Mélancholia

The Sound

           I have always preferred felted sounds, rich in bass and mids, singing highs rather than piercing ones. Closer to a classical guitar than a martin, this model gives us a warm and deep sound, allowing a lot of dynamism and a varied playing.

Inspiration

It was in 2014 that I made the first version, during my second year of study, following the example of Kopo & Audirac with their shifted soundhole. The idea has not left me since, I wanted to understand the role of each part, each bracing, each piece of wood, why this choice rather than another, why favor this shape and not another? This process of creation was paradoxically a moment of deconstruction of the instrument, knowing each piece and being able to argue about its supposed role, its effectiveness.

Each maker will have his understanding, his reading, theory and approach to the instrument. I came out, after four years of experimentation, with an empirical understanding of the instrument, its different parts, tension, and ergonomics.
I use the term understanding instead knowing, because I think the guitar is an instrument which, due to its complexity, has not yet revealed all its secrets. 

Characteristics

The SoundHole

Unlike traditional placement, the sound hole of Melancholia is placed on the right side to allow better access to the treble. It also has the advantage of increasing the vibrating surface of the table and facilitating access for future restorations.

The Tilt

I voluntarily make sides of different heights to improve playing comfort. The side under the arm of the musician is thinner than its counterpart, allowing for a more comfortable position, and the resulting tilt gives a better view of the neck, while keeping a higher body volume than a more traditional guitar.

Soundport

The second opening on the side provides feedback for the musician, hearing the sound more clearly, and provides a more enjoyable playing experience. 

Adjustable Neck

A small opening on the back provides access to the internal adjustment system, allowing you to change the height of the strings, so that you can fin tune for the perfect height. The adjustable neck also allows me to move the pressure of the neck, from the front to the internal block and lighten it to increase its response. Finally, this system allows me to easily disassemble the neck, in order to make maintenance and repair easier.

The back

 Ervin Somojie, Tervor Gore and Gerard Gilet, great names in contemporary guitar making, underline in their writings the poverty of the conception of the traditional background. Inspired by Kasha, an American acoustician, and his "live" back, I wanted to create a back correcting traditional flaws. I use the back to add depth, richness and sustain to the instrument. This feature provides me with an additional tool for adjusting the sound to the client's desire.

The result is a back that does not look different on the outside, but with a different conception of sound on the inside.

Price : 4 600€