Pierre Bensusan signature guitar model by George Lowden

"The first guitar I made for Pierre was back in 1978 and that 'old lady' battered and bruised but much loved and played still sings so beautifully today. Over the years since then Pierre and I have worked very closely together and he has made many recordings with that first Lowden guitar.

I also remember adding a cutaway to his first Lowden and making the neck wider during my stay in France in 1999. Therefore, designing and building a new guitar for Pierre in 2009 was a project which I approached with special expectation and hope.

My challenge was to design a new guitar with many of the attributes of the old one (sound-wise) but with more comfort to allow Pierre to play and compose for many hours each day. Pierre asked me to include a soundbox "bevel" and I knew apart from the structural implications the most important thing would be to design and voice the new soundboard to make sure the bevel did not compromise tone in any way. For this I chose to change the geometry of the guitar back profile (to reduce it's natural pitch) and at the same time to shorten the 'dolphin profile' bracing carving of the soundboard struts at the bevel side.

To make sure the new guitar had plenty of brilliance and warmth at the same time, I chose Honduras rosewood and Adirondack spruce. Honduras rosewood is the nearest wood I can get these days to good quality Brazilian rosewood - it has the same texture, density, hardness - and most of all - tap tone. I have come to love Adirondack spruce for its clarity and warmth and rather 'three dimensional' tonal quality.

I'm delighted how the guitar has turned out and of course it will only get better with age - and an awful lot of playing - and we can be sure Pierre will do just that !!

George Lowden

Specs of the Pierre Bensusan Signature guitar Model by George Lowden

* Back and sides: Honduras rosewood
* Top: Adirondack Spruce
* Neck: Fingerstyle low profile 45 mm / 60 mm
* Back of the neck, Flamed Canadian Maple
* String width at bridge: 60 mm
* Soundbox: F size cutaway, with * soundbox bevel faced in mottled ebony
* Soundbox voicing: Bracing - bass bias 'dolphin profile' bracing with soundbox geometry also bass bias
* Soundbox depth: 130 mm at tail block
* Bridge: Madagascar rosewood
* Split two piece saddle for accurate tuning
* Fingerboard: Madagascar ebony bound with ebony and maple
* Headfacing: Bookmatched front and back with ebony
* Bevel: 25 mm wide at widest point faced with mottled ebony with bracing voicing compensation
* Machineheads: Gotoh 510 series gold / ebony
* Case: Hiscox Deluxe Liteflite

Options:

* Amplification: Highlander IP-1 piezo pickup
* Case: Calton Deluxe



Enquiries, orders, prices, where to buy, delivery times etc, please contact:

The "Altiplanos" Signature Arch-top Model by Michael Greenfield

The Altiplanos is a long-scale, 17” archtop guitar designed specifically for Pierre Bensusan. It has a 25.7” scale length, striped, African mahogany neck with a custom profile (to Pierre’s personal specs), a 45mm nut width (1.770”) and a 60 mm string spacing at the bridge (2.362”). Pickup winding legend Kent Armstrong has wound a custom magnetic pickup voiced specifically for this application, which also accommodates the wider string spacing and floats magically above the top plate at the end of the fingerboard extension; there is no finger rest on this guitar. The folks at K & K Sound have supplied a soundboard transducer to be blended with the magnetic signal.

"In Feb of 2006, Pierre Bensusan asked me to build him an archtop guitar which would address his specific musical needs. He had an old Gibson Super 400 and had owned and played L-5’s, ES-175’s and other great archtop guitars of the past. But none of them worked for his specific playing style, tunings, or musical preference. So he rarely played them.

The challenge was to craft an instrument which would be sensitive and responsive enough to support Pierre’s incredibly precise technique, speak with a rich, acoustic voice and yet would amplify well for live performance. It needed to have a very “acoustic” presentation with full, round trebles and a focused, articulate bass to support the melody while adding depth and complexity to the overall voice of the guitar without sounding “tubby”, or overpowering. Pierre’s complex use of melody, counterpoint, harmony and syncopation presented other challenges not readily addressed by the contemporary archtop guitar. The bass had to support the melody voice of the guitar….not dominate it. The guitar was to be strung with Pierre’s signature set of Wyres phosphor bronze acoustic guitar strings and accommodate his very specific scale length, neck width, taper, profile and string spacing. It was to be tuned exclusively to DADGAD, which would alter the total down-force driving the top plate. I also had to create a new magnetic pickup (with the help of pickup winding legend Kent Armstrong) which would work well with the Phosphor Bronze strings and Pierre’s string spacing (no other humbucking pickup’s pole piece spread would work).

I had very little guidance or input from Pierre, other than the parameters for his very specific neck preferences and that he thought he would like a “blue” guitar. I was at total liberty to go wherever the guitar took me (which, as a guitarmaker, I love!). Delivering any guitar to an artist of Pierre’s calibre and musical genius is at best a daunting experience. But with nothing other than Pierre’s confidence in my ability as guidance…well….presenting the guitar to him that first day was an extremely terrifying moment. Watching the joy on his face as he opened the case and saw the guitar for the first time, noting his reaction to the comfort of the neck and then witnessing his losing himself in the music was emotionally overwhelming.

The Altiplanos is the “anti-archtop”. My vision was to craft a modern, unconventional, cross-over guitar which would address all of the above criteria, present with a contemporary, non-traditional archtop voice and to challenge Pierre to take his music to a new, unexplored place. The word “Altiplanos” means a high plateau; which is exactly what this guitar is. The result has surpassed all of my expectations. Knowing that an artist of Pierre’s exceptional ability has found a new muse, through something I have given birth to with a few sticks of wood, some glue and my two hands, is a blessing and a tremendous gift. I am both humbled and honoured to have Pierre Bensusan as a friend and making music with this wonderful instrument. Peace."

Michael Greenfield

SPECIFICATIONS

* Reserve, mater grade Adirondack Red Spruce top plate
* AAAAA Pacific Coast Big Leaf Maple back plate and sides
* Striped African mahogany neck
* Scale length 25.7"
* Nut width 45 mm
* String spacing at bridge 60 mm
* Lower bout 17"
* Body Depth 3-3/8"
* Proprietary Kent Armstrong humbucking pickup (12 adjustable pole pieces)
* 54 mm string spread
* K & K sound “Pure” archtop soundboard transducers
* K & K sound quantum bender preamp
* “Altiplanos Blue” transparent tinted lacquer finish, natural top
* Custom fit, deluxe “Calton” case
* Wyres strings, Bensusan/Dadgad set

The Altiplanos is a truly unique instrument, which the luthier hopes will create a new direction and musical inspiration for fingerstyle guitarists everywhere (and even some “jazzers”).

Below are Pierre's comments, sent in an email to the luthier, Michael Grennfield upon returning to his home in France, after a recent North American tour and visit to his shop.

"Michael, you've put a lot of yourself when building the "Altiplanos" model, it's coming out through the notes, the silences, and the "horning" - and strange beauty - of this new instrument. For years, I wanted to put my fingers on an archtop that would be mine, meaning suited for fingerstyle, built with modern concepts and an open mindframe... You have just done it and made this dream come true. I feel this guitar is going to take an important place in my life. It has already started. The "Altiplanos" is telling me a new path to reach music and I love going there, especially since I am giving a voice to ideas that stayed silent until now. Also, for me, it's important that the guitar is related to an individual, the luthier, the little Gepetto and his apprentice, who have graciously, patiently and lovingly put their hands at it every day, without making no compromise in the process, in a little shop of Montreal, in la belle province. All this is written in the guitar. You've made a very grateful and happy man. Thank you so much ! "
Pierre Bensusan

Michael Greenfield will be selling the Altiplanos direct to you and not through his regular list of agents.
Please Contact Michael Greenfield and he will reply to you with info about pricing, deposit and delivery time.

Michael Greenfield
Greenfield Guitars
6833 Rue de L’Épée, #403
Montreal
PQ H3N 2C7
Canada
http://www.greenfieldguitars.com
mike@greenfieldguitars.com
Tel. +1 514-499-1352

Nylon string signature model by Juan Miguel Carmona

This guitar was made and designed for Pierre by Spanish luthier from Granada, Juan Miguel Carmona. Born in Granada in 1960, Juan Miguel Carmona has learnt luthery under the guidance of renown Granadin guitarero Rafael Moreno. He took over his father's workshop and started to make his own guitars in 1987. His father was one of the main guitar polishers in Andalousia - in Spain, luthiers do not polish their guitars, they give this work to a highly skilled polisher. Juan Miguel is cousin with the Habichuela family, one of the most well known Flamenco families in Andalousia. He grew up in the right atmosphere. Considered to be one of the best of his generation, several well known artists play on his instruments (Ketama, Pepe Habichuela, Tomatito, and now Pierre Bensusan).

The first Bensusan-Carmona Signature Models were delivered in April 2003. Although Juan Miguel makes both Flamenco and Classical nylon strings, the Bensusan-Carmona Signature is not a classical, nor a Flamenco but somewhere in between. The neck is not as wide as on a classical and closer to what steel string guitarists are used to. The sound, the touch, the look are all that Pierre hoped of.

GUITAR SPECIFICATIONS

CONSTRUCTION
- Back & Sides: Indian Rosewood, 3 piece back (Center piece: Ebony)
- Top: Honduras Cedar
- Neck: Honduras Cedar
- Fingerboard: Ebony
- Brazilian Rosewood rosette and bridge
- Ebony head veneer on front and back
- Ebony edges
- Black, white and green purflings
- Glossy lacquer finish
- Cutaway
- Transparent clear plastic pick guard

DIMENSIONS (in millimeters):
- Overall length of the guitar: 990 mm
- Length of the body: 485 mm (507 mm to the end of the heel)
- Length of the neck (from sound board to bridge side of the nut): 442 mm
- Length of the headstock: 170 mm
- Scale length: 652 mm
- Lower bout: 368 mm (wide)
- Upper bout: 272 mm
- Width of the neck at the nut: 52 mm
- Width of the neck at the 12th fret: 62 mm
- Spacing between 6th and 1st string (at saddle): 55,5 mm
- Spacing between each string: 11 mm
- Depth of the body at the heel: 85 mm
- Depth of the body at the bottom: 93 mm
- Soundhole diameter: 90 mm
- Number of frets: 21/20
- Bridge length: 103 mm
- Saddle length: 83 mm

MISC.
- Strings: Nylon, Savarez "Corum"
- Sold with a guitar case
- Maker's label inside signed by the maker and includes a dedication to Pierre Bensusan

PRICE
- Indian Rosewood Model: 3700 Euros
- Brazilian Rosewood Model: 4900 Euros

OPTIONS:
- Side and back: Brazilian Rosewood
- Side dots: no cost
- B-Band piezo-transducer, internal pre-amp, cable, installation and tuning: 350 Euros
- Professional Fiber Glass guitar flycaisee designed by Pegasus (Scotland), in "desert cream" colour (shell) and Green Emerald (inside velvet): (ask for price)

Shipping from Spain: by post, by UPS, by Fedex, others: (ask for price)
Payment: 30% when placing the order and balance prior to shipping

Juan Miguel Carmona
Damasqueros, 12 - Bajo
Granada  18009
Spain
http://guitarreria.eu/l_fr_juan_miguel_carmona.html
guitarrascarmona@gmail.com
Tel. +34 958 22 35 96