Tapa-Verblet is the latest one-of-a-kind creation from Jersey Girl Homemade Guitars—built by the trio of Kaz Goto, Eiko Goto, and Akiko Oda. Like all compositions from this visionary team, Tapa-Verblet blends thoughtful tonal design, rare materials, and a level of craftsmanship that elevates it beyond the realm of traditional guitar making.
This guitar’s voice is centered around a carefully chosen combination of woods: a Maple top and Red Alder back. Kaz describes this pairing as his favorite for achieving a naturally rich middle range—warm, expressive, and incredibly musical. The top wood is especially rare—an extraordinary piece of hard Maple with holographic figuring, aged over 25 years. The team has been holding onto it for just the right project, and Tapa-Verblet is the result.
The Maple neck is matched with a Machiche fingerboard sourced from Mexico, offering a slightly darker contrast in tone and appearance. Stained Poplar inlays bring visual rhythm to the fingerboard and body, while Soft Maple is used for the handmade knobs and covers, giving the guitar its distinct organic feel.
Sonically, Tapa-Verblet is outfitted with hand-wound single coils built by Kaz using AWG42 black enamel wire and Alnico 5 magnets. These pickups were voiced specifically to complement the instrument’s midrange-rich tonal foundation. A 5-way selector accesses five distinct pickup combinations—each one musical, dynamic, and inspiring. (See picture for pickup combination diagram.) The control layout is simple and intuitive: one volume and one tone knob.
Finished in a smooth polyurethane gloss, the guitar comes with a matching handmade strap made from reclaimed vintage kimono fabric and cow leather. Also included is a Jersey Girl handmade hardshell case, completing this truly complete artistic and musical experience.
Specifications
- Neck: Maple (The U.S.A)
- Fingerboard: Machiche (Mexico)
- Body:
- Top: Maple (The U.S.A)
- Back: Red Alder (The U.S.A)
- Covers / Knobs: Soft Maple (The U.S.A)
- Tremolo Panel: PVC (Japan)
- Inlay Materials: Stained Poplar (Japan)
- Truss Rod: 2-way Hot Rod (Allen Nut / 5/32” inch or 4mm) (The U.S.A)
- Nut: Bone (Japan) (Recommended string gauge: .010–.046)
- Frets: Sanko 214H (Japan)
- Logo Medallion: Brass (Japan)
- Machine Heads: GOTOH SG360-MG (Japan)
- Bridge: GOTOH 510T-FE1 (Japan)
- Controls: 1 Volume / 1 Tone (250k ohm A CTS / The U.S.A)
- Capacitor: Orange Drop 33000pf (The U.S.A)
- Pickup: Original Hand-Wound Single Coil
- Alnico 5 Magnets
- AWG42 Black Enamel Wire
- Switches: 5-way Pickup Selector (Oak Super Switch / The U.S.A)
- Jack Mount: ELECTROSOCKET (The U.S.A)
- Jack: Mono (Switchcraft / The U.S.A)
- Strap Pins: GOTOH EP-B1 (Japan)
- Finish: Polyurethane (Japan)
- Scale Length: 25”
- Weight: 3.51 kg / 7 lbs 12 oz
Included:
- Matching Strap: Cotton fabric (Reclaimed material from old Kimono fabric / Japan), Cow Leather (Japan), Embroidered with Cotton Threads
- Case: Jersey Girl Handmade Hardshell Case
