In 1968, he made his first archtop guitar in New Jersey and has handcrafted nearly 850 musical instruments. His guitars appear on many recordings, videos, and TV and film soundtracks, and have been featured in books, magazines and museums (including the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History and the National Guitar Museum).

By the 1970s (he relocated to Florida in 1976), his reputation grew as he crafted archtop guitars for professional jazz players Bucky Pizzarelli, Chuck Wayne, Joe Diorio and Cal Collins, and in the 80s and 90s for Johnny Smith, Jack Wilkins, Ron Eschete, Martin Taylor, Howard Alden, John Pizzarelli, Andy Summers, Jimmy Bruno, Kenny Burrell and Pat Martino, among others, collectively known as “The Benedetto Players”. More recent jazz guitarists who play Benedetto guitars include Dan Faehnle, Joe Negri, Chico Pinheiro and Andreas Varady.

Ivan Guitar Studio is deeply honored to be trusted by the best and the most prestigious archtop jazz guitar in the world!