Marc’s guitars are well-known for their crystalline clarity: this 2010 Concert Standard Cutaway confirms that and then some. Here’s a voice wich is clear and focused–no register overpowers the others, and the trebles are punchy and present. If what you need is a guitar with excellent string-to-string balance for your fingerstyle arrangements, then this 2010 Concert Standard will more than fit the bill. Honduran Rosewood and Sitka Spruce combine for clarity and depth, especially in DADGAD. The round C profile neck is feels like a sip of cold tea (or your preferred beverage) on a hot summer’s day: smooth, smooth, smooth. The Venetian Cutaway and Laskin-style arm bevel make playing even easier, and the setup is just as slinky as the neck profile.

How does Marc Beneteau manage to create a guitar with such pinpoint clarity and startling depth? It’s like peering into a deep pool of water in the middle of winter, listening to this 2016 M model: you can see clear to the bottom, and it’s a long way down. Each string is powerful, and powerfully balanced with the others, rendering the voice complex, but bracingly articulate. If fingerstyle is your game, this Beneteau M in Granadillo and Alaskan Sitka Spruce is a dream come true. The setup works wonders for flatpicking too: in DADGAD, Standard, or elsewhere, the play feel remains silky and effortless.

With a Venetian Cutaway and Ryan-style arm bevel your player comfort is further enhanced, and with the addition of a small soundport in the upper bout you get a sweet extra dose of bass right to your ear. It’s not hard to understand why so many of of Canada’s top guitar virtuosos play Marc’s guitars–there’s a precision, clarity, and depth of tone to his guitars which many luthiers aim for, but only a few achieve. Marc’s the latter for sure.

Our Dream Series with Marc Beneteau has been extremely popular and here’s a rare chance at a preowned example. This is #1 of the limited edition of 5 we commissioned from Marc. Based on the Gibson Nick Lucas models of the 1930s, this is a small body, 13 fret guitar with strong energy and vintage tone. The Brazilian set on this one is very well quartered with lovely ink lines and rich, contrasting hues. This one is topped with Adirondack for power and that classic vintage style voicing. The deep mahogany brown sunburst, 30s style inlays, and double abalone rosette make this one of the best lookers you’re likely to ever encounter.

Here is a short scale powerhouse 000 from Canada’s Marc Beneteau. Figured Mahogany and Cedar pair up here for a quick responding small body guitar that is loud and has that wonderful Mahogany growl. Don’t stereotype the Cedar top here, modern builders have learned to leave it thicker and get bit power out of it. You can hit this one hard. Marc counts as clients Don Ross, Tony McManus and Craig D’Andrea so you know his instruments are worldclass.

Marc Beneteau’s Nick Lucas design is very popular. It harkens back to the 1920s and 30s Gibson model who’s namesake was a famous player of the day. One key part of the design is the 13 Fret neck joint that keeps the bridge in the wider portion of the lower bout but allows that one more fret to play in. This sunburst beauty is Adirondack over Mahogany with a short 24.9″ scale, lovely Maple bindings and a Spalted Maple rosette. The one modern touch, its side soundport, is a welcome upgrade that sounds great in the driver’s seat. The beauty you see is equalled by what you hear. This is a very strong and proud small body guitar with volume and energy to spare. Blues, Rag and Old Time player will flip over this one.

This is a custom built Beneteau Concert Standard that sports a cutaway, armrest bevel and soundport. All these options are on top of premium woods including gorgeous Ziricote that offers up a crisp, quick and powerful voice. Marc’s guitars play beautifully and this one is in excellent condition.

We hand picked this guitar at the Healdsburg Guitar Festival. The voice of the slightly larger M sized body is big and bold. From the Beneteau Website: “The best way to describe my “M” model is to say that it is the same shape as my OM but enlarged to a full 16″ width giving it an expanded bass response. Like the Mini Jumbo and Concert Standard, this model offers another choice in a full sized guitar suitable for fingerstyle playing or full strumming.” Marc Beneteau has been working with us for a number of years now and our customers who’ve bought his instruments just love them. He somehow achieve amazing clarity and balance without lacking any power and punch. The Ebony & Spruce body here make a real impression both when you play soft and when you play hard. No wonder Tony McManus and Don Ross own Beneteau Guitars.