Daniel Friederich – 1968

Description

Daniel Friederich was born on the sixteenth of January 1932 and regrettably passed away in 2020. Although he had a strong desire to play the guitar, he lacked money. But at the age of 23, Friederich solved this dilemma by building his first guitar himself: a copy of a Simplicio guitar. Daniel’s guitar teacher and excellent guitar maker, Christian Aubin, was a great help to him. After building tools and gaining some experience in guitar making, Daniel Friederich showed his fifteenth guitar to Robert Bouchet. Since then, Robert Bouchet has inspired his work, and Daniel Friederich has personally developed some of R. Bouchet’s ideas throughout his career.

For decades, Daniel Friederich was one of the most important and respected active luthiers in the world. After a long and successful career, he stopped making guitars in 2015 and sold all his tools. Today, he is undoubtedly one of the most respected and admired guitar makers in history.

The combination of spruce and rosewood can hardly be more captivating than in this 1968 Récital model by Daniel Friederich. Outstanding for its charming, dark, and velvety tone, it produces a breathing sonority. The breadth and complexity of each note are intensely inspiring and transmit strong emotions to the listener. Daniel Friederich built this model with a slightly lighter construction than his concert model and a thinner, more rounded neck. The result is a guitar whose intense vibration creates a perceptible body sensation for the player, and the high level of playing comfort for the left hand contributes to virtually unrestricted possibilities of musical expression.

Due to the original varnish, the original tuners, and only three skillfully repaired cracks on the soundboard, this beautiful instrument is in a very well-preserved condition. Apart from the numbering and head relief, this instrument interestingly has all the signs of Daniel Friederich’s masterpieces. The rosette contains red and black colors in an intricate and noticeably precise mosaic. Having experimented with different colors in the years before, Daniel Friedrich remained faithful to these colors throughout his life. The label, with the date “Année 1968” on the upper section and “Paris” on the lower part, bears Friederich’s elegant and easily recognizable signature.

Although the use of double sides, cedar tops, and elaborate bracing patterns are indicative of Daniel Friederich’s development throughout his career, the Recital models of the late 1960s are a class of guitars all their own and it is always an honor and a privilege to be able to offer such an exquisite example.