Guitare-Fruit Series
Exploratory series on tonality, ladder-type bracing patterns, and ergonomics.
In 2008 I made a series of five Guitare-Fruit, to experiment with tone, bracing patterns and ergonomics.
Essentially a variation on the gourd-banjo, and certainly influenced by the African Cora instrument, these small-bodied guitars have a tone that is well-suited for recording work. Some even have been featured on film scores and other soundtracks.
There are a few sound bytes of them on this page.
Presented at the Montreal guitar show in 2009 ; They where sold all in one go!
None was ever made again, except for the recent Guitare-Fruit Wurcer.
Guitare - Fruit no. 1
Guitare - Fruit 1 demo
More precisely worked through this series are:
-
The neck through which is hollow, letting the sound pass towards the head (as in the indian sitar).
-
The sequential ladder bracing, different for each
-
The glued-on wooden pick guard which is voiced as part of the soundboard.
-
The assembly-type design of the headstock which has been used many times in my work (and elsewhere) since.
Photos: Pierre-Luc Dufour
Guitare - Fruit no. 3 built for Rolf Klausener (The Acorn).
Guitare - Fruit 3 Demo
Detail of the body profile showing the armrest made of the same material as that of the soundboard:
-
This component detail led me later (2011) to create Oudtar's slanted cutaway according to the same principle, here bending the red spruce to create the visual extension of its soundboard.
Guitare - Fruit no. 3
Photos: Thierry André
"Thanks for sending this link, and thank you again for the wonderful work on the Gourdguitar. It's soooooo wonderful.
I'm attaching a song from our upcoming album that was written and performed on the gourd.
it's a really simple song, but i think the gourd sounds fantastic in this song."
Okay, I must run, but i'll talk to you soon. Keep sending any ideas whenever you have them!
Infinite thanks again!
rk