Chartwell Guitar

Bruno Boutin #112 double top

Woods:  Figured East Indian rosewood back and sides, western red cedar over cedar double top. Mahogany neck. Sides laminated with what appears to be Australian Jarrah.  Nitro lacquer finish

Specs: 650mm scale, 52mm nut, 44mm string spacing at nut, 58mm at saddle. Raised fingerboard.  Exagon tuners, Hiscox case. Seven fan bracing with a substantial cross brace under bridge. Armrest. 12 hole tie block.

Condition: Excellent. On close inspection there are a few tiny pits in the surface but the guitar presents as new. Case is also in mint condition.

Comment: this double top guitar by experienced Quebec luthier Bruno Boutin came to me in trade, so I had no expectations, but hoped it would be a strong instrument. I am more than convinced by its performance. Just in tuning it for the first time I could sense the energy it possesses, especially in the trebles, which provide some of the nicest harmonies I have yet found in a classical guitar. Vibrato likewise.  Boutin is laminating his sides as do many builders now, notably Malapanis and Harris, both of whom are represented here. The guitar is just a bit heavier than normal, and this is in the sides, which are rendered more rigid, along with the solid band which joins the top and back to the sides. Most guitars have a kerfed band, and that allows a percentage of the vibration in the top to migrate to the sides. So making the band and sides rigid contains the energy in the top, and that is how Boutin gets his volume. Such power is expected in a concert level instrument. There is another advantage in this design, and that is a subtle but appreciated natural sustain and presence to the sound, in which notes decay slower and have a more “round” or to use a hackneyed cliche, “bell like” quality. It is slight but noticeable.

The guitar is effortless to play as with most contemporary builds. The voice is warm and inviting. New Boutins, when available, retail for approximately $7,500. Boutin does not date his guitars, so the 2015 is an estimate, as two others, dated by another dealer, suggest the year of construction.