Serial Number:… 28005 circa 1998
Description:… This Imperial concert classical by Paulino Bernabe features a German spruce top and Zircote sides and back with a French polish finish. This instrument is a bit rare due to the fact that the Imperial usually features a Brazilian rosewood sides and back. Zircote is an exotic tone wood which grows in central and tropical South America and is similar in tone to Brazilian rosewood. This guitar has a well balanced tone with clear trebles and a deep bass. This amazing set of Zircote has some lighter brown coloring accentuated by distinct dark grain lines and book matches dark stripes. The grain patterns on this wood set definitely catch the eye and continue to reveal subtle complexities the more you stare at it. (Hey Mike…. Mike can you answer the phone? … Oh sorry, I’m busy staring at this guitar!)
Neck:… Mahogany neck, ebony fingerboard, 52mm bone nut, 650mm scale length
Frets:… Pristine.
Body:… Concert style with German spruce top and Zircote sides and back. The underside of the top features a bridge plate signed and dated 1998 by Bernabe, and the struts are ‘trestled’ to pass over it or, on the bass side, stop and resume on either side of it.
Finish:… French polish with a few nail marks and small dents on top.
Hardware/electronics:… Gold Gotoh “Rogers” style tuners with white buttons, bone saddle.
Playability/Action:… Great playability with current action set at 11/64″ bass side and 9/64″ treble side with 3/64″ saddle protruding.
Case:… Original molded hardshell case.
Pricing:… $11,500 Canadian Dollars (approx.$11810.US$ as of Mar 7/2010) REDUCED
Here is an image of Bernabe’s signature on the plate beneath the bridge:
Finally, here are some images of the signature plate underneath the bridge. These images were shot using a small mirror, so they are flipped for readability.
