20th Century Guitar Rara Avis -- 1984 D'Aquisto Oval Hole New Yorker
August 1999
by Bianca Soros
his 1984 D'Aquisto New Yorker oval-hole was custom built for Tony Mottola, who accompanied Frank Sinatra in "The Comeback Tour." Mottola was a 20th century jazz guitar legend who was Frank Sinatra's guitarist from 1980 through 1988.
Mottola asked D'Aquisto to make him an 18-inch guitar offering a rich, resonant sound, hence the oval-hole design. He also wanted sleek, modern styling, which is why the guitar features no position markers on the fingerboard, simple binding, and a monotone sunburst finish. The back and sides are constructed from select German maple; the top is carved from German spruce. The enclosed Schaller gears and adjustable tailpiece, which can be raised or lowered to alter string tension and change the tone, are gold-plated. The guitar is loud and open sounding, an ideal instrument for accompanying Ol' Blue Eyes.
The simplicity of this design foreshadows D'Aquisto's Modernistics series, beginning with the Avant Garde, co-designed by Hank Risan in 1988.
his 1984 D'Aquisto New Yorker oval-hole was custom built for Tony Mottola, who accompanied Frank Sinatra in "The Comeback Tour." Mottola was a 20th century jazz guitar legend who was Frank Sinatra's guitarist from 1980 through 1988.
Mottola asked D'Aquisto to make him an 18-inch guitar offering a rich, resonant sound, hence the oval-hole design. He also wanted sleek, modern styling, which is why the guitar features no position markers on the fingerboard, simple binding, and a monotone sunburst finish. The back and sides are constructed from select German maple; the top is carved from German spruce. The enclosed Schaller gears and adjustable tailpiece, which can be raised or lowered to alter string tension and change the tone, are gold-plated. The guitar is loud and open sounding, an ideal instrument for accompanying Ol' Blue Eyes.
