Valenti Guitars is very proud to be part of the Tone Team Project, born from the mind of Italian enthusiast, collector and connoisseur Francesco Balossino.Here's what is all about from the words of the man himself:

As any guitar and music lover knows, sometimes there’s a particular instrument that really inspire you, and usually when you find one of these it might become an all time favorite and a companion for the long run.

While I was talking to my dear friend Eliot Michael, store owner of RumbleseatMusic Nashville, we came up with an interesting idea/challenge, since we both really believe in and feel the passion to search for and find “the perfect guitar “. So we approached some of the finest Luthiers craftsmen we have here in italy with a unique challenge.

We asked them if they would love to try to build a faithful recreation of one of the original vintage guitars that truly inspired them, for its tone, appearance and specific qualities, with the aim of getting as close as possible to the original model.

To guarantee the highest quality level possible, we will give the possibility to them to carefully study the original models chosen, and to take all the needed measurement directly from the originals.

These special guitars will be available as Unique Custom Orders through:

  • U.S./Canada: RumbleSeat Music exclusively
  • Europe: CescoscornerGuitars exclusively.

They will be totally handcrafted in Italy, in a very limited number of pieces per year, with same techniques and specs as the originals. If you will have special requests that differ from the original specifications of the model please discuss those with our dealers, (Lefty guitars, special radius request, neck shape, etc, custom colors)

Each year we will choose 2 different original guitars for the project, so every year will see a new challenge. All the guitars will be given a certain amount of “Patina” feel, we could call that a “lightly aged” treatment of the guitar’s surface, not a reliced look.

We will make just a single, special, One-Off piece with Accelerated Natural aging techniques, that will be revealed to the public at the end of each year, after 12 full months of special aging treatment process and refinements.

The guitars come complete with case and booklet with “in the making” pictures from the builders and COA.

The Builders

LUIGI VALENTI

Master Builder based in Città di Castello (PG), applied his background Studies in Physics to modern instruments buildingand pickupmaking.

Luigi carefully studied each minimal detail of the original pickups designs on these historical instruments, achieving the most accurate tonal results possible, really true to the iconic sound of the original guitars.

For this year 2020, Luigi will focus on realizing the unique pickups sets for both Matteo's and Romano's projects.

Each single part of each pickup will be carefully selected and historically accurate, from pickup wire to magnets dimensions, from wax potting to flatwork. The sets will be true in both specs and tone to the originals we studied.

ROMANO BURINI

Master Luthier based in Osimo, Ancona (ITALY). Romano is a skilled artisan, focused on accurate, High grade guitar building and specialized in delicate Vintage Restorations, he’s been a long time partner with CescoscornerGuitars for all vintage Frets related repairs, Refrets, tricky Oversprays removals, vintage correct refinishes, pickups repairs,

For this year 2020, Romano Has decided to work on faithful recreations of a 1965 Fender Stratocaster “Candy Apple Red” with incredible flamed maple neck with flamed maple cap. The prototype of this limited run will be available to try at RumbleseatMusic Nashville, while the original will be available to try at CescoscornerGuitars. Reserve yours now!

Specs: one piece AAA flamed maple neck with flamed maple cap, vintage correct radius, 6105 style frets, kluson tuners; 2 pieces lightweight Alder body, with ’65 contours, candy apple red finish over original metallic undercoat, wide bevelled aged white plastic pickguard, handwound gray bottom pickups, classic circuit with 5 way switch CRL and CTS pots.

MATTEO RUFINI

Master Luthier based in Perugia, (ITALY). Matteo is a passionate craftsman, coming from the classical Italian Violins making tradition, which loves to build great electric guitars. Matteo creates his own finishes, and he made a extensive research regarding the original Fillers and primers that Fender Used in the early 50’s, which he carefully recreated.

For this year 2020, Matteo decided to work on faithful recreations of a unique 1954 Fender Stratocaster Sunburst with incredibly figured, “flamed and birdseye” maple neck. The prototype of this limited run is available to try at RumbleseatMusic Nashville, while the original will be available to try at CescoscornerGuitars. Reserve yours now!

Specs: one piece AAA figured, both flamed and birdseye, maple neck, vintage correct radius, 6105 style frets, kluson tuners; 2 pieces grain matched and selected Ash body, with ’54 contours, sunburst finish, handwound black bottom pickups, classic circuit with 5 way switch CRL and CTS pots