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For sale is Barbarossa Baritone-30 Guitar (serial number BB-1) in LIKE NEW condition. Built by luthier Jim Blilie in Shoreview, Minnesota, in 2014, this guitar is a wonderful beast, with a 30 inch scale and a big, warm, round tone and sustain for days. It doesn’t have a nick on it, anywhere. Please be sure to check the photographs of it carefully, as I have tried to capture it from every angle.

Here are the important construction specs:

Scale is 30 inches

Tuning: B-E-A-D-F#-B

Top: Sitka Spruce (X - Braced)

Back and Sides: Figured Honduran Mahogany

Neck: Mahogany

Fretboard and Bridge: Rosewood (presumed Indian)

Saddle and Nut: I believe these are both Tusq

Tuners: Gotoh

Body Depth: 5 3/4”

Body Width (Lower Bout): 15 5/8”

Body Length: 19 7/8”

Fretboard Width at Nut: 1 7/8”

Action: 3/32nds Low B at 12th fret, 2/32nds High B at 12th fret

If you look up Barbarossa Guitars and visit Jim Blilie’s page, you’ll see that he stopped taking new orders for instruments in 2020. You can also learn a lot about how he builds his instruments. These wonderful guitars were rare to begin with (and he didn’t make many Baritones), and now will be almost impossible to find.

Like most acoustic guitars, the Barbarossa is subject to a little bit of growth and shrinkage, seasonally. So, we have made a second saddle for the guitar to allow for a Summer / Winter saddle change, to keep your action quick.

The action is particularly quick on this guitar, and it functions ideally as a finger style guitar for a player with a lighter touch. The neck is dead straight with only a slight relief.

The Barbarossa Baritone comes in a padded Gig Bag, that is also in excellent condition.

This guitar is sold AS IS and is not returnable unless it arrives in a condition other than as described or photographed.

Price: $1750.00 (was $1950) + $135 shipping (Lower 48 of USA only)


Assessing Instrument Condition

Instrument condition is a concern for sellers and buyers alike, and it is important that we are both on the same page.  Often, terms used in defining instrument condition, are somewhat misleading because they only reference appearance, and not functionality.  All instruments that we list are defined in the following ways, and under the accompanying understandings:


Brand New - Brand new simply means that it has never been sold, previously.  It is safe to assume that a Brand New instrument functions perfectly, but it is NOT necessarily the case that it is without blemishes.  Think of going into a guitar store and taking a new instrument off the wall; it will occasionally have dings or scratches that it has picked up by bumping into other instruments or from another person, trying it out.  If we sell an instrument as Brand New and it has blemishes, they will be photographed for the listing.


Mint - Mint condition is Flawless.  It is an instrument that is both flawless in appearance and perfect in its functionality.  


Near Mint - If our listing stresses that the instrument is Near Mint, it may have a cosmetic flaw or two.  They will be photographed or described as part of the listing.


Excellent - An instrument in Excellent condition will function perfectly, but may show some signs of use on close inspection.  Minor nicks and dings, cloudy spots of finish, or fading color or finish, is all par for the course. The determination of Excellent condition will also depend on the age and overall quality of the instrument.  A 1940s Gibson J200 with a scratch or two, a nick in the finish, and even a repaired bridge plate, but otherwise perfect and with a great playing action, can be said to be in Excellent Condition.  At the same time, a five year old Gibson J200 with the same blemishes might be considered to be in Excellent Minus condition.  And a 1970s era guitar that has been played regularly, gigged out, and has some scuffs and dents to show for it, but which don’t tend to show from a short distance, and which sounds and plays great, is still in Excellent Condition.  There is a degree of “it’s all relative,” at work here.


Very Good - An instrument in Very Good condition is still perfectly functional, but will have blemishes, scuffs, dents and dings that are readily apparent, at a reasonable viewing distance (like from the audience to the stage). That instrument also may have signs of prior repairs, or may have been retrofitted or customized with non-original parts.  Any of these conditions with an instrument will be photographed and described as part of the listing.


Good - An instrument in Good condition will play well, but perhaps not without some minor issue.  For instance, an electric guitar with a scratchy potentiometer, may still be considered to be in Good condition if that pot does not affect the output of the pickup. Or a guitar might lack a tremolo arm or pick guard.  The instrument is playable, the part can be replaced if the buyer wishes to do so, and thus it is in good condition.  Again, any and all defects or limitations to the instrument will be defined or photographed for the listing.


Fair, Poor or Project - This instrument is most likely to be in need of substantial work to make it fully functional.  It may be a violin with an open seam along the back, a guitar with a lifting bridge or non-working pickups, a saxophone in need of a repad, or a guitar or mandolin with a high action and in need of a neck reset. 


The Bottom Line - The bottom line is this: Functionality is more important than Aesthetics (though aesthetics ARE important), and the quality and recognized market value of the instrument takes precedence over minor cosmetic concerns.  Read the listing carefully. Study the photos thoroughly.  Reach out and ask questions first (we are always happy to talk shop!).

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Listed2 years ago
ConditionMint (Used)
Mint items are in essentially new original condition but have been opened or played.Learn more
Brand
Model
  • Baritone BB-1 Guitar
Finish
  • Natural
Categories
Year
  • 2014
Made In
  • United States

Gees Gear

ABINGTON, PA, United States
Sales:222
Joined Reverb:2017

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