Brondel A-2 Euro and Black Cocobolo

justonwo · #1 01-15-2017, 03:38 PM

I ran across this used Brondel at Luthier's Collection today - a site that a regularly visit - and found it pretty extraordinary and thought it was worth posting some pictures here.

This guitar is the same vintage as my A-2 (2014) and has some of the same appointments. My A-2 absolutely breathes fire. It has incredible volume, dynamics, and clarity. I've found the same is true of most Brondels I have played over the years and the A-2 (OM size) in particular.

Most rosewood Brondels I've played have a really nice, deep bass, but with pronounced mids and highs. The bass is unusually full for an OM-size guitar, I would say. Laurent makes some of the most exquisite neck profiles I have ever played, and he's very consistent with how he builds them. He also puts a nice chamfer on the edge of the fretboard for extra comfiness.

This one has some serious bells and whistles, with a gorgeous Euro top and breathtaking (and quite rare) black cocobolo back and sides. Alessi tuners (aka mechanical silk) and Hoffee case. The buckeye burl appointments are very similar to my guitar, and I can tell you they are stunning in person.

He's also one of the few builders employing oil varnish finishes, which are among my favorite. They give the guitar a wonderful depth, feel very comfortable, and go on quite thin in the hands of the right builder. As with a good nitro finish, you can see the texture of the wood.

I am quite certain this guitar would make someone very, very happy, which is why I bother to mention it here (and also because I like looking at photos of guitars).

Cocobolo Kid · #2 01-15-2017, 04:34 PM

I've absolutely drooled over that black Cocobolo Brondel A2 the couple of times I've seen it come up for sale. I came very close to buying it the first time. As my user name implies, I am a sucker for a nice set of Cocobolo. The top on that looks absolutely gorgeous as does the burl wood. Everything about it just fits my eye perfectly. If I had more disposable funds now, this one would be on the way to my my house.

Juston, part of the reason I didn't pull the trigger before was that I have never been fortunate enough to hear a Brondel guitar. Since you own a Baranik Meridian like I do, how would you compare the two? Feel free to PM or email me if you want to send a more candid comparison.

Thanks.

justonwo · #3 01-15-2017, 05:01 PM

I would say Mike is more of a "modern" builder in the sense that his guitars have more overtones, but Mike is very much in a class of his own and his guitars defy some of the conventional definitions of modern vs vintage guitars. His guitars have a lot of punch and great volume dynamics but aren't quite as quick on the attack as a vintage-style guitar.

Laurent is pretty firmly in the vintage Martin camp, to my way of hearing. I would say he emphasizes overall power, resonance, clarity, and individual note definition. Most of the Brondels I have played over the years sound very much like a well broken-in vintage Martin to me. My Brondel A-2 is not too dissimilar from a vintage 1930 Martin OM-28 I played recently.

Cocobolo Kid · #4 01-15-2017, 05:56 PM

This looks like the very guitar on Laurent's website, but it is shown as Black Cocobolo and Englemann Spruce (not that it matters).
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/Site/A2.html#9

I had never heard a Brondel before, but I found this video on Dream Guitars of a previously sold 2012 Brondel A2 being played by Al Petteway. The sound is sweet, full and clear.
http://www.dreamguitars.com/detail/4...del_a2_110727/

In short, I am seriously GASing for this Black Cocobolo A2 !!!

justonwo · #5 01-15-2017, 06:32 PM

Oh yeah, it does look like the same guitar! I would ask Laurent about the top. I had a Brondel with an Engelmann top that sounded awesome.

The clip from Dream Guitars sounds relatively true to life, although my guitar (and most Brondels I have played) has more high end than that clip would suggest. Everything else is spot on for the Brondels I have played.

M Sarad · #6 01-15-2017, 07:39 PM

My Brondel is very clear and fundamental with a good bass. It doesn't have the overtones with its Wenge and Carpathian that my Brazilian/Adirondack Merrill has. I have played just two of his guitars, and they were consistently alike.

I would love to try out this guitar and do some fomparing. My daughter lives and works near Mike Joyce. Time for a visit.

justonwo · #7 01-17-2017, 12:02 AM

I think I've played 7 of his guitars. They are pretty consistent in their clarity and projection. I would love to play this OM-45 he's working on now.

johnpublic95 · #8 05-12-2018, 10:51 AM

Trust me I know this is a long shot but any chance you know where this guitar is now or who owns it or how I can contact them? I am quite in Love w the A-2 and A-3 and looking to buy one .. also, are you aware of the "Church Bell" A-2 that is at the Guitar Gallery currently? know anything about that one? robin wants $9,500. thank you Jay

iim7V7IM7 · #9 05-12-2018, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnpublic95

Trust me I know this is a long shot but any chance you know where this guitar is now or who owns it or how I can contact them? I am quite in Love w the A-2 and A-3 and looking to buy one .. also, are you aware of the "Church Bell" A-2 that is at the Guitar Gallery currently? know anything about that one? robin wants $9,500. thank you Jay

Jay, why not just call Laurent and have him build you the A2 of your dreams?

jmat · #10 05-12-2018, 12:26 PM

Love me some Brondel...

justonwo · #11 05-12-2018, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnpublic95

Trust me I know this is a long shot but any chance you know where this guitar is now or who owns it or how I can contact them? I am quite in Love w the A-2 and A-3 and looking to buy one .. also, are you aware of the "Church Bell" A-2 that is at the Guitar Gallery currently? know anything about that one? robin wants $9,500. thank you Jay

I’m sure all the Brondels with rosewood sound in the same ballpark. I’ve played a bunch of them and they’re remarkably consistent. If it were me, I would buy that ebony backed A-2 at Luthier’s Collection. Laurent said it’s among the best he’s made and he’s not a man for hyperbole.

Erithon · #12 05-12-2018, 04:34 PM

What is "black" Cocobolo? I've seen this term one or twice before, but I'm uncertain what this adjective refers to. I suspect it's a cosmic label, referring to Cocobolo with a lot of dark color variegation, but I could be way off. For all I know it's a specific type of Cocobolo from a particular region or something.

justonwo · #13 05-12-2018, 06:04 PM

The only time I’ve seen it used is with back and sides like this. It’s not a new species. I believe it’s just a set that was thought to absorb a bunch of dark minerals.

Erithon · #14 05-12-2018, 09:54 PM

I just did some research into this. It's something I've been curious about for a while and the zombieification of this thread finally prompted me to get around to it:

Cocobolo is the colloquial name for at least two particularly closely related species of Rosewood. Dalbergia retusa is, of course, the most common one and the one we are all familiar with. A close cousin of Dalbergia retusa is Dalbergia granadillo (not the same thing as "Grenadillo" (Platymiscium pinnatum) which is not a Rosewood), a species known as "Black Cocobolo." In fact, "Cocobolo" and "Black Cocobolo" are so visually similar that the 2016 EIA briefing document for proposed additions to CITES Appendix II CoP16 Prop. 61 reads " The wood of D. granadillo is indistinguishable from D. retusa, necessitating the CITES listing of both species...Both D. retusa and D. granadillo are often traded under the name ‘cocobolo'... D. granadillo satisfies Criterion A in Annex 2b of RC 9.24 (Rev. CoP14) for look-alike reasons."

Though the CITES proposal indicates that Dalbergia granadillo is not in danger of over harvesting, it is good deal rarer and therefore more expensive than Dalbergia retusa: the one set Brondel's woodshed currently has is 3x-8x more than the sets simply labelled as "Cocobolo." (It's even pricier than some of his Brazilian sets!) Ostensibly Dalbergia granadillo is a better tonewood, too: Mike Baranik writes "As it is extremely rare and not replaceable I have paid a fair amount for it. The upcharge is $$$ but in my view well worth it...The Black Cocobolo taps differently than other Coco, this stuff has a bright tap with sustain for days." But clearly Dalbergia granadillo is rare enough that the sample size is too small to reliably extend that from the set he had in front of him to the whole species. Still, the price Brondel is asking for his single set suggests it's something quite special!

justonwo · #15 05-13-2018, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erithon

I just did some research into this. It's something I've been curious about for a while and the zombieification of this thread finally prompted me to get around to it:

Cocobolo is the colloquial name for at least two particularly closely related species of Rosewood. Dalbergia retusa is, of course, the most common one and the one we are all familiar with. A close cousin of Dalbergia retusa is Dalbergia granadillo (not the same thing as "Grenadillo" (Platymiscium pinnatum) which is not a Rosewood), a species known as "Black Cocobolo." In fact, "Cocobolo" and "Black Cocobolo" are so visually similar that the 2016 EIA briefing document for proposed additions to CITES Appendix II CoP16 Prop. 61 reads " The wood of D. granadillo is indistinguishable from D. retusa, necessitating the CITES listing of both species...Both D. retusa and D. granadillo are often traded under the name ‘cocobolo'... D. granadillo satisfies Criterion A in Annex 2b of RC 9.24 (Rev. CoP14) for look-alike reasons."

Though the CITES proposal indicates that Dalbergia granadillo is not in danger of over harvesting, it is good deal rarer and therefore more expensive than Dalbergia retusa: the one set Brondel's woodshed currently has is 3x-8x more than the sets simply labelled as "Cocobolo." (It's even pricier than some of his Brazilian sets!) Ostensibly Dalbergia granadillo is a better tonewood, too: Mike Baranik writes "As it is extremely rare and not replaceable I have paid a fair amount for it. The upcharge is $$$ but in my view well worth it...The Black Cocobolo taps differently than other Coco, this stuff has a bright tap with sustain for days." But clearly Dalbergia granadillo is rare enough that the sample size is too small to reliably extend that from the set he had in front of him to the whole species. Still, the price Brondel is asking for his single set suggests it's something quite special!

That’s interesting. As Mike is using the term, he doesn’t mean a separate species. I’ve talked to him at length about this wood. It’s thought to be regular cocobolo that was darker in appearance because of mineral content. As Laurent uses the term, he probably IS referring to the other species.