The Minimalist Guitar of Allan Gittler (Avraham Bar Rashi)

by Staff.

Many modern guitars are conceived with an eye to redefining through adding to or morphing the basic electric guitar designs of the 1950s. There was, for example, a great deal of over-emphasizing of the Fender Stratocaster design in the pointy guitars of the ‘80s. Such use of basic guitar design themes maintains a “checks and balances” approach to how far guitar companies can reach before guitarists return to the comfort of the early iconic designs by Fender and Gibson.

There have been many guitar builders who have explored the outer reaches of guitar design and gone their own ways to produce unique or even oddball guitar designs. Semie Moseley (Mosrite Guitars) built some spacey looking “Strawberry Alarm Clock” guitars during the 1960s, and more recently, luthier Linda Manzer made a 42-string acoustic "Pikasso" guitar for guitarist Pat Metheny. But, these guitars weren't made for the masses and were one-offs for specific customers.

One guitar made in very limited numbers, but for guitarists at large, were the Gittlers. They were one of the more interesting artsy guitars to hit the market during the past fifty years and were designed by New York City guitarist Allan Gittler (1928 – 2003). Gittler has been called the “father of avante-garde jazz guitar,” but, it's his minimalist Gittler guitars that have drawn more interest. In fact, the only musical instrument in the permanent collection of New York’s Museum of Modern Art is a 1975 Gittler six-string.

Gittler’s 1978 U.S. patent for “The Gittler” has the look of a Lionel toy train track with strings. Thirty-one stainless steel tubular frets run down to six tubes that form the base of the guitar that serves as the internal housing for the tuner mechanisms and pickups. Allen would later move to Israel, change his name to Avraham Bar Rashi and license his Gittler guitar design to a local firm, Astron Engineering.

Astron would modify the basic design to include a small, more user-friendly, designed body and one that Gittler denounced as not in keeping with his design objectives. While in New York, Gittler produced 60 guitars and the number built in Israel is subject to some speculation that suggests a few more hundred may have been made.

The 1980s Gittler model, owned by our Feature Editor, Rick Landers, is an Astron Industries made guitar. We test drove the Gittler by running it through an old 1969 Twin Reverb to see what the little axe could do.

We found the Gittler sound to be reminiscent of a Fender Tele, but with a stronger tendency to squeal unintended feedback. The intonation up and down the 31 fretted guitar was spot on and the action was similar to what you find on scalloped necks, but with a bit more string bending capability. The Gittler has a single volume control and no tone knob, so reaching for the amp is necessary for any adjustments. The skeletal looking guitar takes some getting used to, as far as comfort level goes and the Astron model’s neck is a wide 2 incher. Still, after a week or two of playing it, the guitar plays great with a very light touch and the tone glistens with some amp tweaking.

Related Links
Modern Guitars Goes to the Big Apple
Bar Rashi - Deep Hip (Allan Gittler Jazz CD)

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