The Dan Koentopp Amati is an extraordinary handmade archtop from one of the most highly regarded independent luthiers working today, originally commissioned in 2017 as the second instrument in a trio built for the same client. Koentopp's career began at age fourteen and was shaped by three years restoring museum-quality violins alongside violin maker Michael Darnton, and the Amati name pays direct homage to that classical string instrument tradition. This example carries a Sitka spruce top carved from rescued, century-old timber salvaged from the historic Bear River Bridge, paired with select European flame maple back and sides and a flame maple neck with a comfortable 1.75" nut width and C-shape profile.

Every detail of this build reflects genuinely uncompromising craftsmanship: hand-cut Stradivari-style F-holes, parallel top bracing, an ebony fingerboard at 25.5" scale, Macassar ebony headstock veneers front and rear with a matching heel cap, flame maple body binding with violin-style purfling, and ebony binding on the neck and headstock with an inner purfling line. Two hand-cut compensated cello-style bridges, chrome Waverly tuners with ebony buttons, and a gloss lacquer finish complete a specification that was built entirely to the original commissioning client's choices, with no two Koentopp instruments ever alike. Koentopp's waiting list is currently closed and recent Amati commissions have priced at over US$30,000, making this preowned example a rare opportunity to acquire one of his instruments without the multi-year wait. 

This 2017-built archtop is in immaculate condition, and has clearly been cared for extremely well. It's likely the only chance most of us will ever see to purchase one of Koentopp's instruments, and this is a truly special example of his incredible craftsmanship. Includes original Hoffee flight case.

Features

• Sitka spruce top carved from rescued, century-old Bear River Bridge timber delivers an exceptionally well-aged, resonant tonal foundation rarely available in any modern instrument.
• Select European flame maple back, sides, and neck reflect Koentopp's classical violin-making training, contributing to a lively, uniformly resonant tone across the entire fretboard.
• Hand-cut Stradivari-style F-holes and two hand-cut compensated cello-style bridges showcase genuine seventeenth-century-inspired hand-tool craftsmanship, a hallmark of Koentopp's restoration-trained technique.
• Macassar ebony headstock veneers, heel cap, and neck binding combine with flame maple body binding and violin-style purfling for an extraordinary level of decorative and structural detail.
• Built entirely to the original commissioning client's specifications as the second instrument in a custom trio, making this a genuinely unique, one-of-a-kind handmade archtop.

• Builder: Dan Koentopp
• Model: Amati
• Year: 2017
• Body: Full body, Amati F-holes (Stradivari style, hand cut)
• Bracing: Parallel
• Top: Sitka spruce (Bear River Bridge timber)
• Back & sides: Select European flame maple
• Neck: Flame maple, C-shape profile
• Nut: Bone, 1.75" width
• Fingerboard: Ebony, 25.5" scale
• Frets: Medium-wide
• Inlays: Edge position pearl markers
• Headstock veneer (front & rear): Macassar ebony
• Heel cap: Macassar ebony
• Body binding: Flame maple with violin-style purfling
• Neck/headstock binding: Ebony with inner purfling line
• Tuners: Black Gotoh HAP
• Bridges: Two hand-cut compensated cello style
• Finish: Gloss lacquer
• Includes: Custom-fit Hoffee carbon fibre case
• Made in: USA