Instrument:
Jazz guitar/archtop Isana, model “Black Pearl” from 2018. You purchase one of only 80 guitars of the worldwide limited first reissue series. One or two digit serial number. Only first series includes a handsigned expertise from Sandner grandson Dietmar Schuh. The reissue looks a lot like the fifties original. But in details, she has been optimized to state of the art quality and features, such as truss rod, modern neck profile, single tuners and pickup system. But as fifty years ago she’s an original German Sandner from Nauheim, South Hessen, but produced with expert advice of legendary Gibson master luthier Ren ferguson!
Material and technical system:
Top is made of massive spruce, body of maple. Mahogany neck with truss rod. Ebony fingerboard with five white marbled perloid inlays. Headstock face has a layer of white perloid, completed by two black celluloid inlay stripes – brand indicia in typical fifties Isana design. Pickguard shows original Isana shape, made of white perloid too. All perloid parts are made of the same wonderful looking material. Ebony bridge with single adjustable string saddles, open single tuners, massive tailpiece, shaped exactly as the sixties original. Humbucker neck pickup, volume control thumbwheel easy to handle but “invisible” inside the lower soundhole. Jack socket at lower side.
History:
The black Isana is more but only one of many German post war archtops. It’s the most legendary Isana, may be archtop ever, played by one of the most famous star of all times. About 200 have been built back then – collectors keep the rare originals and if one is for sale once in a blue moon, high four digit prices have to be payed. Back then Isana was one of the leading German music instrument manufacturers, but they quit guitar production in the early seventies, due to the quality and financial pressure of Japanese brands. But since then, the legend lives on until today. Celebrating the 90th birthday of the company, today’s owner and grandson of the founder decided to give Isana branded guitars a second try and start to build a small series in cooperation with German Vintage Guitar. And what else could we choose than the Black Pearl? But it’s not about building a most perfect copy of the famous original, it’s about offering a high end archtop guitar, having the same look, but featuring state of the art technology. No retro gimmick, but a modern jazz guitar with amazing sound and perfect playability. The “tuxedo style” provides the German post war design competence – pure black elegance! Most honorably legendary Gibson master luthier Ren Ferguson advised us, getting development and serial production fixed.
Actual condition:
The Isana Black Pearl offers a fantastic sound and state of the art playability. Loud, assertive and with maximum dynamic. Together with her outstanding look, she’s a must have package for rock’n roll history believers, collectors and players. Highlight of each collection and eye candy on stage. Frontman Sascha Vollmer of famous German band The Boss Hoss plays one, also Italian world class jazz guitarist Dario Pinelli! Comes with a black case, featuring cozy plush inside and a logo print at the top.
Videos:
Gypsy and jazz – https://www.facebook.com/dario.pinelli.52/videos/1071268983029555/UzpfSTI0MjU4MzAwNTkyODQ0MTo5NTkxNjAwMzA5MzczOTg/
Austrian pop und country – https://www.facebook.com/48ertandlerband/videos/1655482231167085/UzpfSTI0MjU4MzAwNTkyODQ0MTo5MTQ0OTk2MDg3MzY3NzQ/ (Guitar solo at 2:18)
Measures:
The classy 16-inch archtop: body length 20,2”/51,4 cm, lower bout width 16”/40,7 cm, waist width 9,4”/23,9 cm, upper bout width 11,6”/29,5 cm; scale length 25,2”/64 cm. Fingerboard width at zero fret: 1,73”/44 mm, at 12th fret 2,13”/54 mm.
Hint – serial number:
All Black Pearl models incl. prototypes, special manufactures and pre series models will have an on going serial number. Each number will exist only once. First series goes from no. 8 to no. 87.
Available at: www.german-vintage-guitar.com
