Jimmy D'Aquisto

James L. "Jimmy" D'Aquisto was an American archtop guitar maker who joined John D'Angelico's New York shop as a teenager in 1952, worked as his apprentice for more than a decade, and took over the bench after D'Angelico's death in 1964. Working on Long Island until his death in 1995, he progressively moved the archtop away from its 1930s jazz-box conventions toward lighter, more sculptural instruments with simplified appointments, elongated f-holes and carved wooden tailpieces, and he mentored and influenced the generation of archtop makers that followed, including Linda Manzer and John Monteleone.

Last updated August 27, 2026