Cliquez ici pour la version FrançaiseAbout Pierre
Pierre Bensusan is one of the worlds greatest ever acoustic guitar players and composers, working almost exclusively in the DADGAD guitar tuning. For more information about Pierre click here to go to his web site
About the guitar
View Pierre's signature series guitar at the Lowden web site
“The first guitar I made for Pierre was back in 1978 and that 'old lady' battered and bruised but much loved and played still sings so beautifully today.
Over the years since then Pierre and I have worked very closely together and he has made many recordings with that first Lowden guitar. I also remember adding a cutaway to his first Lowden and making the neck wider during my stay in France in 1999. Therefore, designing and building a new guitar for Pierre today in 2009 was a project which I approached with special expectation and hope.
My challenge was to design a new guitar with many of the attributes of the old one (sound-wise) but with more comfort to allow Pierre to play and compose for many hours each day. Pierre asked me to include a soundbox "bevel" and I knew apart from the structural implications the most important thing would be to design and voice the new soundboard to make sure the bevel did not compromise tone in any way. For this I chose to change the geometry of the guitar back profile ( to reduce it's natural pitch ) and at the same time to shorten the 'dolphin profile' bracing carving of the soundboard struts at the bevel side. To make sure the new guitar had plenty of brilliance and warmth at the same time, I chose Honduras rosewood and Adirondack spruce. Honduras rosewood is the nearest wood I can get these days to good quality Brazilian rosewood - it has the same texture, density, hardness - and most of all - tap tone.
I have come to love Adirondack spruce for its clarity and warmth and rather 'three dimensional' tonal quality. I'm delighted how the guitar has turned out and of course it will only get better with age - and an awful lot of playing - and we can be sure Pierre will do just that !!” - George Lowden
BACK AND SIDES
Honduras rosewood
SOUNDBOARD
Adirondack
ROSETTE
Rosewood, Abalone
BINDING AND BEVEL
Mottled Ebony with maple & ebony
PURFLING
Sycamore, Rosewood, Mahogany
TUNERS
Gotoh Gold/Ebony 510
BRIDGE
Madagascar Rosewood
NECK
5 piece Maple (Fingerstyle)
HEADSTOCK OVERLAY
Bookmatched Ebony front & back
STRAP BUTTON INLAY
Lace wood
Win a Pierre Bensusan signature model Lowden guitar
To celebrate the release and world tour of Pierre Bensusan's new album 'Vividly', and to commemorate Pierre's 35 year anniversary as an international recording artist, Pierre and Lowden Guitars are thrilled to offer this world-wide competition to win a top of the range Pierre Bensusan Signature Model Lowden Guitar worth over $8000.
How to enter
Simply complete the entry form below and answer the multiple choice competition question. The competition closes and the winner will be picked at random on 3rd July 2011. The winner will be notified by email and featured on Pierre's web site.
* Please note, your details will not be passed onto any third party but you will be registered to receive newsletters from Pierre Bensusan and Lowden Guitars. You can unsubscribe from these later if you wish.
Hear the guitar in action
Vividly
The 'New Lady' signature model Lowden guitar was used along side his 'Old Lady' Lowden guitar throughout the recording of 'Vividly', Pierre's new album.
Click here to buy Vividly
