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Model 'M'
I have gradually evolved my designs over the
years; frequently called
upon to build instruments suiting modern finger-style players who play
in a vast range of techniques, including many subtle or gentle ones, in a
broad range of tunings and who generally perform in a amplified format,
usually solo. The main style of building I have evolved produces
versatile instruments with a broad tonal response that will suit a much
wider range of styles than just modern finger-style players but with my
new model 'M' (conceived 2014-15) I have sought to 'design in' with its
distinctive out-line a stronger bias towards the upper mid-range in order
to produce a guitar that will stand out in multi-instrumental group
playing; both finger-style and flat-picked, having added presence and
separation suiting celtic and folk orientated styles as well as vocal
accompaniment performed either purely acoustically or with
amplification. The weighting of the main elements - sound-board and
back - in the 'M' is very similar to my usual guitars, although with
western red cedar as the main top wood I have aimed this design
towards, but the shape has a short but wide curvy outline with a
relatively high waist which puts less sound-board area behind the bridge
and more in front than most of my other shapes. This type of proportion
shortens the length of the sound-board shifting the response upwards
but the high waist and relatively wide dimensions help stop the sound
getting too enclosed by allowing a larger vibrational area in front of the
bridge.
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Above: one of the first Benjamin Model
M guitars; cedar and American black walnut with
Macassar ebony 'Scoop' and arm 'Radius' made for ace guitar and flute player
Philippe
Barnes.
Below: Philippe trying his new guitar for the first time, July 2015.
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