Tom Ribbecke Phoenix, 2020

Condition: excellent, chip in the headstock

Tom Ribbecke has spent a lifetime exploring the archtop guitar, and the Phoenix is a wonderful example of where that exploration has taken him.

I particularly love the proportions of this guitar. At 16 inches, it has an intimacy and comfort that immediately draws you in, but with nearly three inches of body depth, a 25 1/2” scale and X-braced, hand-carved plates, it still has the air and presence of a serious acoustic archtop.

There’s a beautiful balance here. The spruce top gives the guitar warmth and complexity, while the carved flame maple back adds focus and definition. Acoustically, it feels alive and responsive, with that wonderful sense of air around the note that I look for in a great carved guitar.

Plugged in, the PAF-style humbucker brings out another side of the Phoenix. The sound becomes warm, full and immediate, while retaining the character of the instrument underneath it. It doesn’t feel like an electric guitar that happens to have a carved body. You continue to hear the guitar.

The neck is also particularly comfortable. The 1 3/4” nut gives the left hand plenty of room, while the .83” to .93” profile has substance without ever feeling cumbersome.

What I admire most is that the Phoenix isn’t Tom’s interpretation of an L-5 or a D’Angelico. It comes from that tradition, certainly, but Tom has his own ideas about how an archtop should respond and feel in the hands of a player.

This 2020 example captures that beautifully. It’s elegant without being ornate, innovative without calling attention to itself, and remarkably comfortable for a fully carved archtop.

It was also part of the inaugural Brooklyn Guitar Feast, which feels entirely appropriate. This is a guitar meant to be played.

For me, that’s ultimately what makes the Phoenix special. It’s a modern archtop with its own identity, built by one of the great independent American makers of our time.

If you'd like to find out more about this item, just call or e-mail me. It would be my pleasure to talk to you about it.