With guitar tone, size doesn't mean a thing. Sometimes big sound comes in a small package. Originally conceived as a travel-size, the Benedetto Andy produces big, resonant archtop tone. The 3/4-size scale length greatly reduces the string tension, so notes bloom and flourish like you're playing an enormous 17". Nevertheless, the small-body feel keeps the response quick and sensitive to your touch, and the lower tension allows for incredible sustain. Plus, the short neck makes the biggest stretches and complicated chord voicings almost effortless. Benedetto puts the same effort and meticulous approach into the Andy that they put into their high-end full-size models. The Andy features a carved Spruce top that is only 13" across at the lower bout. It is parallel braced and voiced to produce nuanced, balanced tone. Its back plate is carved Maple, and the sides laminated for extra strength. The laminate sides are heavier than the carved solid top/back, so they don't absorb much sound and keep the guitar's movement in the top and back plate. For electronics, the Andy sports a single mini humbucker in the neck position, as well as a traditional volume and tone control to help you dial in the right sound. Plugged in, the Andy will absolutely blow you away. Its sound is impossibly big, and it has more sustain and resonance than other high-end archtop guitars. Although their intention was to build something portable for travel, Benedetto introduces a fascinating concept with the Andy. Here's a small, comfortable archtop that produces huge sound that belies its extremely manageable size. This 2009 Benedetto Andy features a gorgeous Antique Burst finish, and it sports a high-grain Ebony pickguard/finger-rest. It shows some general signs of play and use (see photos), especially all of the obvious places—around the body edges and the back of the neck. But overall, it's in nice shape, and it has no history of repairs, damages, or issues. It is set up to play like it should, and it includes its original gig bag, which is perfect for travel.
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