Brondel A2c Smoky Red Spruce over Pernambuco

[CoolerKing]

Hi guys and gals, hope you like this thread as much as I'm going to! This will be my second Brondel, having purchased a 2014-ish A2c essential from Juston a few years ago. We both foolishly sold it to fund another guitar, and both of us wanted it back. It did eventually make it back to Juston, and I think this really tells people how Impressed we are with Laurent's work. His tone is absolutely singular, and the playability is peerless.

Here are the specs

Brondel A2c Essential
Pernambuco back/sides
Smoky Mountains Red Spruce, Master Grade
ebony fretboard and bridge
german celluloid binding
Waverly Tuners
1 3/4 nut
2 3/8 bridge
long scale
cutaway
light fingerstyle setup
Oil varnish finish
hot hide glue

Some minor other mods TBD depending on rotation of the Earth's crust etc.

So without further adieu, here are some of the build photos:

Smoky Mountain Red Spruce, Master grade



Pernambuco Back set







Pernambuco side sets





















Thanks for following along folks!

[j. Kinnaird]

Very nice shop pics. Thanks for sharing the process.

[colins]

Nice one Matthew!

Your fantastic collection is about to get fantasticer!

[iim7V7IM7]

I always enjoy watching Laurent work (congrats)...

[gitarro]

Matthew, is that a smoky Adirondack top as in one of John Arnold's smokies tops? It sure looks like a really fine adi set whatever its source.

[TomB'sox]

Everything looks great, the top is especially tight and straight grained isn't it? Does Laurent build without a mold like Bruce does?

[iim7V7IM7]

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

Everything looks great, the top is especially tight and straight grained isn't it? Does Laurent build without a mold like Bruce does?

Laurent builds with molds Tom...

Originally Posted by gitarro

Matthew, is that a smoky Adirondack top as in one of John Arnold's smokies tops? It sure looks like a really fine adi set whatever its source.

I suspect the top came from the Hampton brothers who harvest, process (with John Arnold) and sell red spruce to luthiers (Matthew can confirm)

[gitarro]

I believe the term was applied to 2 fallen logs harvested by john Arnold as a result of hurricane opal in 1995 which were particularly exceptional - kind of like the adi equivalent of Lucky Strike redwood. Given its tight grain, I was curious if this set was from the second of those logs.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/umgf.co...t=137497&amp=1

Originally Posted by iim7V7IM7

Laurent builds with molds Tom...



I suspect the top came from the Hampton brothers who harvest, process (with John Arnold) and sell red spruce to luthiers (Matthew can confirm)

[Guitars44me]

Enjoy the process! Looks to be a fantastic axe...

Cheers

Paul

[justonwo]

Laurent’s work is outstanding. You’re going to love this guitar. I have its cousin - a red spruce and pernambuco A-1c. Looking forward to seeing this one come to life and then needling you in the coming years that mine is better.

[TomB'sox]

Well, I asked because I don't see any molds in any pictures except for side bending molds and it appears he is gluing in the neck and tail block outside of any molds and usually that is done whilst the sides are within a mold if I am not mistaken.

[iim7V7IM7]

Tom, Laurent uses a Fox Bender and hot pipe to rough bend his sides and uses his unassembled side molds with clamps to ensure the sides a shaped. He does assemble his sides to his neck/end blocks and installs his side ribbons outside of the molds. When he glues in his kerfed linings, he uses his body molds and spreading clamps to further refine them to their final shape. Have a look other build threads and you will see this process illustrated...

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

Well, I asked because I don't see any molds in any pictures except for side bending molds and it appears he is gluing in the neck and tail block outside of any molds and usually that is done whilst the sides are within a mold if I am not mistaken.

[Cocobolo Kid]

Congrats Matthew! Can't wait to see more.

[CoolerKing]

The top is indeed from Hampton Brothers.

[justonwo]

Originally Posted by matthewpartrick

The top is indeed from Hampton Brothers.

The pernambuco is from Home Depot.