New Brondel @ TAMCO
 

Heading to TAMCO.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AZOfWKcPIS...0/IMG_3028.jpg

I really like the aesthetic of his guitars, his 000 in particular, modern and vintage at the same time, minimal too. European elements, eg Sobell for elements, with ones from USA too.

Report to how it sounds Trevor if you can!

Will do, looking forward to it. I'm expecting it next Wednesday.

It here and its another wonderful guitar from Laurent. It has a very deep an luscious tone with great separation and definition.

http://i757.photobucket.com/albums/x...psd0cbcb8f.jpg

http://i757.photobucket.com/albums/x...pse362ed7f.jpg

http://i757.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps5cbfb179.jpg

http://i757.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps4e9be12c.jpg

http://i757.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps63eedfad.jpg

That looks awesome. I've never played a Brondel. What is his "signature sound?"

I've played at least 7 or so and they are really great guitars IMHO. I played an A2 essential at TAMCO last week that was superb.

They look like Sobells (in profile you can appreciate the marked arching to the top and back) but I don't really think they sound like them and they seem to be lighter built. They have the separation and clarity that Sobells have but - to my ears at least - most Brondel's I've played have had a looser, earthier, woodier tone to them, that's very appealing. Most have been very resonant. Some have actually reminded me of old, smaller Martins. I hear quite a bit more "wood" (vs "string") in the Brondels than I do in most modern USA guitars I seem to be playing these days. I don't strum but I think they'd be difficult to overdrive. All that is probably sweeping generalisation, but this is the internet so I'm allowed to!

I like them a lot and they're one of the guitars I'd like to have at home for an extended period to get to know; it's always difficult when you play one for a few minutes, and then immediately play a different guitar (or several).

Just my 2p (or 2c...).

cheers,
Steve

Juston,
Knowing you have a Baranik, I can tell you that, to my ears, it is midway between a Baranik and a Martin. Not the ultra modern sound for which Baranik is the poster child, but certainly more of everything than a typical Martin.

Does this make any sense?

Steve

P.S. I have a Brondel B4 that I love.

You should write for a guitar magazine or two, your descriptions are far superior to the ones in magazines on our grey side of the Atlantic (UK) and the other side... Great descriptions of the Brondel tone, it makes one appreciate why his guitars are gaining popularity.

Here is a Brondel thread from the UMGF .. with several posts containing sound samples ... enjoy!

http://theunofficialmartinguitarforu...2#.UcNvCrHD-1s

See post #40 ..

The links don't work.

Laurent's guitars have some of the most amazing finishes it seems; it's amazing they are oil finishes too.

"The links don't work".

Indeed, they do not. I should have checked before posting the thread ...

Many thanks but I think it's rather like trying to describe wine - you know what you like and don't like but trying to explain why - especially when the differences are subtle - is very difficult. I think I know what "earthy" means but it may not mean the same to the next guy.

I've played loads of guitars over the last 7 years or so and the more I play, the more difficult I find it to decide how to rank them and describe them, not less - which is the opposite of what I'd expected. There are a lot of really, really great makers around (that old "Golden Age" thing again) and in many cases it's difficult to get a cigarette paper between them. Often it simply comes down to cost. These days I'm really attracted to great guitars that cost half of what they should do.

That's one of the reasons I say I'd like to have a Brondel at home for a while; having a guitar for a few weeks rather than minutes really allows you to get to know it, and I'm always conscious in stores like TAMCO that my exposure to great guitars is inevitably a few minutes each. Nevertheless, a few minutes with that Essential and I knew I loved it.

Cheers,
Steve

I'd concur with Steve's description of the "Brondel sound". Thers's definitely something of the clarity of s Sobell about it, and, I think, the almost classical bass too, but I also see something of older Martins in there too. In fact, I was playing a 1950s 00 a little while ago and found myself thinking that it reminded me of one of the Brondels I'd played in TAMCO!

I'm loathe to indulge in sweeping generalisations, but I think that a synthesis of older Martin and Sobell (especially the New World model) is a good way of summarising the common characteristics that I've observed in the Brondels I've played.

Like Steve, I'd like a longer acquaintance with one (or two, or perhaps three.....all in the interests of good, scientific research, of course....), but from my limited experience to date, I think that Laurent is a really interesting builder.