2014 Bertrand Ligier SP/IN

This 2014 Bertrand Ligier is a classical guitar with a spruce top and Indian rosewood back and sides, built in the Languedoc region of southern France, and his 35th instrument.

Bertrand Ligier's 35th Guitar

This instrument (his 35th to date) fully represents his work of the time and is remarkable for its beauty of tone, quality of build and aesthetic.

Although Bertrand had built with cedar soundboards in the past, at this time he had made the decision to direct his creative energies exclusively to the use of European spruce, and this guitar has a very fine Swiss Alpine spruce top, braced with an asymmetrical fan system. The sides are doubled (the inner layer of cypress), 4.5 mm thick in total, and the back is reinforced by a structure of five crossed rods. Reinforcing the back and sides this way gives an optimal transfer of energy from the strings to the soundboard and the neck - and with it better projection, deep and sturdy basses, and rounded, focused trebles. Most interestingly, body and neck are built separately and only assembled at the end - the method known as "French mounting". The resulting sound is beautifully lyrical, loose and open, even for a new spruce instrument.

French-School Looks, Uniquely Ligier

Visually, it reflects his study of the great masters past and present - a touch of Bouchet in the headstock, Friederich in the plantilla, Field in the rosette - but the whole is unmistakably Ligier. Tuning machines are by Nicolo Alessi, with exotic and beautiful snakewood treatments in the buttons and plate inlays. Although a used guitar, it's in great shape with only some modest wear in the finish.

We're very pleased to be working with this fine young maker, and this is an impressive concert-level guitar in every regard. We recommend it to players of any level, from the advanced student to accomplished professional.

Photos of this guitar being built

Orfeo Magazine article on Bertrand Ligier

Bertrand Ligier and the French School

Based in southern France, Bertrand Ligier is considered one of the best makers of the new French generation. Since we have been working with him, his work has constantly evolved with each guitar to reach higher levels of craftsmanship and musicality that are now internationally recognized. His attention to aesthetics and his keen sense of sound place him in the tradition of the French school that begins with Robert Bouchet, followed by Daniel Friederich, Dominique Field, Jean-Noël Rohé and now Bertrand Ligier. Indeed, both Dominique Field and Jean-Noël Rohé have played an important role for Bertrand through their helpful advice and continuous support of his work for many years.

A Workshop in Connaux, near Avignon

Before turning to the guitar, Bertrand studied art history and then trained as a cabinet-maker, with apprenticeships in the south of France and in Spain. He works in Connaux, a village between Avignon, Nîmes and Uzès, in a former silkworm house that he renovated himself into his workshop. With a growing wait-list and increasing international demand, we are pleased to have US exclusivity with this fine maker, who provides us one instrument per year.