2017 Bertrand Ligier SP/CSAR

This 2017 Bertrand Ligier is a classical guitar with a spruce top and CSA rosewood back and sides, built in the Languedoc region of southern France, the first with his Fischer-, Rubio- and Simplicio-inspired design.

A New Body Design for 2017

This beautiful guitar features Bertrand's newest body design, developed over years of research and inspired above all by three makers he admires: Paul Fischer, David Rubio and Francisco Simplicio. The plantilla may recall them, but it is Ligier's own. The bracing of the top is also new, with seven bars, and for this top in particular, to maximize flexibility, it is also fitted with a crossed bar under the bridge. The sides are doubled, as always with Bertrand - the inside layer is mahogany (normally he uses cypress). A stiffer yet still lightweight body sends more of the vibration into the soundboard, improving projection in concert settings and giving deeper, sturdier basses and more rounded, focused trebles. Neck and body are made separately and joined only at the end - the "French mounting" method - and the sound is beautifully lyrical, loose and open, even for a new spruce top.

A Rising Star of the French School

Ligier is not only becoming recognized for his great quality of sound, but also for his remarkable woodworking skills. The attention to detail found in his inlay work is second-to-none, rivaling the top veterans of the trade, and his intricate and perfectly executed rosette designs are becoming a hallmark of his work. His pore-filling and French polish have a mirror-like, perfectly consistent sheen over the entire instrument - a maker with a great sense of style combined with virtuosity in the delivery. Materials are also first-rate, with a stunning set of aged CSA rosewood for the back and sides. And it sounds as good as it looks - precise balance and supreme clarity between voices, with a sophisticated voice: a very pronounced fundamental and highly controlled overtones. Overall an incredibly satisfying instrument on all counts.

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.