D’Aquisto New Yorker Oval Hole

The headstock on this guitar pays tribute to D’Angelico with its cutout and ornamental cupola, but the cutout shape is D’Aquisto’s own circular design.

The oval soundhole, while unusual on a post-World War II archtop, actually dates back to Orville Gibson’s guitars in the 1890s and predates the introduction of f-hole archtops by a quarter-century.

The steamlined pickguard shape, the larger bridge, the solid ebony tailpiece, and the inlay-less fingerboard are more than just cosmetic refinements. They were signs of a major change in direction for D’Aquisto.