The one of a kind Lacey Delahaye was commissioned by late guitar collector Don Fisher with the inspiration being the 1937 Delahaye 135MS Roadster. Fisher had sourced stunning pieces of decades old Brazilian rosewood to use for the back and sides of the guitar and with the general specs in place, Mark Lacey went to work using his artistic sense to create this masterpiece utilizing design elements of the car. The 3D metal printed tailpiece mimics the grille, the pickguard reflects the shape of the front fenders, the control knobs echo pistons of an engine, the soundholes are shaped like the hood ornament and the headstock ornament is like the door handle. The fretboard inlays are designed after the dashboard controls and side engine vents.
In addition to the Brazilian rosewood back and sides, the guitar is made with a Sitka spruce top, Honduran mahogany neck with a rosewood center stripe, ebony fingerboard, and flamed maple binding. The fingerboard inlays are made with brass and a variety of shell. The top has spruce braces in an X-pattern. The neck has a C-shaped carve.
The playability is superb. The action can easily be set low for purely electric play through the genuine, vintage DeArmond Rhythm Chief 1100 which sounds amazing, as expected, or raised a bit higher to maximize the guitar's superb acoustic tone. The guitar displays remarkable clarity and note separation, which reminds me of Johnny Smith's D'Angelico. The guitar is currently strung with GHS White Bronze strings which we find to be an excellent choice for acoustic and electric balance.
The guitar is in excellent condition, showing some light surface scratches that could be polished out. There is a tiny finish chip on a corner edge of the headstock. The back has an area where the Brazilian rosewood had developed a crack that was repaired by Mark Lacey.
Weight -
Nut width -
1st fret depth -
9th fret depth -
Scale length - 25.25 inches
The guitar comes with its original Cedar Creek case which is in excellent condition with the exception of a single missing latch. The other 5 latches all work perfectly, keeping the guitar very secure in the overbuilt case.
The guitar ships for free in the United States. Due to CITES restrictions, this guitar cannot be shipped internationally.
