2018 Michel Bélair "Hommage à Daniel Friederich" CD/IN

This 2018 Michel Bélair "Hommage à Daniel Friederich" is a classical guitar with a cedar top and Indian rosewood back and sides, made in Montreal, Canada, after Daniel Friederich's 1999 guitar No. 763 – pre-owned, in pristine condition, and heard in a Mela Guitar Quartet video.

A Tribute to Friederich's Late Style

Michel's "Hommage" model is his tribute to Daniel Friederich, whose work transformed the modern classical guitar. This one follows Friederich No. 763 of 1999, which Michel owns along with a copy of Friederich's building notes for it – so even details such as wood densities could be matched.

Materials and Details

The 15-year-old master-grade Western red cedar top matches the original's density and grain spacing; the Indian rosewood sides are laminated internally with mahogany; the neck is Honduran mahogany; and the carved headstock, rosette, purflings and Rodgers tuners all follow Friederich.

Sound

Silky and velvety, with rich basses and thick trebles, strong projection and a long, evenly decaying sustain that keeps the guitar balanced at every dynamic level. Scott Tennant, one of Friederich's great champions, has played Bélair guitars, and this one can be heard in the Mela Guitar Quartet's recording of Ravel's "Le Jardin Féerique" (see video).

Condition

A used guitar in pristine, like-new condition.

Michel Bélair: A Concert Guitarist Turned Luthier

Michel Bélair is a Canadian luthier based in Montreal. He developed his passion for the guitar in his early teens, which eventually led him to study guitar at McGill University, where he earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in guitar performance under the tutelage of Alvaro Pierri. He then studied with Roberto Aussel in Paris. Michel has excellent skills as a player – his playing has been recognized with prizes and awards at various international classical guitar competitions – and he fully understands the perspective of the instrumentalist, which has had a big influence on his work as a guitar maker.

Two Original Friederich Guitars

As a performer, Michel played two original guitars by Daniel Friederich (no. 557 and no. 763), and both of his teachers, Alvaro Pierri and Roberto Aussel, also played Friederich guitars for most of their careers. This long-term exposure to – and appreciation of – Friederich's instruments inspired Michel to develop his "Hommage à Daniel Friederich" model. He also builds his own traditional and double-top models.

GSI and the "Hommage" Model

Michel pays particular attention to the decay and overall sustain of the sound. GSI is proud to be the exclusive dealer in the USA for Michel's "Hommage à Daniel Friederich" model.