Classical Guitars - Kent Guitar Classics

Bertrand Ligier

Bertrand headed to the construction of classical guitars after Art History studies at the University of Montpellier and Cabinet making at the Georges Guynemer High School of Crafts in Uzès, South of France. During his studies at the University he learned the essential history of painting, architecture and archaeology from antiquity to 20th century and was most interested in the history of painting during Renaissance and the French famous period of impressionism.
After these studies he received a complete education and training on woodworking and furniture in Uzès, were he learned cabinet making, alternating with internships in workshops or with the famous “Compagnons du devoir” organization. During this time he had the possibility to construct himself some style furniture including great and complex work of veneering but also restoration of old epoch furniture.

Playing classical guitar for 10 years at that time, he decides to try the construction of his first instrument in his student room and continued after that with handbooks and with help of pictures of masters guitars found on the internet, while he was working in a cabinet making and restoration workshop in Montpellier.
The real important moment in his approach of the classical guitar construction was when he had the possibility to meet for the first time the great French maker D. Field thanks to guitarist Bernard Piris. Since then, the research on both artistic style and sound, as well as trying to make the best craftsmanship possible, are all considered equally important in the construction of his guitars.

Bertrand concentrated his study of classical guitar history from the 19th century until present, a period coinciding with his favorite Art period, to understand the influences and evolution of classical guitars from different countries and different makers. Himself fascinated by some makers of the past and the present, as much by the artistic style as by the sound, the construction of his own guitars has been influenced by his studies while working hard to create his own path and style.

His guitars are built with a traditional approach in the construction, including a lot of research on the acoustical systems. He builds around 8 guitars per year with spruce top and fan brace system. The back is reinforced to give more projection coupled with a double sides system. The fine work on details and rosette is always subject to research and evolution, and can be considered like a hallmark of his work.