo to the Maximus!

[jzarifis]

Great guitar and great seller here folks!!

[temriver]

Bump for very cool J 185. My opinion--Fairbanks' have an edge for vintage tone. Something says this one has "it."

[roberts]

One of the true steals on these pages....

[neildealdylan]

Originally Posted by Robbypad

Hi Skiproberts,

Thanks for chiming in.

According to builder, Dale Fairbanks, the guitar was built for light gauge strings as the top is thinner than normal.

With the torrefacation of back, sides, top and neck, and the thin top plus use of hide glue, the guitar is very special with a really cool vintage, time worn sound.

Thanks,

Robbypad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNRMrd4J71M

If this recording of a Fairbanks F40 is not enough to push someone off the fence then I don't know what else will. If I hadn't acquired my "maple keeper" already then I would be all over this one. GLWS, spetacular guitar!!

[Robbypad]

Thank you guys for the nice comments: Palolowarrior, Freaktone, Guitars44, Diamond Dave, Jzafaris, Temriver, Roberts and Neildealdylan!

SOLD

Robbypad