But rarely do we find such consistent harmony between a builder’s visual and auditory aesthetics. But then, Michi Matsuda is that rare luthier. This M1 comes to us from 2007, in Brazilian Rosewood and Italian Spruce, with free arcing purflings and Spalted Maple accents on top. The Brazilian back and sides are rich and dark, with enough wildness to the grain to be eye-catching, but straight enough to be stable and true. Back on top, see how Michi sandwiched Ebony and Rosewood together for a two-layer bridge. We’re not sure of the last time a bridge design struck us as so contemporary, and so approachable at the same time.
Michi carves a swooping thumb rest out of the neck heel to get your left hand a bit closer to the fretboard extension, and the deep florentine cutaway helps even more. Such visual elegance is paired with lush, liquid trebles and surgical clarity in the bass and mids. Even a gentle touch yields up delicious, sweetly sustaining notes, and the setup is butter-smooth and equally tasty.
This Matsuda M1 is simply phenomenal.
Other keywords: lutherie, ervin somogyi, somogyi, fingerstyle, flattop, brazilain, gotoh, scalloped nut
Strength and beauty are the words that come to mind after just a few notes from this guitar. Michi Matsuda did not just create something beautiful for the eyes but also for the ears in this instrument. Melody notes blossom and reach their peak upon the listener’s ears and they are supported beautifully by round and warm bass notes. The attention to detail that you see on the rosette and headstock are echoed in the setup and fretwork. This one plays as beautifully as it looks and sounds. A masterpiece. | Scale Length | 25.25 in |
|---|---|
| Nut Width | 1.75 in |
| String Spacing | 2.25 in |
| Woods | Spruce - Italian, Rosewood - Brazilian |
But rarely do we find such consistent harmony between a builder's visual and auditory aesthetics. But then, Michi Matsuda is that rare luthier
Strength and beauty are the words that come to mind after just a few notes from this guitar. Michi Matsuda did not just create something beautiful for the eyes but also for the ears in this instrument 