LAURENT BRONDEL – Model A-2c, Red Spruce/Honduran Mahogany: Build Thread

[Tim Porter]

Bob, very interesting. I've played quite a few Sobells and have three guitars and an octave mandolin by Stefan. He's pretty much right about having to "dig in" when playing one, but they're capable of great nuance, too.

I'd love to do a road trip up to Maine and order a guitar like you're getting! It's on the list . . . .

Tim

[iim7V7IM7]

I found a photo of Stefan's bracing by Michael Watt's (thanks Michael) taken during a visit to Stefan Sobell's shop. The photo was a broader shop photo, but I have cropped it in to focus on the bracing.

Both luthier's guitars have strong lateral arches, but besides that, they differ substantially. Take a look at their plantilla, bridge plate, x-brace carve, tone bars and finger braces configuration and carve and you will see they share very little in common between the two luthiers (hence my totally different under the hood comment).

[Tim Porter]

Yes, it's pretty clear there's an aesthetic relationship primarily. Very cool to find that pic. Thanks, Tim

[printer2]

Think in the thread on Stefan, Michael says he has moved on from the bracing of this top. It does look interesting though.

[iim7V7IM7]

Originally Posted by printer2

Think in the thread on Stefan, Michael says he has moved on from the bracing of this top. It does look interesting though.

Perhaps you are correct. It is somewhat amorphous in Michael's AGF post from 2010. In either case, it was the only image that I could find. Here it is for those who are interested in reading it.

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=181272

[steveh]

Originally Posted by Tim Porter

Bob, very interesting. I've played quite a few Sobells and have three guitars and an octave mandolin by Stefan. He's pretty much right about having to "dig in" when playing one, but they're capable of great nuance, too.

I'd agree with this. I've owned 4 Sobells and have played many, many more. Many Sobells I've played have been incredibly responsive and, because they sustain so much, not a lot of right-hand effort is needed to precipitate that. That's especually been the case with some model 0s and 1s I've played.

Relatively, I've found the MS model to need the most right-hand effort. It's also worth noting that their (Sobells in general) profound separation makes them very unforgiving of poor technique. That's a good thing - they make you a better player if you stick with them.

I've played quite a few Brondel's and, personally, have found that they share quite a bit in common with Sobells sonically...at least when compared to many other guitars from the other side of the Pond. Specifically, most Brondells I've played have had great separation and clarity, and have had a rather "dry" but well-defined bottom-end. I've also found them more variable than Sobells though: Laurent builds in many different body shapes and with a greater variety of woods than does Stefan.

Cheers,
Steve

[iim7V7IM7]

Thanks for sharing your experience with Laurent's guitars.

With my limited experience auditioning Laurent's guitars, I would say sonically, his "benchmark" target for his guitars are very clearly pre-war Martin sound. Comparatively, I think that his guitars are somewhat different then their sound in that they may have a bit more separation, projection due to the lateral arch and are perhaps less "dry" with more overtone content.

[iim7V7IM7]

Laurent sent me this build update shot of the guitar body now that it has eight of coats of oil varnish on it. Apparently, the pores of this mahogany are extremely deep and thirsty...

Check out how the quartersawn interlocking grain of the mahogany is developing into a chatoyant, contrasting, block mottle figure under finish. It is absolutely insane...

[Nemoman]

Insane is right--that is really incredible!

[Tim Porter]

That is mind blowing!!! So amazing with the varnish! Tim

[JoeCharter]

Very nice back indeed.

[iim7V7IM7]

Laurent has completed applying the oil varnish to the A-2c. He told me the Honduran Mahogany had extremely deep pores and really drank up the oil varnish. The guitar will now cure in his shop until the end of October.

Here are some shots that he took this morning outside.

The exposure on this shot may be a bit deceiving. The sunlight really is "blowing out" the the lighter tones of the top making the Honduran Mahogany sides appear much darker than they really are. However, what can be seen is some beautiful silking in the quartersawn Adirondack Spruce top.



Now here's the back seen more accurately. The decorative large block mottle figure is pronounced in the Honduran Mahogany back. The contrasting and simple ebony/maple arrow motif back strip is also seen and ebony/maple/ebony purflings defining the edges made from matching Honduran Mahogany binding.



The block mottled figure also carries over into sides of the guitar. A contrasting Brazilian Rosewood end graft is seen in this shot of the end of the guitar to match the bridge, fingerboard, peghead veneers and tuner buttons.





The Brazilian Rosewood peghead veneer is BRW bound and has maple purfling. The neck's heel plate is also is finished with Brazilian Rosewood to match the other design features.





A flowing figure can be seen in the Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard. In the second shot when the neck is flipped, you can see how the BRW binding and maple purfling surrounds the fingerboard.

[psychojohn]

Others have said it so nothing new here to add but the figuring on that hog is unreal. Unlike anything I've seen before. Congrats on an exceptional build.

John

[iim7V7IM7]

Originally Posted by psychojohn

Others have said it so nothing new here to add but the figuring on that hog is unreal. Unlike anything I've seen before. Congrats on an exceptional build.

John

Originally Posted by JoeCharter

Very nice back indeed.

Originally Posted by Tim Porter

That is mind blowing!!! So amazing with the varnish! Tim

Originally Posted by Nemoman

Insane is right--that is really incredible!

psychojohn, JoeCharter, Tim Porter and Nemoman: Thanks very much!

When I first saw this set among the sets that Laurent had, I actually had to research what this type of figure was called. I had not seen it before. I found this great veneer book (Figure Types in Mahogany) originally published by "The Mahogany Association" in 1956. Check out the description on pages 10-11 (plate no. 6 and description), I realized how unusual this particular set was. It is similar to "beeswing" but is apparently rarer at this scale of mottle.

http://mbveneer.com/sites/www.mbvene...ogany_book.pdf

After talking with Tom Thiel (Northwinds Tonewoods) regarding the provenance of this old growth wood going back to Albert Constantine (http://www.constantines.com/constantineshistory.aspx) in the 1960s made it all the more special. Laurent has certainly found a way to bring out its beauty.

[mikealpine]

Absolutely love the figuring on this. Looks like it is glowing!