Atkin The Forty Three - J43 Kingfisher - Baked Sitka Spruce & Flame Maple #4326

Crafted under the vision of founder Alister Atkin, Atkin Guitars has built a reputation for producing some of the most compelling vintage-inspired acoustics in the modern era. The Forty Three J43 Kingfisher continues that tradition with a striking blend of artistry, tonewood selection, and meticulous hand-built detail, resulting in an instrument that feels both familiar and entirely unique.

At its core, this guitar pairs a Baked Sitka Spruce top with beautifully figured Flame Maple back and sides, creating a voice that is immediate, focused, and exceptionally articulate. The torrefied spruce top delivers an open, seasoned character right out of the case, while the maple body adds clarity, snap, and definition, making this model particularly responsive to nuanced playing and dynamic touch. The result is a dreadnought voice with remarkable separation and a slightly more controlled, piano-like quality compared to traditional rosewood builds.

Construction follows Atkin’s commitment to vintage accuracy and tonal integrity, featuring pre-war scalloped bracing that enhances responsiveness and projection while preserving balance across the frequency spectrum. The mahogany neck is paired with a smooth-playing Indian Rosewood fingerboard and bridge, anchored by a two-way adjustable truss rod accessed through the soundhole for practical, modern serviceability.

Aesthetically, the Kingfisher stands out with refined restraint and thoughtful detail. The maple headstock overlay carries both the Atkin and Kingfisher decal, while the absence of a backstrip keeps the Flame Maple back visually uninterrupted, allowing the natural figuring to take center stage. Tortoise shell binding frames the body beautifully, complemented by a simple single-ply cream rosette that enhances the guitar’s understated elegance. A celluloid tortoise shell pickguard, engraved and hand painted, adds a distinctive artistic focal point, while mother-of-pearl fret markers and cream celluloid side dots provide subtle visual contrast along the ebony-smooth playing surface.

The Age Toned Relic Gloss Nitrocellulose finish gives the instrument a gently aged appearance while allowing the tonewoods to resonate freely and naturally. Hardware appointments include nickel Kluson tuners for classic reliability, paired with an ebony nut and bone saddle that contribute to clarity, sustain, and tonal precision.

In terms of feel and proportions, the Forty Three J43 Kingfisher features a 24 7/8-inch scale length, a comfortable 1 11/16-inch (43mm) nut width, and a 16-inch fingerboard radius, resulting in a familiar yet slightly more compact playing experience. The body measures 20 1/8 inches in length with a 16-inch lower bout and a 4 7/8-inch depth, giving it a balanced presence that remains comfortable while still delivering strong projection. Weighing just 4 pounds, 7 ounces, it is notably lightweight and responsive in hand.

Housed in an Atkin Black hardshell case, the Atkin The Forty Three J43 Kingfisher stands as a visually stunning and sonically refined instrument, blending the brilliance of flame maple with the warmth of torrefied spruce into a dreadnought that is as inspiring to play as it is to behold.

Other specifications of the J43 Kingfisher include:

• Top: Baked Sitka Spruce
• Back & Sides: Flame Maple
• Backstrip: None
• Neck: Mahogany
• Truss Rod: Two-Way (Soundhole Adjust)
• Headstock Overlay: Maple
• Logo: Atkin & Kingfisher Decal
• Fretboard: Indian Rosewood
• Bridge: Indian Rosewood
• Rosette: Single Ply Cream
• Purfling: None
• Binding: Tortoise Shell
• Bracing: Pre-war scalloped
• Lacquer Finish: Age Toned Relic Gloss Nitrocellulose
• Nut & Saddle: Ebony Nut & Bone Saddle
• Tuners: Nickel Kluson
• Pickguard: Celluloid Tortoise Shell Engraved & Hand Painted
• Side Dot Fretboard Markers: Cream Celluloid
• Fret Markers: Mother of Pearl Dots
• Case: Atkin Black
• Body Length: 20 1/8"
• Body Depth: 4 7/8"
• Lower Bout Width: 16"
• Total Length: 41"
• Scale Length: 24 7/8"
• Fingerboard Radius: 16"
• Nut Width: 1 11/16" (43mm)
• Weight: 4 lb 7 oz
• Serial Number: 4326

For more information about the Atkin The Forty Three Kingfisher, please contact us.

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