Benedetto Archtop Holding Cradle
From the archtop master comes the new heart of your shop! Designed by Bob Benedetto (he literally wrote the book on crafting archtops), this professional fixture is where your archtop will come to life. We're honored to be your exclusive source for this ingenious tool.
Making an archtop guitar is no small feat, and the hardest part by far is carving the top and back. You not only need to hold the plates securely, but you also need the freedom to carve from any angle. As seen in his classic Archtop Guitar Design and Construction book, Benedtto designed the perfect solution to give you complete control of your archtop build from beginning to end.
Custom designed for archtops
The cradle has a recessed center so it can accommodate the arch of the top or back when carving the interior of the plates. The outside edge is wide enough to support the plates throughout the carving process. The padded clamps protect the wood and are curved on the bottom to adjust to the shape of plates or assembled body.
Hold the plates or the entire body
We include two clamp extender blocks to secure an assembled body. This puts the guitar in the perfect position to scrape the re-curve in the top and back. This is critical to shaping the voicing of the guitar. The clamp footprint is small to stay out of the way as you carve.
Complete access to carve
The cradle is pre-drilled to mount securely to our Erlewine ShopStand to give you complete control. You can spin the cradle 360-degrees and raise and lower it to the exact height you need to create the perfect arch. The arduous task of carving has never been easier.
But it's not just for carving! The cradle also secures the top for fitting braces, an important step in fine-tuning the sound of the the guitar.
Features:
- Top quality Baltic Birch ply construction for a lifetime of use
- Variable clamping heights to accommodate a thin plate, or a complete body
- Pre-drilled to install on the Erlewine ShopStand (sold separately)
- Sturdy 1" thick walls for rigid support under the pressure of carving and clamping
- Crafted in our Ohio shop
Inside dimensions:
Upper bout: 11-1/2" (292.1mm)
Waist: 9-1/4" (234.95mm)
Lower bout: 15-1/2" (393.7mm)
Length: 19" (482.6mm)
Interior depth: 1" (25.4mm)
Outside dimensions:
Upper bout: 13" (330.2mm)
Waist: 10-3/4" (273.05mm)
Lower bout: 17" (431.8mm)
Length: 24" (609.6mm)
Thickness: 2" (50.8mm)
Clamping depth:
Plates up to 1" thick at the neck and tail block (25.4mm)
Bodies up to 4-1/4" at the neck and tail block (107.95mm)