.
Mark, like many other of the great luthiers,
works alone. He has a 900 square foot shop filled with tools he has
collected over the last 25 years and has opted to not employ any automated
machinery. He prefers the more intimate hands-on approach that is
closer to an old-world craftsman.
He selects the materials from his extensive stash of
exotic tonewoods, based on tonal and aesthetic considerations that
are guided by the customer. Mark then proceeds with constructing
the instrument, drawing on his many years of experience. Through
precision joinery and his sensitivity to the wood's mechanical properties
he is able to produce instruments that are both structurally sound and
acoustically pleasing.
In addition to the traditional techniques of flexing
the wood and listening to tap tones, Mr. Blanchard employs Chladni
style acoustic evaluation. This technique involves using a variable
frequency sound wave to identify the resonances of a guitar top,
back or assembles body. This information, combined with years
of Chladni data collection, allows him to better control the acoustic
properties of a given instrument.
Mark contacted me recently and I was able
to talk him into sending me the Bristlecone model that you see pictured
above. This instrument is a "show guitar" that was made from some
of the builder's Master Grade tonewoods, to be displayed at major
guitar symposiums across North America. This guitar features a magnificent
Montana Engelmann spruce top with spectacular Ziricote back & sides,
Macassar ebony details & trim, absolutely effortless playability
... and a sound that without exaggeration, really takes your breath
away. This must be what it's like to ride a racehorse ... you spend
more effort holding it back than urging it forward! This guitar just
takes you anywhere you want to go in an unforced natural way ... play softly
with nuance or aggressively with authority ... what a joy to make music
with! |
