Paris-based Robert Bouchet built just over 150 guitars in his lifetime - they are prized for their sound and appearance as well as for their rarity. This guitar, #104 from 1965 (as written on one of the internal back braces) has been owned until now by only one owner since it was built. He was a student and close-friend of the late Julian Bream, who also famously played and recorded on Bouchet guitars for part of his career. This instrument is in excellent condition with only one hairline crack, just off the center seam between the rosette and bridge (repaired internally only with glue), and it was also “altered” in 1983 by Jeff Elliott at the recommendation of Bream. Jeff took out the thin brace running under the bridge and replaced it with a more traditional bridge patch in 4 thin pieces between the braces. All three (Bream, Elliott and the owner) chose to do this as they felt the sound was being hurt by the brace and were delighted with the resulting sound being freed up afterwards, believing that the guitar had now reached its full potential for sound. Jeff has done this kind of bridge-patch modification many times, including on his own guitars including this one. The sound of the guitar is absolutely marvelous and compares with any top Bouchet we've ever seen. The sound can best be described as having a dreamy elegance with an almost "creamy" texture to it - and the sensation of playing a guitar with this sound is very intoxicating and other-worldly. Playability is a dream with a slender and very comfortable neck shape with standard string spacing that allows the 55mm nut width additional fingerboard on either side of the high and low E-strings to prevent "slips" during slurs and hammer-offs. Overall a fantastic example of a top Bouchet and one of the most collectable classical guitars along with Hermann Hauser I and Antonio de Torres.
"Away In A Manger" by James Ramsey Murray performed by George Sakellariou on a 1965 Robert Bouchet
Description
Paris-based Robert Bouchet built just over 150 guitars in his lifetime - they are prized for their sound and appearance as well as for their rarity. This guitar, #104 from 1965 (as written on one of the internal back braces) has been owned until now by only one owner since it was built. He was a student and close-friend of the late Julian Bream, who also famously played and recorded on Bouchet guitars for part of his career. This instrument is in excellent condition with only one hairline crack, just off the center seam between the rosette and bridge (repaired internally only with glue), and it was also “altered” in 1983 by Jeff Elliott at the recommendation of Bream. Jeff took out the thin brace running under the bridge and replaced it with a more traditional bridge patch in 4 thin pieces between the braces. All three (Bream, Elliott and the owner) chose to do this as they felt the sound was being hurt by the brace and were delighted with the resulting sound being freed up afterwards, believing that the guitar had now reached its full potential for sound. Jeff has done this kind of bridge-patch modification many times, including on his own guitars including this one. The sound of the guitar is absolutely marvelous and compares with any top Bouchet we've ever seen. The sound can best be described as having a dreamy elegance with an almost "creamy" texture to it - and the sensation of playing a guitar with this sound is very intoxicating and other-worldly. Playability is a dream with a slender and very comfortable neck shape with standard string spacing that allows the 55mm nut width additional fingerboard on either side of the high and low E-strings to prevent "slips" during slurs and hammer-offs. Overall a fantastic example of a top Bouchet and one of the most collectable classical guitars along with Hermann Hauser I and Antonio de Torres.
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