Talk About Your Favorite Handmade Guitar

[usb_chord]

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer

At $352,800, that is one expensive Somogyi!

Seriously! The Adamento II is only around 80K, I believe..

[geordie]

does an '87 Lowden count ?

[Jimbolaya]

My favorite is a 00 size by Laurent Brondel.
Visually the guitar is perfect. It's amazing to think that anyone could make something by hand with basically no flaws. I know I couldn't.
The back and sizes are Macassar Ebony and the top is Carpathian Spruce.
Sound wise, it's also amazing. Being a 00, it's got a very sweet sound. It doesn't have the depth of sound that a bigger guitar would, but it's so well balanced. It never seems thin or lacking bass. The bass is just appropriate for the guitar. It has more volume than you would expect from a small guitar. It can handle just about anything...fingerpicking, flat picking, playing soft, playing hard...the sound never breaks up or sound muddy. It's a wonderful guitar. I have tried several of Laurent's guitars and think they all have these qualities. If anything happens to my Brondel, I will absolutely try to get another.

[mikealpine]

Ok...too excited not to chime in...I'm on the build schedule with Joel Stehr, and that is my favorite hand-built guitar!! Ok...it will be my only...but still!! It will be a Carpathian over Malaysian Blackwood Jumbo, with bevels everywhere for comfort (I'm 5' 6", and I like guitars to be sweet and loud). Joel picked out some beautiful accent wood called Montarillo Rosewood, which we'll use for the headstock, the rosette, maybe the bridge, fretboard, whatever he decides. Montarillo looks to me like a cross between Macassar and Cocbolo; a very rich chocolately brown with cool dark streaks. I can't post a build thread yet because he isn't quite ready to get it on the bench yet, but it's getting closer. Seeing Joel's recent builds, I have to believe it will be beautiful in sound and look.

[maurerfan]

Probably my Larson configured 14-fret 00 built by Tony Klassen. Enormous voice ...deep bass and trebles that hang in the air. Great guitar.

[Dewar Wilson]

My favorite hand made flat top guitar that I have ever played was a very early Larrivee. I think it was a 1975. It was built in Toronto. When I played it, it was already around 15 years old and sounded wonderful.