Michi Matsuda—a category all of his own. This man blends the disciplines of sculpture and lutherie with a contemporary artist’s eye for contour and color in ways that the rest of us are only just now catching on to. This M1 was originally built for one of our clients in 2005, and it’s a wonderful opportunity for us to revisit with an old friend. Suspicions have now been confirmed: even 13 years later, Michi’s guitars are gorgeous, timeless, and incredibly resonant.
Rich, red Brazilian Rosewood make up the back and sides, and there’s a tight-grained Italian Spruce on top with a little bit of aged toner in the finish which pairs nicely with the Spalted Maple rosette, waist, and florentine cutaway inlays. Twin koi fish are inlaid in Abalone from frets five to nine, and just after the scalloped nut there’s a final touch of Spalted Maple veneered to the headstock with gold Gotoh 510 tuners and Ebony knobs. The bridge is Rosewood, as are the bindings, and the heelblock features Matsuda’s swoop relief carved into the treble side to coax your left hand a bit closer to the fretboard when playing the uppermost frets.
There’s absolute magic in the naked strings. The treble response is haunting, replete with overtones and palpable sustain. Notes from this M1 hang in the air like a cloud. It’s rare to find a guitar which really feels as comfortable with picks as it does with fingers, but this Matsuda is one such guitar. How Michi manages to coax so much color and dynamism out of his guitars, we’ll probably never know—but we’re glad he does.
Other keywords: somogyi, ervin somogyi, gryphon strings, frank ford, sculptor, functional art, luthier