The 100th 6-String Fratello (#42998)--the last of this model from the bench of master guitar-maker Bob Benedetto--was delivered to Royce Campbell.

No more Fratello models will be made by Benedetto's hands, due to his contract with Fender/Guild.

History of this rare guitar model

To date, Benedetto has crafted 455 archtop guitars (he's made more than 700 musical instruments overall), and 102 are Fratello models:

100 6-string Fratellos (and Fratello Customs);
   1 7-String Fratello; and
   1 8-String Fratello

The Fratello model began as a joint venture between classical guitarmaker Augi Lo Prinzi and Bob Benedetto. In 1979, both Augi and Bob had their shops in the same industrial park in Clearwater, Florida. Augi and Bob were to form a partnership to make the Fratello brand - an affordable archtop guitar that would compete in the marketplace. The original prototype was made by Bob Benedetto. Cindy Benedetto chose the name Fratello which means "brother" in Italian - to symbolize the two Italian makers. Both liked the name.

At the time the prototype was finished, (which originally had "Fratello" inlaid on the headstock but was later changed to the Benedetto logo by Bob in the very early '80s), Augi's existing workload was all he could handle. The partnership was never formed and Bob decided to introduce the Fratello as a new model to his existing Benedetto line.

The Fratello model went on to become one of Benedetto's top models, played by Jack Wilkins, Royce Campbell, Adrian Ingram, the late Carlo Pes, Jack Petersen and Leo Kottke, among many other notable guitarists.