The Dutchess
BY JASON SHADRICK
PAUL HARTMANN GUITARS
Many guitarists remember the first time they
picked up a guitar and strummed that first
chord. The feeling of a guitar body vibrating
is a powerful thing and has led many guitarists on a never-ending quest for just the right
instrument. With its combination of acoustic
and amplified sound, an archtop conveys
this sensation in a way that speaks to a wide
variety of players.
Since opening his shop in 2006, Paul
Hartmann has been creating both traditional archtops and solidbody electrics.
Because he is a one-man shop, Hartmann
doesn’t churn out many axes, which allows
him to customize each one specifically for
each customer. If you’re in the market for a
one-of-a-kind instrument and aren’t worried
too much about cost, the Dutchess might
be right up your alley.
New York State of Mind
At first glance, the Dutchess—named after
the county in New York where it is crafted—
isn’t breaking any new ground when it
comes to overall design, but really shows its
unique side when you begin to look at the
details. It sports American red flame maple
back and sides, along with a bear claw
American red spruce top, so you already
know the guitar smells great. The lower bout
measures a comfortable 17 ½”, and the top
is braced using a single X method originally
developed by Martin.
www.premierguitar.com
The three-piece maple neck has a mahogany center, for added support, along with
a double-acting truss rod and Gretsch
inspired fingernail-style fret markers. At
25”, the scale length feels just right, while
the 12” fretboard radius makes the neck
fast and smooth. Sliding up and down
the neck, I noticed some of the edges of
the fretwire were noticeably rough. To my
PRODUCT REVIEW
PREMIER GUITAR NOVEMBER 2010 227
