Willkommen in Pagelli‘s Welt der feinsten handgemachten Gitarren

Enjoy our booth and shop - have fun!
 Part 1
 Part 2
 Part 3


Copyright: Pagelli Gitarrenbau 2020

Pierre Journel did a live FaceTime with us. Thank you so much for that. Great and looking forward having the beer (or two) together ;-)

Watch the tour of the workshop and the presentation of the guitars we should have presented during The Holy Grail Guitar Show.

Watch this video at The Holy Grail Guitar Show facebook site and take the chance to discover many other luthiers and their great work. You also will get an impression what will further happen this afternoon...

Rotary shot and closeup of the guitar

Played and explained by Claudio Pagelli



Copyright: Pagelli Gitarrenbau 2019

Played by Francis Coletta



Copyright: Pagelli Gitarrenbau 2018

Enjoy our custommade BOWtop



Copyright: Pagelli Gitarrenbau 2019

Pictures and playing by Andreas Schulz | www.leftover-visuals.de



Copyright: Pagelli Gitarrenbau 2019

Filmed and played by Claudio



Copyright: Pagelli Gitarrenbau 2020

+41 79 460 98 83 for a call, whatsapp or facetime....

or via

www.facebook.com/pagelliguitars

www.instagram.com/pagelliguitars

Outside the Box

Innovation, artistry and elbow grease - how women luthiers are rewriting the rulebook.

Many thanks to Adam for thinking of me when you planned this feature about guitar makers.
At first I mentioned to him that I am not a guitar maker, but rather that I became a guitar designer. But I think because our instruments have achieved a different way of thinking in guitar making thanks to my unconventional approach, our innovations and implementations, I still fit into the interview.
Many of his interview questions were an interesting challenge for me to think about. When you are involved, you often forget what it looks like from the outside ... It feels good to be featured with such well-known women in guitar making.

link to the Guitarist Magazine issue

Our dear friend Kaz from Jersey Girl Homemade Guitars in Japan, one of the finest builder on the planet, has written a really beautiful article in the Japanese Laid Back Guitar Magazine about us. Jerseys and Laidbacks, thanks for choosing us!..

Kaz's translation of the articles. Here is the meanings of that. I wrote it with the styles of Japanese poetry. So it is more unique English than always. Please read with your full imagination!

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Emerald of deep forest, pale yellow of warm wood. Whirlwind created by contrast. Again, I was fascinated by Pagelli.

Late 1960s. The purple haze of hippie culture drifted from the radio quickly captured A Boy- Claudio in Switzerland. He learned piano building, and his "sense of the tones” cultivated there are further trained in the work of guitar repair. While he was working actively in the Swiss music scene as a bandman, engineer and producer, his guitar production continued passionately.

Claudia's designs, like abstract paintings that capture the sparkle of creature’s life, stimulated artisan Claudio, and the world of Pagelli became wider and deeper with each work.

This work was created for S. M. in 2019.
 

Maple flows to the body back as if holding a Swiss moon spruce top, and the ebony bindings applied throughout show the supreme handwork. Häussel special rail type single coil that fully reproduces the emotional expression of the player. The Zirikote bridge tailpiece, inlayed with copper oxide, incorporates controls and output jacks as well as rear pickups.

Sophisticated and simplistic enough to forget the complex process and the production process that requires meticulous calculations, the shape is like an innocent dance that spins lightly.
 

The praise for their works are to many to count, that fulfill player’s thoughts, but at the same time are innovative. However, those words become powerless when we see their breathtaking originality and high completeness in real. 
 

«Pagelli‘s are Pagelli‘s»
 

I gave Claudio a small antique tin can when we met again. Then he took a tin can out from his pocket and gave me in return. That small tin can, he found when he first visited Woodstock, he told me. I also received his unvarying rock spirit, I felt.

A great article, written by Andreas Schulz, in the April/May issue of Akustik Gitarre Magazin, Germany about our new 40“anniversary guitar.
Here some Phrases:

Ear wellness, artwork, great feel, modern, harmonic, innovative construction details, between musical instrument and art, can't get much better...!

A.S.... a man with style..:-))

guitarpics ©2019 by Andreas Schulz I www.leftover-visuals.de

We are happy to announce that we will be exhibiting at the last Holy Grail Guitar Show in Berlin.... 

We have been in the presentation group the year before it started and are proud that it worked so well. Unfortunately it was too much work for the people who organized the event since they did it apart from their main job…guitar making!

So our thanks mainly to Tania Spalt who did a fantastic job, to all other members of the board and to all unknown helpers behind.

LET'S CELEBRATE A GREAT LAST PARTY!

Antonio Marano works as a full professor of Industrial Design at the Department of Architecture, University of Chieti-Pescara, Italy. Among other things he is very interested in guitar designs for his researches and teaching in industrial design at the University.

That's why he pubslished end of the year his new book called:
«Design Musicale» Innovazione tecnologica ed evoluzione del linguaggio nel guitar design.

Published by Gangemi Editore of Rome.

During his research, Antonio also asked us about some of our designs. The Golden Fretless Bass, the Gitane Nouveaux, the Tim Ray Archtop and the incredible Convertible won the race.
It is a great honour and we are proud to be part of such an informative, well-made book.

And we are also proud that three other members of our «Luthiers Beyond Limits» group are published with their extraordinary work. Michihiro Matsuda, Jean-Yves Alquier and Tao Guitars by John and Serge.

Thank you Antonio for your incredible and important work.

It’s possible to buy the book through these links:

https://www.amazon.it/musicale-Innovazione-tecnologica-evoluzione-linguaggio/dp/8849237340

https://www.gangemieditore.com/dettaglio/design-musicale/8402/4

In the January / February 2020 report on the Aria D'Aquisto teardrop archtop in GrandGtrs Magazine, we are mentioned along with John D'Aquisto and John Monteleone. Among the current guitar makers as bravest innovators in terms of shape and constructive features of the sounding «dinosaurs».

Thank you very much - Wolfgang and grandgtrs ...you are real connoisseurs!

Na das war wiedermal eine Gitarre, die es mir so richtig zeigte..;-)

Wir können uns glücklich schätzen, Kunden wie SM (möchte seinen Namen nicht unbedingt erwähnt haben) zu haben. Offen für Neues und mit exklusivem Geschmack.

Nach vielen Gesprächen, Entwürfen, Vorschlägen entschlossen wir uns auf das nun so glorios umgesetzte Design. Was auf dem Papier ja ganz wunderbar anzusehen war….bei der Umsetzung kam ich doch sicher 3mal an den Punkt, wo ich dachte, ich müsse die Übung abblasen…. was mein Kopf dann natürlich nicht zuliess.

Nachdem ich die Gitarre erst aus so einem Hartschaum gebaut hatte, öffneten sich dann auch Wege, wie es vielleicht doch zu schaffen wäre. Und am Schluss sieht’s dann auch noch so aufgeräumt aus, wie wenn nix gewesen wäre...;-) Yep - in der Schlichtheit liegt die Kunst.

Gedankt sei an dieser Stelle auch Harry Häussel, der zum Glück auch für alles zu haben ist, wenn’s um Unumsetzbares geht… da blüht der Erfinder auf...:-)

Um die Gitarre in voller Pracht zu sehen, bitte unten auf Video klicken, ebenso für ein Klangbeispiel. Ich möchte das gerne noch mit meinem Vorführer des Vertrauens nochmals filmen… bis zu dem Zeitpunkt müsst ihr euch mit mir abquälen. War alles etwas spontan, darum wohl auch nicht so auf die Stimmung geachtet.

Gebaut ist der Body aus einteiligem, geflammtem Ahorn, die Decke aus selbigem Ahorn und Mondfichte, das Griffbrett und der Saiten-/Elektronikhalter aus Ziricote und alle Einfassungen aus Ebenholz. Im Hals, auch aus geflammten Ahorn, ist ein 2-Weg Stab drin und 2 Graphitstäbe. Die Elektronik ist im Ziricote-Teil fast unsichtbar integriert und die Tonabnehmer wurden speziell von Harry Häussel/Deutschland angefertigt. Die Einlagen sind aus säurebehandeltem Kupfer, das sich ständig verändern kann und soll… und so einen unberechenbaren Kontrast zu dem ansonsten «perfekten» Instrument gibt.

Pagelli «SM» semi-hollow guitar 2019
Demo 1 rotary shot and closeup of the guitar
Demo 2 played by: Claudio Pagelli

Click here for demo 1       and demo 2    

Copyright: Pagelli Gitarrenbau 2019

Interview with the Swiss luthier Claudio Pagelli who builds gorgeous and very original guitars with his wife Claudia. Here's the video recorded during the 2019 edition of the Guitar Summit in Mannheim, Germany.

Click here for the video (you have to scroll a bit...) and
the Guitar Channel site

And if you are interested, Pierre shared the link with us to the full video he recorded in Mannheim, even though this is part of the content reserved for paying subscribers on the Guitar Channel*

Thanks Pierre for that!
Pierre is a great support for all luthiers, so lets support his site too!

theguitarchannel.biz

Vielen Dank all den wunderbaren Freunden und Kollegen, die mit uns am Guitar Summit aufs 40jährige Bestehen von Pagelli Gitarrenbau angestossen haben!

Es hat uns sehr gefreut, dass wir das mit dem klasse Mannheimer 144 SQUARE dry Gin von der «Upstairs» Manufaktur machen konnten.

Und den teilweise unverständlichen Verabschiedungen nach zu urteilen, hat es nicht nur uns geschmeckt…;-)…voller Erfolg!

www.upstairs-gin.de/upstairs_gin.htm

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Wir möchten uns herzlichst für die reibungslose Organisation und den prächtigen Event bei den Organisatoren der Guitar Summit in Mannheim bedanken! Wir wollen uns gar nicht vorstellen, was es heisst so einen Anlass zu stemmen… Gratulation!

www.guitarsummit.de

Vielen herzlichen Dank an Akustik Gitarre, Andreas Schulz für den wunderbaren und grossen Bericht über unser 40 Jahre Jubiläum!

Es tut gut zu wissen, dass Leute bei Akustik Gitarre arbeiten, die das mit Herzblut machen - Liebhaber eben.

www.akustik-gitarre.com

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Müde, aber glücklich zurück von der Art Fair Tokyo!

JERSEY GIRLS GUITARS, unglaublich gute Gitarrenbauer aus Japan, bekamen von Daisuke Ushiku, Besitzer von ATELIER REZIKA, eine Carte Blanche mit der sie 8 Gitarrenbauer aus der ganzen Welt einladen konnten um an der ART FAIR TOKYO auszustellen. Die Art Fair Tokyo ist die grösste und wichtigste Kunstausstellung in Japan und es war auch das erste mal überhaupt das Gitarren offiziell an einer grossen Kunstausstellung gezeigt wurden. Wir sind natürlich sehr stolz, dass wir ebenfalls angefragt wurden!
Alternierend mit der Messe wurden die Gitarren auch im grössten Musikhaus in Tokyo ausgestellt, bei Yamano Music.

Ganz besonders war auch der Abend  an der die Gitarren von Yoshio Nomura, dem bekannten ehemaligen Teenie Star und jetzt einer der angesehenen Gitarristen Japans, präsentiert wurden. Ein Saal voller ins Alter gekommenen Teenie Mädels..;-) Leider verstanden wir nichts, aber es muss den Reaktionen nach sehr unterhaltend gewesen sein...

Das auch die wichtigsten Musikmagazine anwesend waren und Interviews führten, ist natürlich auch eine Riesensache.
 

Tokyo ist eine unglaublich angenehme Stadt. Die Leute sind dermassen freundlich und zuvorkommend - es ist eine Wohltat. Wir hörten in 2 Wochen genau 2 Autos hupen! Das in einer 25 Millionen Stadt…wie angenehm muss es dann erst recht auf dem Land sein.

Vielen Dank an alle involvierten Personen, im speziellen dem Jersey Girl Guitar Team (Kaz, Eiko, Akiko), Daisuke und Rika Ushiku, Junko Shimada von der Gallery SIDE2, Yamano Music, Yoshio Nomura und Hiroshi Sekita. Und natürlich allen anderen Gitarrenbauer... es war ein grosser Spass mit EUCH!

We had great reactions on the new Bowtop. Of course first on the overall design, since this is the first thing you see. Then on the new concept and sound. And when we demonstrated the pick up and the attachment... just «WOW’s».

Electric
Guitar: Pagelli Bowtop 2018
Played by: Francis Coletta
Filmed by: Matthias Moser
Recorded with 1 Neumann mic TLM193 in front of an 90' Fender Vibroluxe (2x10“) straight into computer, just added a little room.

Click here for demo 1 and 2

      Copyright: Pagelli Gitarrenbau 2018

Acoustic
Guitar: Pagelli BowTop 2018
Played by: Francis Coletta
Filmed by: Matthias Moser
Recorded with 1 Neumann mic TLM193 straight into computer, just added a little room.

Click here for demo

 Copyright: Pagelli Gitarrenbau 2018

The new «Les Petites Naives» is the number 4 out of finally 9 guitars.
All those guitars are «Art brut» inspired and will be very different.
 

The new LPN no 4 is made out of an extremely hard to find, totally black African ebony and then carved by Swiss artist Gian Häne (more info about Gian below), with lines that are often found on African masks. To support that feeling of an old mask we also scratched the ebony very roughly.

The top is made out of the highest-class Swiss alpine moon spruce, the neck is African Padauk.

Inside its very modern built, with carbon rods for stabilization and some more tricks. It is just unbelievable how such a small guitar can produce such a huge sound.
 

To make the whole package perfect, the guitar is sold together with a carved picture PIZ BERNINA from Gian Häne made especially for that project.
 

Gian Häne is a Swiss artist who is very well known for his carved objects and pictures. His work is displayed in many galleries and you find them in homes of celebrities like Joe Biden, John Kerry, Roger Federer and many more.

Guitar: «Les petites Naives » no 4 (limited series of nine totally different, art brut inspired parlor sized instruments) 
Played by: Francis Coletta
Filmed by: Matthias Moser
Recorded with 1 Neumann mic TLM193 straight into computer, just added a little room.

Click here for demo 1 and 2

        Copyright: Pagelli Gitarrenbau 2018

«mystic moss of magic stone»

Located deep in the valley, the town of Vals is far removed from the hectic pulse of the cities. Although it’s a mountain village like many others, it is made unique by the special Vals quartzite rock that has shaped the region for millions of years. Blasted out of the mountain and cut to shape, Vals quartzite patiently waits to be used for its determined purpose – or simply to inspire us...

We want to guide your attention to this beautiful MASSARI Archtop that is for sale in the USA - please check our shop

So… finally back home from our trip to Woodstock and Manhattan.
The Woodstock Invitational Guitar Show was just as good as everyone promised!Great location, farm-like with a theatre, organized with heart and professionalism, very well attended, very interested visitors, great vibe and great players.
Last but not least: there were sales. One guitar stayed in the USA, another will go to Japan… and the last one is reserved.
 

We want to thank all the guys who made that show happen, in first place Baker Rorick. Then all the players who stopped at our booth. We are very sorry that we did not had the chance to take pics from all of you - actually just from a few. It was just too crowded and always something going on. Moreover, thanks to all the great builders who showed what’s today possible in guitar building.

Of course, it made us very happy that so many of the younger (and some old ones... :-)) came to our stand and told us how important we have been for them when they started building. I still remember well when I was in that position and looked up to the «heavy guys». I hope we treated you well.

Many thanks also to Martin Keith for letting me work in his shop when I was close to a heart attack. Like that, I was able to improvise a new bridge and tailpiece for the missing one.
For your info: I had an extreme busy time to be finished with our new Bowtop guitar to the show. I removed the bridge and tailpiece for the transport and stored it in the case. Then I packed the whole thing for the transport, to realize that I had overweight. Therefore, I unpacked and changed the case with a lighter one. So far so perfect. The day before the show, already in USA, I wanted to set the guitar together… just to realize that I missed the bridge and tailpiece in the other case back home. I was sooooo angry on myself. However, shit happens. Then million calls back and forth to Switzerland. We tried to get them by overnight express… no way… too late.
I contacted Baker who told us that there is a Builder not too far from Woodstock, Martin Keith. We contacted him and he was so generous to lend his shop to us. So - the day before the show, I was working till my flesh felt from the bone to make a new bridge and tailpiece.
Not as beautiful as the original… but good enough to present the innovation at the show. Uff… So finally, we presented the guitar and we were able to breathe again. It's not really what you need before a show… :-)))
 

The presented guitar «Bowtop» is a new invention from us who combines the archtop construction with the Flattop world. It has a new sound and a new and very elegant look. We just recorded a few tracks with Francis Coletta, one of the best players we know, and we will post it in a few weeks on our site, when all is edited.

Our second instrument we presented was the new «Les Petites Naives» no 4, a collaboration with Swiss artist Gian Haene. Gian well known for his carved objects and his work is hanging in the house of people like Al Gore, Bill Clinton or Roger Federer. The guitar comes together with a small artwork by Gian. 

Finally, we showed our archtop flagship, the «Massari» no 9, Cresta Lake Nün. We are so happy that this unbelievable sounding and playing guitar found a great new home in the hands of a great player and human being. It's exactly that guitar the great George Benson played and commented on: This guitar is just perfect!

Following you will see a few pics and impressions from our trip.

Have a great time! Los Pagellis

Wie cool ist denn das - den Anerkennungspreis zu gewinnen von einer Stadt die genug Courage hat eine freie Impro Band zu engagieren! Pez Zumthor, Simon Ambühl und Dani Seiler... und all das vor Gemälden von H.R. Giger, ebenfalls ein Churer.

Weitere Gewinner des Anerkennungspreises: der grossartige Gaudenz Signorell und der unglaubliche Architekt Raphael Zuber.

Wir danken allen involvierten Leuten, Patrik Degiacomi für seine Freude, Karin Punzi für die wunderbare Laudatio und allen, die uns von Herzen gratuliert haben.

Es ist eine grosse Ehre für uns und wir sind stolz Churer zu sein ;-)

We are proud to announce that PAGELLI will exhibit at NAMM Show in Los Angeles as part of a group of worlds most recognised luthiers! Find us under the common name LUTHIERS BEYOND LIMITS at NAMM from 25-28. January at Booth 3802.

Luthiers Beyond Limits are a new association of visionary builders who have, collectively, advanced the contemporary benchmark for design. They formed this group to exhibit together based on their mutual respect for and recognition of the innovations they have all made. In the past decade [and more] they have been at the forefront in design thinking and «breaking the mold» of guitar design. It is often said when a group like this assembles [and it is true]: collectively they hold centuries’ worth of hands-on knowledge and mastery, and thousands of years of wisdom.

Luthiers Beyond Limits has chosen the first hexagram from the I GING Book of Changes [Ch’ien with its six lines] as the image to represent their association «Beyond Limits».

CH‘IEN THE CREATIVE: «The first hexagram is made up of six unbroken lines. These unbroken lines stand for the primal power, which is light-giving, active, strong, and of the spirit… Its energy is represented as unrestricted by any fixed conditions in space…»

Text by Ed Keller
Ed Keller is a designer of space, image and sound, and professor at The New School, where he directs the Center for Transformative Media. http://ctm.parsons.edu

www.alquierguitars.com

www.beauregardguitars.com

www.matsudaguitars.com

www.kleincommunity.com

www.taoguitars.com

www.pagelli.com

Eine wichtige Inspirationsquelle ist für uns unsere Heimat.

Mit unserer auf 20 Stück limitierten Serie der MASSARI Archtop «alps and homeland» wollen wir dem eine Hommage bringen. Die Massari repräsentiert das gesammelte Wissen und Erfahrung von Claudios 36 Jahren als Gitarrenbauer und ist unsere «top of the line» Archtop. Jede der Gitarren wird eine andere Ausführung bekommen, aber immer basierend auf dem Thema «Alpen und Heimat». Damit kann die Farbgebung gemeint sein, alpenländische Motive, Applikationen mit Materialien aus unserer Alpenregion und vieles mehr. Wie auch bei unserer letzten Massari:

«GRISCHETTAS», Massari 10 | 20

Seit dem 16ten Jahrhundert findet man die SGRAFFITO Technik in den Tälern Graubündens als die Mutigen und Wohlhabenden damit ihre Häuser zu schmücken begannen. Die Sgraffitos erzählen von ihrer Herkunft, ihrem Stand, aber auch von ihren Ängsten.

Durch bestimmte Symbole versuchten sie Unheil abzuwenden, sich zu schützen und gleichzeitig buhlten sie stolz um Aufmerksamkeit.

Was wäre das Engadin ohne diese Pracht!

Wir sind glücklich, dass diese Ornamente auch auf unserer Massari n. 10 so wunderbar zur Geltung kommen und die Geschichte dieser Verzierungen nun durch sie in Spanien weitererzählt werden.

Vielen Dank auch an Ulysses Schmid für seine Mitarbeit an diesem Projekt. Ulysses ist ein herausragender Goldschmied in Chur, er ist sehr innovativ und es lohnt sich seine Website zu besuchen: www.ulysse.ch

| mehr Infos und Bilder zur Edition

Da die Gitane Nouveaux eine unserer absoluten Lieblingsgitarren ist, freut es uns natürlich ganz besonders, dass der für sein berüchtigtes fotografengeschultes Auge berühmte Herr Meier genau eben diese bestellte...;-)

Daraus resultierte eine wunderbar runde Sache, eine gelungene Zusammenarbeit!

Nachdem ich jetzt vor allem Jazzgitarren und Akustische gebaut hatte, war‘s echt wieder mal schön Elektrische zu bauen.

Die hier abgebildete Gitarre haben wir für Ueli Weber gebaut, ein guter Freund und seit Jahren Besitzer einer ganz speziellen akustischen Pagelli. Wunsch war eine «Lespaulische» Gitarre, einfach leichter und offener klingend. Nachtblau und elegant.

Mit dem leichtesten Mahagoni, den ich je in der Hand hatte, als Korpus, einem wunderschönen Kanadischem quilted und geflammten Top und den Häussel PUP‘s klingt sie unglaublich offen, resonant, definiert... und das bei einem «Gewicht» von 3,2 kg. Und das Schlagbrett bringt genau noch das gewisse Etwas ins Spiel…

He had a dream...

A Bass with a fingerboard towards the end of the body, as we did in 1997 on our golden fretless bass. But single cut, hollow, lightweight and coloured like a 15th century painting from Caravaggio. Invisible electronic, acoustic sounding. That was the dream of our San Diego based client Scott. His dream came true.

(read more about under guitars/custom made)

What is your dream?

Unser Gringobeat Modell mit geflammten Ahorn Korpus, Fichtendechte, goldener Hardware, Fralin Pickups und mit 24K vergoldeten Zargen, Kopf und Schlagbrett. Geliefert an einen neuen glücklichen Kunden in Russland.

Slideshows - auf Bilder links drücken!

Played for the first time ;-)

Eine wichtige Inspirationsquelle ist für uns unsere Heimat.

Die Berge, das Wasser, die klare Luft, der Schnee und die Wälder, die Steine, das Brauchtum, die hier verwendeten Materialien, die Menschen, die Sprache, das Essen, die Farben und so unendlich vieles mehr... schlicht die Umgebung um uns herum.

Mit unserer auf 20 Stück limitierten Serie der MASSARI Archtop «alps and homeland» wollen wir dem eine Hommage bringen. Die Massari repräsentiert das gesammelte Wissen und Erfahrung von Claudios 36 Jahren als Gitarrenbauer und ist unsere «top of the line» Archtop.

Jede der Gitarren wird eine andere Ausführung bekommen, aber immer basierend auf dem Thema «Alpen und Heimat». Damit kann die Farbgebung gemeint sein, alpenländische Motive, Applikationen mit Materialien aus unserer Alpenregion und vieles mehr.

Einige sind schon gebaut und bei ihren glücklichen Besitzer. Zum momentanen Zeitpunkt (2020) ist erhältlich:
die «MYSTIC MOSS OF MAGIC STONE» Massari Super de Luxe 6 | 20 bei Music Zoo in New York.

Bereits bei glücklichen Kunden sind (siehe Bildergalerie)
Number 1 | ais: «LICHEN-SPLASHED ROCK»
Number 2 | zwai: «THUNDERSTORM IN THE MOUNTAIN»
Number 3 | drü: «LA STRADA ALTA»
Number 4 | viar: «LEAVING NATURE TO ITSELF»
Number 5 | füüf: «HERITAGE RED OF THE ENGADIN»
Number 7 | siba: «BLUE SUMMER SKY IN THE MOUNTIAN»
Number 8 | acht: «ONSET OF WINTER»
Number 9 | nün: «CRESTA MOUNTAIN LAKE»

Lasst Euch diese Gelegenheit ein wunderbares Einzel- und Sammlerstück zu besitzen nicht entgehen.

| mehr Infos und Bilder