Enrico Bottelli
My instruments are individually built in my workshop and are part of an extremely limited production aiming to the highest quality in all the four main features of luthiery: workmanship, aesthetics and decorations, materials selection & finishing (french polished shellac), sound and playability.
All these aspects are taken care at the same uncompromised level through great care and a lot of time and patience that I put in each and every instrument. This can be easily noticed after a careful examination of any instrument. The selected spruce of the top comes from the European Alps, backs & sides are usually Brazilian rosewood or first quality Indian rosewood, necks are made of Central American mahogany or cedrela, the fingerboard is made of African or Indian black and quartered ebony.
All the woods are air seasoned for a minimum of 5 years after purchase but I seldom use woods with less than 10 years seasoning. Wood selection for each instrument is personally made taking into account both aesthetic considerations and physical properties and according to the customer requests about sound, playability and appearance.
All the braces glued on the soundboard are tested for strength through a deflection test. Animal hot glue is used on the whole instrument for best vibrations transmission.
All the decorations (mosaic rosette, bindings, purflings) are personally designed and realized in my workshop using only natural solid woods (no dyed woods). The greatest care is taken for every part and detail of the instrument (head, bindings & purflings, neck profile, heel shape, bridge). The inner, hidden part of the instrument has the same degree of workmanship and refinement as the outer part and is polished with extra fine sandpaper for best wave reflection.
Special care is taken for the instrument intonation with compensated nut and saddle. Finishing on the whole instrument is shellac, the best choice for both beauty and sound.
I use only first quality accessories, Sloane, Alessi or Rodgers machines, and Hiscox or Ika cases. Each instrument is a unique piece, slightly different from the others, in a constant effort of improving beauty and elegance and striving for sound perfection. The instruments, if properly cared and maintained, are guaranteed against defects of workmanship and materials.
