Michel Belair – 2020

Description

Michel Belair is an immensely talented Canadian luthier with an excellent educational background in music. As a former Alvaro Pierri and Roberto Aussel student, he earned a master’s degree in performance at McGill University and continued his guitar studies in Paris. When he commissioned his second guitar from Daniel Friederich, the desire to build his guitars struck him. He then learned guitar making from his friend and renowned luthier Jean Rompré. Thereafter, he benefited periodically from the expert assistance of Daniel Friederich. Following in his footsteps, Michel naturally adopted a very similar construction method and Daniel Friederich’s philosophy and scientific approach to guitar building.

This particular guitar, built in 2020, is an outstanding instrument. It was built just like Michel’s “Hommage à Daniel Friederich” model and features the Canadian luthier’s rosette and personal purfling design, recognizable for its elegance and delicacy. The instrument is in excellent condition with only a few superficial playing marks. The Vancouver Island cedar top and Indian rosewood back and sides were personally selected on site by Michel Belair in 2006. The German tuners by Scheller, hand-engraved on nickel silver plates, are also of premium quality.

What a sound! One finds exactly the qualities of the great Daniel Friederich guitars of the 80s. A rich timbre, orchestral in all registers, deep and full and generous as well. The responsiveness of the top, the sustain of the sound, the elegance of the first string, everything comes together and we can only say this: chapeau.