FS Historic 2004 Hand Built Jeff Babicz Signature Acoustic Guitar, The First one ever sold

[poozmeister]

Read all about it here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/272220865516...84.m1555.l2649

 

But here is the ebay text: (The review I wrote years ago is still here on Harmony Central)

 

Own a piece of History. This is the very first guitar sold from this now famous company. This hand built guitar was before there were any factory models.

 

Jeff Babicz Hand Built Signature Guitar #3 -- For sale at $4,600 - OBO

Model: LTD-6

Shape -- Axxiom (Small Jumbo -- 16" lower bout)

Year: 2004

 

Nut width: 1 and ¾

Back and Sides: Master grade big leaf maple

Binding: Cocobolo

Top: Master grade Engelmann spruce

Fretboard: ebony

Tuners: Gotoh contour tuners

Scale: 25.5

Frets: Medium Jumbo

Soundport: One on the side

Pickup: Fishman Rare Earth Blend Soundhole (a $300 value)

Pickguard: Transparent

Case: Original Hard-shell TKL

 

Unique Babicz Features:

Continually Adjustable Neck - raise and lower action on the fly. Allen wrench included

 

Lateral Compression Soundboard: Creates a fully energized soundboard

 

Torque Reducing Split Bridge -- if ever intonation needs to be adjusted, it is not major surgery, but a simple adjustment.

 

(Read about the unique babicz features above on the babicz guitars website under "features". I'm not allowed to post the actual links in this auction, even though they are only descriptive.)

 

 

To get this built today, it would likely cost you $10,000.

 

I am the original owner of the first guitar sold from Jeff Babicz guitars. (Jeff built and sold "normal" acoustic guitars at one time, but I made the very first purchase of the patented "icZ" technology his is now famous for.) I passed on Babicz Signature #1, the Brazilian Rosewood model, simply because I liked the sound of this maple guitar even more! I'm not a big fan of maple guitars normally, but somehow this unique system really accents the sonic potential of this guitar.

 

I have had this guitar over 10 years now, and it is in fantastic condition. This puts to rest concerns anyone could have had regarding the "new technology" back in 2004. i.e. Will these necks really hold up over time? With a normal guitar, you may eventually need an expensive neck reset over time. E.g. the bridge may start lifting and warping the soundboard (guitar top). With this, there is no such thing. YOU adjust your own neck in between songs if you like! It's almost as fast as putting a capo on, though not quite. Still, 30 seconds as opposed to leaving your guitar in a shop for a week for major surgery! Very impressive. For lighter picking, I keep the action low. When I want to play slide or raise the action to bang away with heavier picking, I put in the Allen key, turn it a couple times, and voila! I get higher action and better playability for that style.

 

Most of the above is true for both the Babicz Idenity Series (made overseas) also. I really like those as well, but this is different. Jeff in his shop in Newburgh, NY, made this slowly, by hand and a lot of extra care goes into such a guitar. As I said, this guitar blew me away and I chose it over the Brazilian Rosewood #1 guitar -- and that was fantastic as well.

 

You can read the reviews I wrote, and also Stan Jay, the founder of Mandolin Brother's in Staten Island, reviewed the #1 guitar I mentioned. Read all the fantastic Babicz Signature guitar reviews, but again, I am not allowed to post the descriptive link. You can google Jeff Babicz Signature Guitar Reviews, however, and see all the reviews.

 

I still believe what I wrote in that review 11 years ago. I would change two things though. It sounded as I was trashing my 20th Anniversary Taylor guitar, and that's not the case. It was a wonderful guitar. People who swore they hated Taylors loved the sound of mine. In fact 3 different people purchased Fishman Rare Earth Blender sound hole pickups after hearing my guitar thinking that was the main cause of that Taylor's great sound. Two of them were happy with their new pickups in their Martins, but the 3rd was stunned his guitar still didn't sound as good as mine. That's because this pickup also has an internal microphone so it really helps amplify what the guitar actually sounds like. This is why my Babicz and my Taylor both sounded great with the Fishman Rare Earth blender, and that pickup is included.

 

(So yes, I like this Babicz better than the 20th Anniversary Taylor I had... but it isn't fair to really compare a hand built masterpiece with a top of the line production model guitar (the Taylor). For a fair comparison, I would really have to compare this to an R.Taylor, which is the hand built Taylor line, but I have never played one.)

 

The other change I would make to my review is the sound port. You can hear yourself play much better in somewhat noisy surroundings with this. I did a few tests as well and had someone play my guitar with the sound port open, then again with it covered. The volume was actually louder in all directions with the sound port open. I was a little surprised because it would seem sound is "escaping" the guitar from the extra sound hole, but it actually makes the guitar easier to hear in all directions.

 

The TKL Case -- very protective and in good condition, but two things; it is a little marked up. Mostly from a painter who didn't move the case to another room! I tried to get the dots of paint while wet, but some of them smeared. Also, the ribbon that holds the lid in place when you open the case is broken. So the lid always opens completely rather than resting ¾ or so of the way. Excellent case overall though. It even had a strap attachment that is very useful when carrying the guitar. (picture of case to follow)

 

In case you don't know of Jeff, he got his start building and repairing guitars on his own in Liberty, NY some years ago. When Steinberger guitars opened in Newburgh, NY, Jeff was employed there. With his expertise, he rose to plant manager. Even today, Headless USA has Jeff restore and repair all Steinbergers that come in. In fact, Eddie Van Halen called upon Jeff personally to restore the guitar Jeff built for him back in the 80s. Jeff may be most well known today, perhaps, for another of his innovative products called Full Contact Hardware. These bridges for electric guitars and basses have been wildly successful as they increase dynamic range, sustain, improve pitch stability, and have other benefits to intonation and adjustability. None of which has anything to do with this sale, except that Jeff is so well respected in the guitar world, both for his acoustic an electric guitar innovations.

 

And now you have a chance to own a piece of history -- the very first Jeff Babciz Signature Guitar ever sold can be yours.

 

Terms: Paypal. Free Shipping for continental U.S., unless you return it. You can have 7 days to return it for any reason. I will refund in full, minus shipping in both directions, once I receive the guitar in it's same condition. This is to prevent anyone mildly curious from taking my guitar for a spin for a week. (I may consider international sales, but I need to look into it first... so just U.S to start)

 

p.s. Best Offers need to begin with a 4.