Marc Beneteau Sitka/Padouk SJ
 

After many years of chatting and a couple of false starts, it's time :up: Thanks to Dustin Furlow and his SJ build for the inspiration to check in again with Marc. Lucky for me he had an opening in his schedule and things started falling into place.

I've owned three of Marc's guitars in the past (OM, SJ longscale and baritone) and enjoyed them all. I have been a one guitar guy for many years, and recently had to make the tough decision to sell my trusty Lowden O-10 to fund this build. The Lowden was a workhorse guitar that handled almost everything I threw at it. I will certainly miss it, but I wanted something more optimized for my comfort.

Anyone who has talked with Marc likely knows how passionate he is about both his Sitka spruce and his Padouk. He probably could have easily sold me on a top upgrade, but he insisted that his Alaskan Sitka would be the best choice for me and told me it was one of his favorites to work with. I was all over the map on the back and sides choice, but we eventually landed on Padouk. My previous longscale and baritone both used it (albeit with Englemann tops), so I know it's a solid choice. He has used it a lot over the years and raves about the tap tone. The goal is an instrument that can be used for standard but will excel in D and C based tunings, delivering his signature clarity and power.

Here are the specs:

Sitka/Padouk SJ
25.75" scale
1-13/16" nut, 2-5/16" saddle spacing
Pinless bridge
Top bevel (still deciding on style)
Bound neck and headstock

Lots more to come! Here's the first pic received from Marc yesterday:

https://i.imgur.com/SfT2Cgt.jpg

Beneteau
 

I will certainly be watching this build thread with anticipation. Congratulations!

My Beneteau CS has only gotten better over time. It still looks new and the setup hasn't moved. Mine lives in DADGAD and has tremendous dynamics and volume along with a fat woody/earthy tone to die for. On top of all that, Marc is such a nice guy and was a pleasure to work with. It is obvious that he loves building guitars.

Cool to see a couple of Beneteau build threads pop up as of late. Just spent a few hours on the couch with mine in DADGAD. As others will note the sound is clear, balanced, and quite loud with nice thick trebles. Wonderful guitars.

This is going to be super cool!

Congratulations Ryan and thanks for sharing with us. Looking forward to more posts!

Are you going to do a big Canadian road trip and pick it up in person?

Oooo, I'll be sure to follow along with this thread! I, too, think padauk and Sitka are underrated woods. They make fantastic guitars!
Congrats on the custom order, Ryan :)

Looks to be an interesting build. I look forward to following along.

Thanks :) Sounds like a killer you have there! And I completely agree with your comments about Marc.

And it's great to see some owners coming out of the woodwork (or should that be FOR the woodwork?!)! Those are good descriptors for all the Beneteaus I have owned or played. I definitely hear a signature voice in Marc's instruments.

I know, right? :D

Thanks! I would love to visit Marc and pick it up, but I'm not sure it's in the cards for me this year. I'll have to give that some more consideration for sure :) The guitar should be finished sometime around September.

Cheers! I'm definitely a fan of both woods based on previous experiences, and it's great that Marc is excited about the combo. By the by, I had a peek at your site and that's some lovely work!

Can’t wait to hear (and see!) how this turns out, I’m assuming a nice padouk rosette too? Probably the best baritone I’ve ever heard was that fan fret Sitka/padouk SJ that was floating around dream guitars for awhile...just an absurdly big sound...this will be no different I’m sure! Congrats again, buddy!

Not sure but I think Don Ross's first Beneteau was Paduck/spruce. At any rate, this looks to be a spectacular build. Can't wait to see how it turns out.

Hope you dig it!

Thanks, Dustin! Rosette will either be Padouk or Box Elder Burl (I haven't seen an example, but he listed it as an option on my order sheet). Bindings will be Ebony and he's using something called Chakte-kok (aka Redheart) for the purflings. That baritone you mentioned was totally an influence on my choices, and in fact I was considering going full baritone with the same 27-28" spread but decided to save that for the next one ;)

Yep, that's true! It was a 27" scale baritone, and I'm quite sure it was Englemann spruce since that's what Marc used to suggest for Don's guitars. I believe that guitar lives in Berlin now. Two of the Beneteaus I owned were ex-Don Ross guitars, and I believe they were the 2nd-3rd or 3rd-4th guitars he made for Don. One was an SJ in Englemann/Padouk with a 25.75" scale and the other was an SJ baritone in Englemann/Padouk with a 28" scale. I do miss that baritone - AGF user Mycroft is the keeper of the cannon these days. I hope my new guitar will help ease the pain of letting that one go :)

I had to dial back the build a bit due to some personal issues - it was originally going to be a fan fret, but it's now going to be a standard long scale (25.75").

I didn't bother posting some of the smaller updates, but here's the latest from Marc - it's currently on track for completion some time in October :)


https://i.imgur.com/nfClrMd.jpg

Beneteau
 

Ryan,

My Beneteau CS has a 25.75" scale and also the same string spacing as yours. Mine lives in DADGAD but does equally well in standard or C tunings. It is a joy to play, and the setup hasn't changed a bit since Marc delivered the guitar to me in 2009.

I'm glad to see this build continue. I'm sure you are going to love your new Beneteau. The woods look beautiful!

Also, the neck on my Beneteau is a bit thicker from front to back than my other guitars. It is still very comfortable and I wouldn't change it because I like the variety when I play. I feel the variety of neck widths may help me to avoid a repetitive injury. Just letting you know in case you don't like a beefier neck so you can talk it over with Marc beforehand.

BTW, it is nice that Marc is going to paint those arrows on the top to remind you how to strum.:D

I don't think Cheerios works with the rest of the build aesthetic. I would have Marc remove that before final delivery. I also think it's a bad idea to block off the sound hole.

I would also insist he glues the binding instead of simply taping it. I know that's an uncharge, but I've found it's worth it in the end. It is cool that he puts the time on that one piece of tape, so I would leave that piece.

Im so excited for you, man. And even more excited to see photos come October.

I've been really enjoying my 25.75 scaled SJ. I keep either D'addario EJ or Nickel Bronze mediums on it and keep it tuned down to either DGCFAD (standard, but a full-step down) or CGCFGC (dadgad a full step down) and it just roars. Tuning it to standard pitch is fine too but I think the big body works amazing for lower voicings. Stays nice and clear and sounds super "open". The setup on mine is as good as it gets too, hasn't moved a bit.

John - thanks man, it's been a hectic couple of months but the excitement has flared up again since seeing the box closed! I'm well familiar with a 25.75" scale, and even had a 25.9" on a previous custom. I was sad to let the FF option go, but I know the standard long scale will serve me well. And thanks for the heads up on the neck profile - Marc's neck is a big part of the reason I fell in love with his guitars over the years. My hands are large but not huge, and his standard profile is a great fit.

And yeah, the strum arrows are a welcome addition :lol: Maybe we should add some LEDs to the fretboard to light the way? lol

Man, I said the same thing but Marc told me to eat my Wheaties and trust the process ... he also said something about this being a relic model, not sure what that means ;)

Thanks, Dustin :) It's evident in your great demos how much you're connecting with yours. Hope to hear live vids of it at some point - did you put a pickup in it yet? I've fallen in love with the Ernie Ball Aluminum Bronze mediums, so that'll be the first thing I try on mine.

I haven’t fit it with a K&K Trinity just yet but I will at some point, it’s oddly pleasant to have a guitar that I only use for practice and writing... The Larrivee is my main gigging guitar and the Model M a backup or ‘nice venue guitar” where I know there’s a clear stage area and people are on the quiet side. If I have a really nice show come up I’ll get the big gun locked and loaded :)

I haven’t used the AB’s in awhile, will have to give them a go on the SJ soon!

Thought that was a cocktail on the top corner of you workbench, until I saw the brush in it. Drunken Luthier Challenge could be a whole other sub forum.

Haha! This is Marc's bench, and I'd like to think he saves the drinks for after hours! However, if he could get these results with a drink on the bench I'd be tempted to call fair play :D

Just a small update to share as Marc is a little behind, but it's coming along - body is done, and now on to the neck:

https://i.imgur.com/cxLsSHc.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/7TelXU1.jpg

Thats a very nice Bewel. I believe it helps to prevent damages for spending to much time with your guitar ! With I'm sure will be easy with this baby !

Maybe I missed it, but how big is the lower bout?

Obviously, I haven't been visiting Custom Shop as often as I should...been watching for this thread and still missed it!

Congrats, Ryan. Looking good. Glad to see this is finally happening for you!

Phil

Wow man, the bevel looks fantastic!!!

Zack - thanks! The lower bout is just shy of 17" (16-13/16") - my last guitar was a Lowden O-10, so with the bevel this should feel comparable.

Phil - thanks man :) If you look back in your emails, you'll realize I've been talking about my first order with Marc for something like 10 years. Crazy! Very happy it's finally happening, even if I had to drop the fanfret option. Next time ;)

Dustin - thanks, I'm loving it so far! I meant to ask, did Marc use his 5pc design on your Walnut neck?

I received a note from Marc that the guitar is basically done and that he is hoping to get it into his spray booth today or tomorrow. Hope to be able to share a couple more pics soon!

https://i.imgur.com/cFcJf00.jpg

Moving right along! :up: The first few coats of finish have been applied.

https://i.imgur.com/0zT6LKb.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/wKJ09V9.jpg

Good lord!!! What a classy looking guitar man! I bet when you opened that email you got a big ole grin across your face. I can’t wait to see the guitars Marc is bringing to Woodstock this year.

Absolutely :D I was on the run when I saw it on my phone and decided to wait until I got to a desktop so I could fully appreciate the pics! I had asked Marc what he was building for Woodstock, but I didn't get a response - I get the feeling he is in crunch mode at the moment, so I've been trying to give him some space! haha

Beautiful! You have to be happy with how that one has come together, Ryan!

Thanks, Kenneth! I left the details to Marc (purfling, binding, headstock overlays etc) and I'm very happy with how it is turning out. Shouldn't be much longer now :)

lovely looking one there!!