Interesting 00

[Berf]

Laurent has recently become an AGF sponsor and it seems like a good time to start a build thread in his honour. Laurent is building me a short scale, Carpathian spruce / East Indian rosewood small bodied D-3. It's an "Essential" model which means that it is "minimally trimmed"... having said that, from what I've seen all Laurent's guitars look wonderful no matter how they are trimmed. Equally, from what I've heard, both from soundclips and from people I've communicated with, they also sound wonderful and while I haven't had a chance to play a Brondel I feel very confident the D-3 will be formidable/fantastique/merveilleux/magnifique (where's that French-English thesaurus got to...)

The whole decision-making process that goes with commissioning a custom guitar has been great fun and really easy with Laurent. Maybe because he's a very accomplished player, Laurent seems to know exactly what questions to ask and, after listening to some of my playing, had some excellent suggestions as to possible choices. In particular he gently steered me towards the D-3 model as the body shape that would be most suitable... wood choices were secondary and Laurent was confident that he could use quite a few species to achieve the warmish tone I like.

Aesthetically, we had a few discussions around possibilities but in the end everything I've seen of Laurent's work looks good to me so I was happy to follow his lead.

On top of enjoying the build process, I have really enjoyed our correspondence. Laurent comes across as quite the renaissance man and often our emails have curved left of centre... it's been an added bonus.

Specs:

D-3 "The Essential"
Carpathian spruce / East Indian rosewood
24.15" scale
1 23/32" nut width
2 1/4" bridge string spacing
14 frets to the body
Multicoloured "tiled" 1 ring rosette
Cocobolo trim
Amber marbled celluloid binding
Tortoise celluloid pickguard
1 piece mahogany neck
Ebony fingerboard and (probably) bridge
EVO medium/medium fretwire
K&K PMW pickup

Top, back and fretboard


Rosette


Back getting centre strip (I think??)


Sides ready for bending


Getting bent


Bent and neck and tail blocks glued

[Berf]

And there's more... as I've been kind of caught up recently (in fact the guitar is already in finish)

Getting leopard skin on


and a belt


Neck things...


Back and head plates


Back bracing getting glued (with cocobolo caps)

[Berf]

Back getting glued to sides


Sweet


Even sweeter


Now the top






Here you can see the cylindrical curve that Laurent uses both on the top and back. It has some structural/tonal reasoning (I think) but also makes the body more ergonomic as it's thinner at the edges (a bit like a wedge I guess) so it may be more comfortable on your right arm.

[Berf]

Top getting glued under an interrogation lamp


Binding going on


Routing the neck pocket (I think????)


Neck carve... which I think looks grand


Don e


Body all bound

[Berf]

La naissance...




Sorry for the whirlwind tour... but I hope you've enjoyed it. The guitar is now in finish which takes a little while I believe (oil varnish). I will post more pictures when I get them. I know that Laurent has slightly stained the neck to blend in better with the cocobolo back plate.

Merci Laurent.

[welshruss]

Looks very nice, we'll have to organise a Sydney get together soon. I have a 00 size Bashkin on the way as well!

[Joel Stehr]

Awesome! Love the bindings

[Howard Klepper]

Cool. What are the body bindings?

The faux leopard side tapes remind me of someone I used to know.

[lclyman]

Originally Posted by Howard Klepper

The faux leopard side tapes remind me of someone I used to know.

Howard,
Might those most excellent leopard skin bindings be reminding you of a certain glamour gal and former student of yours with the initials "MM"..?

LC

[lclyman]

Originally Posted by Berf

The guitar is now in finish which takes a little while I believe (oil varnish). I will post more pictures when I get them.

Berf,
Congrats on your upcoming Brondel guitar...musical bliss is assured and a Brondel paired with your Sexauer will easily cover all your past, present and future musical requirements...

Looking forward to some pix of your D3 in it's final varnish drying stages...that's when Laurent brings out his secret weapon....Nora the Restorer...!!!

LC

[dennisczech]

Nice one Berf. I took my D-3 round a friend's last night and we compared it to a bunch of high-end instruments. It kicked the proverbial derriere.
Re. the top-doming, it's quite pronounced, and makes for a powerful, clear, very defined, cutting tone. You lose a little warmth, but you gain great clarity and strength. Similar to Sobell/Larson/Montuoro in approach. If those are qualities you seek, find them you will. I think Laurent's essential range represent among the best value around, a lot of bang for your hard-earned Aussie dollar. Dennis

[Berf]

Morning all,

Thanks for the interest and comments. Looking forward to catching up some time Welshruss.

I really feel very lucky to be getting this guitar and hopefully will be sharing it with my wife (trying to encourage some duets on the Sexauer and the Brondel).

What are the body bindings?

Laurent mentioned in an email that they are celluloid nitrate bindings from the '60s and that he got them from Germany. He also mentioned that he thought they were made in Italy though. BTW, that 00 you are building at the moment looks magnificent Howard.

I took my D-3 round a friend's last night and we compared it to a bunch of high-end instruments. It kicked the proverbial derriere.

Good one Dennis... you speak wonderful French... "the proverbial derriere" sounds fascinating. I'm sure Laurent will deliver a beautiful tone.

Congrats on your upcoming Brondel guitar...musical bliss is assured and a Brondel paired with your Sexauer will easily cover all your past, present and future musical requirements...

Thanks LC... these 2 will easily surpass any of my musical requirements. I'm hoping the kids will some day make use of them too.

[Bruce Sexauer]

Seems like Laurent is stalking me, or following me anyway. I am willing to follow him too, of course, but it hasn't happened yet. I suspect it is just a matter of time.

I think the binding are very interesting looking.

And, wouldn't you know it, I have some of that leopard skin in my stash too, coincidentally.

I have not forgotten the screw, Berf.

[Berf]

I have not forgotten the screw, Berf.

That sounds like an invitation to tease Bruce.... too much going on at the Berf household to worry about that at the moment.

Seems like Laurent is stalking me, or following me anyway.

I remember you speaking very highly of Laurent's work and that certainly helped sway me, nudge me, over the hurdle.

Did you get the pics I sent you a few weeks back? If not, check your spam filter perhaps.

Cheers, Berf

[Laurent Brondel]

Howard, I have a lot more of that binding material, and I can tell you where to get it. It is unmistakably celluloid nitrate.
Bruce, the sign of brotherhood is perhaps to look in the same direction rather than at each other. In any case I am grateful for the footsteps you left behind. If not in substance, I always quote you as an influence in spirit.
Now back to the shop for another coat of varnish on the D-3 and others.