Neck:Cedro
Fingerboard:Ebony
Finish(Top):Shellac
Finish(Back & Sides):Shellac
Tuning Machines:Yacopi Original
String Height(1st):2.7mm
String Height(6th):3.5mm

[Profile]
José Jacopi (1916–2006) – Born in Vitoria, Spain, José Jacopi began working in his father Gamaliel Jacopi’s workshop and built his first guitar at the age of 18. In 1949, he moved with his family to San Fernando near Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he established his workshop and continued making guitars throughout his life. Initially, Jacopi built traditional Spanish guitars modeled after Antonio de Torres, like his father. Around 1947, shortly before moving to Argentina, he and his father developed a unique fan-bracing pattern in reverse direction, which became a hallmark of the Jacopi brand.

At the peak of demand in Argentina, the workshop produced up to 300 guitars annually, but only about 10% were top-tier models personally crafted by José using the finest tonewoods. Jacopi’s instruments are known for their distinctive sound: the rich, warm, and resonant lower and mid-range contrasts beautifully with bright, clear treble tones, creating a remarkable sense of depth and three-dimensionality, especially in polyphonic music. The guitars possess a subtle South American sweetness in tone, bridging classical and contemporary styles, which has made them beloved by a wide range of musicians. Notable players include María Luisa Anido and Eduardo Falú, and in recent years, Jacopi guitars have gained significant popularity among bossa nova and Latin music enthusiasts.

Today, his son Fernando Jacopi runs the workshop, but instruments crafted by José himself, particularly from the 1960s to the 1990s, remain the most sought after by collectors and performers.

[Description]
José Jacopi – 1976 No.1455 (Used)

This guitar, made in 1976, is from one of Jacopi’s most popular periods in the 1960s–70s. It features the classic amber finish that has become synonymous with Jacopi instruments, offering a photogenic appearance and a substantial, dignified presence. The body is slightly larger than standard models, enhancing its characteristic resonance, while playability remains within typical dimensions.

The low notes are rich, full-bodied, and soft to the ear, while the treble is clear, focused, and expressive, creating a unique tonal balance and musicality. The internal structure consists of six symmetrical fan braces radiating from the footblock of the body, built in Jacopi’s distinctive reverse fan pattern. The central matching section uses several small patch plates instead of braces, another standard Jacopi feature. The guitar’s resonance is set slightly below G.

The instrument shows minimal signs of wear or modification. Minor surface scratches are evenly distributed but shallow, appropriate for its age. It retains its original tuners (crab-shaped rather than shell-shaped) and functions perfectly. The neck has a very slight forward bow but remains within standard specifications. Neck shape is a conventional medium D-shape, with string action of 2.7/3.5mm (1st/6th string at the 12th fret) and 1.0–1.5mm saddle compensation.

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