French builder Bertrand Ligier brings together flawless fit and finish, an eye for the details, and an ear for mixing energy and elegance with this number from 2018. Straight-grain Indian Rosewood back and sides pair up with German Spruce on top (one of our favorite sets we’ve seen in some time), a gorgeously clear French Polish finish throughout, and intricate mosaic rosette for understated good looks. The voice is simply a delight. Lively and energetic strings mix up clearly and dynamically across the registers, with a layer of sweetly cool overtones in the top end that adds a level of bloom and presence to slow passages. We also love the responsiveness of the bass register, which suffuses a warmth across the voice.
Bertrand Ligier’s work is on a top shelf all of its own, reminiscent of both Friederich and Bouchet but all his own.
Here’s a great demo performance with our own Andy Jurik putting the 2018 Bertrand Ligier through its paces: https://youtu.be/Wk9r2FskPzU
Here’s an additional demo on this Betrand Ligier with guitarist David Stevenson: https://youtu.be/H2KybtIzwmw
Other keywords: classical guitar, classical, nylon string, luthier, lutherie, fingerstyle, marquetry, handmade, french polished, steve newbrough, andy jurik, hiscox, 68