And the story on this is...

[Scastles]

Can anyone enlighten me on this prototype? Year? Before or after the Capri?

[sloop_john_b]

'57 Capri prototype. (Smith, 103)

[scotty]

Excuse my ignorance but is the sound hole Painted on? is this a solid body i cant see from the photo

[sloop_john_b]

Excuse my ignorance but is the sound hole Painted on? is this a solid body i cant see from the photo

Y'know, I can't tell from either the photo posted above, or the photo posted in the Smith book. Who knows!

[scotty]

John I think its painted im sure it is. I think

[Scastles]

Thanks, John. I had either a senior moment, but more likely a 'duh' moment. I see it clearly on pg. 103.

[jingle_jangle]

The whole darned thing is kind of ungainly; big bottom, location and size of soundhole...Whenever I see a cutaway guitar (like this one, with its double cutaways), my mind completes the shape of the missing top bouts. If the shape is pleasing, I'm pleased. But this one is too long and the lower bout a rather boring circle instead of an oval or ellipse.

I'm glad they ended up changing the proportions of this for production; the production Capris are classics, hands down, even if they are tough to play sitting down...