D'Aquisto MERLOT Pair: 1979 Flat Top Delux 16" Merlot #109 & 1977 New Yorker Merlot #1114

Few things delight Rudy more than having guitars in the shop made by his favorite archtop builders: D'Angelico, D'Aquisto and Monteleone. This time he's over the moon because we have a rare offering from one of these master luthiers: a matched pair by Jimmy D'Aquisto, with a gorgeous "Merlot" finish unique to these guitars. 

We are selling these two instruments as a pair. They have had only one owner, who commissioned them to be built in the 1970s. Rudy has known about these guitars for many years and is thrilled to finally have them in the shop. He'd love to chat more with serious buyers, so if you can't make it to our shop in-person, give us a call to talk to Rudy about these masterpieces. 

Here is the story of the Merlot guitars, as told by their owner:

“As a young graduate student, I poured my passion for the guitar into a constant desire to refine and upgrade the instruments I owned. In 1976, during a trip to New York City, I drove out to Huntington Station, Long Island, to visit Jimmy’s shop and meet the renowned maker himself.

The moment I stepped inside, I heard a single note ring out from a 7-string guitar he had just completed. It stopped me in my tracks—I felt as though I were in the presence of something almost mystical, a physical embodiment of pure sound.

After a long and engaging conversation with Jimmy, I made a decision on the spot. I endorsed a check for $500—every dollar I had at the time—as a down payment on a 17-inch New Yorker Excel. I was convinced that once I received what I believed would be the finest guitar ever made, I would never again feel the need to own another.

Over the next two years, I took on odd jobs and research work to save enough money to pay for #1114. During frequent visits to Jimmy’s shop in Farmingdale, I had the rare privilege of watching my guitar slowly come to life.

When the time came to choose the finish color, I brought a bottle of Beringer Merlot to the shop. Holding a glass up to the sunlight, we studied its deep, rich hue—and agreed that the color of the wine would be the perfect finish for the guitar.

#1114 arrived in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, just before Christmas in 1977. The following fall, I sent it back to Jimmy so he could match its wood and finish with a flat-top guitar, #109, which he was then building for me. Together, this matched pair—#1114 and #109—came to be known as ‘The Merlots.’ ”