Daniel Lesueur taught me about the love of labor in search of perfection. Having been himself apprenticed by Daniel Friedrich, he shared with me his secrets and those he had learned from his « master ».
To dive into the imagining and manufacture of a classical guitar seems something of a mystical initiation. The utmost in concentration is required to follow along the long path arriving at, perhaps, a « great » instrument. My idea of a great instrument, first of all, is one that is true to my tastes, more so than passing fashions. Throughout my research I’ve tried to find the answers to problems that could not be explained by my mentors.
As in all artistic œuvres the questions are without end and in that is the joy of the travail – everyday brings a fresh discovery. Humility before the breathing material and the absolutes of acoustics linked to these variegated woods is the core of the luthier trade. I feel somewhat like a sculptor in sound.