2023 Bertrand Ligier SP/AR

This 2023 Bertrand Ligier is a classical guitar with a spruce top and African rosewood back and sides, built in the Languedoc region of southern France, with a European spruce top and an unusual four-piece back.

One of the Best French Makers of His Generation

Each new guitar we receive from Bertrand features his latest body design - the result of many years of constant research. In his never-ending quest to improve his work, he has once again made slight modifications for more aesthetic balance, adjusting the proportions of his headstock design and purflings to match. The tie block is inspired by Simplicio - a charming and subtle homage, done in his own way with the central part raised in relief like a carved jewel. New in many ways, yet still unmistakably French school - austere and complex, yet understated.

Construction: Spanish Method and Double Sides

Soundwise, Bertrand's quest is to maximally increase the acoustic capabilities of his instruments while maintaining a beautiful quality of sound. In late 2019 he left the French mounting technique for the Spanish method, in an effort to improve the relationship between the neck and body - particularly the soundboard. It was a difficult technical decision for him because it required changing several details of his building process, including the creation of new moulds. These newer guitars are more balanced, with strong and lyrical basses and an especially improved first string. The sound remains as classy as before, but with perhaps a bit more old-world charm. The top is braced with six full-length bars, three on the treble side and three on the bass side, with a "half" bar from the bridge to the foot in place of a center brace and two shorter braces fanning from the soundhole to the bridge. Two Bouchet-style braces, under the front edge of the bridge and just behind it, keep that area flexible yet structurally stable. The sides are doubled, as always with Bertrand - the inside layer is spruce, which Bertrand chose for its lightweight quality and because it was often used for back and sides during the Romantic period (for example in the instruments of René Lacote). 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.

A Four-Piece African Rosewood Back

Ligier has not only become 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 most skilled woodworkers in the trade, and his intricate and perfectly executed rosette designs have become a hallmark of his work. The mosaic here is in the "bean" pattern inspired by Daniel Friederich's famous rosette. His pore-filling and French polish work have a mirror-like, perfectly consistent sheen over the entire instrument. This is a maker with a great sense of style combined with virtuosity in the delivery. Materials are first-rate - a beautiful European spruce top and an exquisite set of African rosewood for the back and sides. Although the back appears to be three pieces, it is actually four: the centerpiece has no purfling, giving it the appearance of a single piece of wood. Tuners are Alessi H1 with ebony buttons. It sounds every bit as good as it looks: precise balance, supreme clarity between voices and a sophisticated voice with a very pronounced fundamental and highly controlled overtones. An incredibly satisfying instrument on all counts - we recommend his guitars to players of any level, from advanced students to accomplished professionals.

Photos of this guitar taken during construction

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.