Coming Soon to GSI: Michel Belair’s Double Top Guitar

Luthier Michel Belair has shared some sneak peek photos of his newest double top guitar built for GSI! While Michel has been perfecting his double top designs over the past 5–6 years, this is the first of its kind to make its way to our store.

The soundboard of this guitar is made using two thin pieces of cedar with Nomex elongated cells in between. For the rest of the instrument, Michel chose Indian rosewood, Honduras mahogany, and African ebony with a cedar inlay, showcasing his signature attention to detail and material selection.

The guitar features a bracing system inspired by the Friederich 7-fan design but heavily modified for reduced weight while maintaining the necessary strength to handle string tension. Adding a unique touch is Michel’s adaptation of the tornavoz, called the "wave guide," a concept initially introduced by his friend Dennis Tolz. Michel’s version is incredibly lightweight—just 7 grams—and lowers the air resonance to E-flat. This tornavoz enriches the guitar’s tonal depth, enhancing the bass and the entire frequency spectrum without compromising power.

The result is a guitar that is highly responsive, colorful, and balanced, with a great sustain which according to Michel, is compareable his traditional models.

Check out sneak peek photos below!