Eye Candy in The Benoit Room

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 18 Mar 2011 10:44 am

I never like to use the word "best" when it comes to music and music related topics.....and when it comes to builders and luthiers, there are so many wonderful, fine, and unique craftsman out there building amazing instruments.....

Carroll Benoit is a builder whom I've had the pleasure to work with extensively and get to know on a personal level......

Here are some of his resophonic guitars from the Dallas show this year.....

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 18 Mar 2011 10:46 am

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 18 Mar 2011 10:48 am

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 18 Mar 2011 10:51 am

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 18 Mar 2011 10:57 am

Good Lord! Speechless...

Tom Pettingill · Post by **Tom Pettingill** » 18 Mar 2011 10:57 am

Wow ... incredible work! He is definitely at the top of his craft!

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 18 Mar 2011 11:13 am

I own and play a Benoit which I dearly love and I've been a big fan and booster of Carroll's work for years. In all honesty, as I've watched his work grow increasingly ornate over the years at ever more astonishing levels of craftsmanship he's begun to lose me. For my personal taste, less - done with consummate taste - is almost always more.

For me, the beautiful, classic simplicity and rightness-of-design of the Fender Telecaster will never be surpassed by even the most amazing Les Paul flame top sporting an inlaid dragon done in precious stones. Likewise, Carroll's first instruments done simply in stunning woods with impeccable workmanship speak loudest to me. Of the photos above, I find the fleur-de-les model most intriguing but it goes a step too far. It reminds me of something pulled from a Spanish galleon wreck.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 18 Mar 2011 11:36 am

Have any of you played his archtop jazz guitar(s)? If so, your thoughts/reactions, please?

JC

Bob Blair · Post by **Bob Blair** » 18 Mar 2011 11:36 am

My Benoit "Cajunborne" still leaves me speechless sometimes. These instruments sound every bit as good as they look.

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 18 Mar 2011 3:12 pm

Andy,....subjectivity is a funny thing.....when I first met Carroll and bought a couple of his early guitars (2002), they had the slotted headstock with the tuners facing up.....at that time other builders were making shorter headstocks with the tuners off to the sides....that was the newer/modern look and people were suggesting to Carroll to follow suit because "that was the look", so he did and still does.....and I bought one of his Koas (2005) with the shorter headstock....at that time I liked the shorter headstock also.....now, looking back, I prefer the original longer slotted headstock....and the "modern" ones look a little odd to me....well, as they say, beauty is in the eye of the beerholder....

Interesting thing about the ornate aspect of Carrolls work....you could probably blame me for that and creating a monster...

.....I have pushed Carroll and he still hasn't reached his limits....

In commissioning Carroll to build one of a kind "theme" resophonic guitars, we had to come up with original and different aspects of design and then had to manufacture them into reality....three dimensional.....take for example, The Phoenix...a theme guitar based on the famous D'Angelico Teardrop....there was no way that I would have ever put round screens in the bouts of that guitar....so we cme up with something that had never been done before (at least to my knowledge)....we developed "sound grilles"...made of wood (in this case in the shape of a teardrop to echo the form of the guitar) carved and set into the bouts, almost like an inlay.....and it was perfect!

Now that he knew that he could do this,....why not incorporate this technigue into other guitars?....he did, but it was a lot of work and not everybody wanted that look or the added cost....but the round screens had now become mundane....so, Carroll came up with a design and had metal sound grilles made and you can see them on the guitars above....as a matter of fact, I chucked all of my round screens and bought the metal sound grilles of all of my guitars....

Another example are the wood coverplates that you see on a couple of the guitars above.....the idea for a wood cover came to me when I commissioned Carroll to build an archtop 9 string resophonic guitar....I couldn't just put a fan or lyre chrome cover plate on such a spectacular guitar....so I had my hatblock maker carve out a wooden coverplate to spec....this also turned out so well that why not continue with something different....for the Style 4 wood Tricone Carroll bought a CNC machine so now he can carve things that would have been almost impossible to do before.....

I'm not arguing a point here.....your opinion of what you prefer works for you and I respect that as well as agree partially with it....which is why I expressed my feeling about the headstock....

The point I do want to make is that the ornamentation and ornate designs were and are the result of both problem solving and continuity....I suppose that I'm justifying these things and that's because there's a purpose for them....when we discuss builds we are careful to never slap on inlays, carvings, or etchings just for the sake of throwing them on there.....they have to relate to the design and concept.....we are very aware of overlooking how bad the bear dances, simply because it's a dancing bear.....

All that being said....we still have to press on.....we can't stand still or let grass grow between our toes......Carroll and I are working on two very, very, very, orginal guitars, the likes of which you've never seen before, or anyone for that matter.....we have been working on this for about 3-4 years now and have finally come up with a way to actually build them.....stay tuned....

Tony Wilcox · Post by **Tony Wilcox** » 18 Mar 2011 5:52 pm

Here's my Benoit Resonator. I didn't set out to get one that pretty. But, when I played it....I bought it.

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 18 Mar 2011 7:12 pm

Howard, your collaborations with Carroll have been a partnership made in heaven; one of vision and creativity married to a bold willingness to go into uncharted territory. I don't really include your instruments in my comments above. It's a more general comment about the direction he's taking.

The history of fine furniture making will testify to the love of the ornate and the skills of inlay and marquetry. It's certainly a valid aesthetic and Carroll applies it to instrument making like few other luthiers - Abe Whecter's Cathedral guitar for John McLaughlin is one of the few comparable axes that comes to mind. Keep doing what you're doing. You represent a noble line of artists and patrons that goes back hundreds of years. I can't wait to see what you two come up with next.

For me, I'll take the simpler guitars. The Benoits I've had have been exceptional sounding - particularly the first one that UPS turned to kindling. I hate to change strings on a slotted headstock but I too dig the long slotted ones like my guitar.

Tony, you're a lucky man. That's one lovely guitar!

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 18 Mar 2011 7:35 pm

That workmanship really blows me away!

David Matzenik · Post by **David Matzenik** » 19 Mar 2011 12:42 am

In that Weissenborn style guitar it is interesting to see the adoption of a head design that I believe comes from the old horseshoe-crab electric guitars. Its perfectly logical.

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 19 Mar 2011 9:36 am

Jim Cohen wrote:Have any of you played his archtop jazz guitar(s)? If so, your thoughts/reactions, please?

JC

I didn't play it, but I got a chance to hear a good player play it when I was in the Benoit room. It sounds better than it looks, and it looks great. I think the person who played it bought it - it was sold on Friday, if I'm correct.

Mike Auldridge spent Saturday afternoon playing his guitars with a fiddle, guitar, bass and second dobro by Eddie Ortego. They both sounded great. I agree that his ornamentation can be over the top, but for those who like that sort of thing, this is the guitar to get. Even the simplest of instruments has a great sound. I spoke with Mr. Benoit and he indicated he uses Beard cones on his instruments.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 19 Mar 2011 9:53 am

All of those guitars look better in person by far than in the photos. They sound better in person, too.

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 19 Mar 2011 10:22 am

Brad, the archtop is Carroll's that he is keeping for himself.....he will make that guitar to order.....

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 19 Mar 2011 10:31 am

Brad Bechtel wrote:

Even the simplest of instruments has a great sound. I spoke with Mr. Benoit and he indicated he uses Beard cones on his instruments.

I have experienced Carroll's work over the years and have several of his "simple" guitars....they each also have their own sound and as I bought them at the shows, I picked out what thought had the best sound/tone and playability......he has presently honed his expertise (in his set up, materials, and specs) to the point where even his most basic guitar has tone to cry for.....including his 8 stringers....

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 19 Mar 2011 10:43 am

I also want to say that I missed Beard Guitars this year at the show.....(aside from clowning around with Howard Parker) I think that Paul Beard is a master craftsman with great insight and innovation.....his guitars are meticulously built and beauties to behold with killer tone....he has also filled an important needed gap with his Gold Tone line.....the show is certainly more amazing when both of these builders are there.....

Roy Thomson · Post by **Roy Thomson** » 19 Mar 2011 11:24 am

Many thanks for posting all this Howard. That is
magnificent craftsmanship!!
I really like the wood insert cone covers. Gives a
classical appearance to the instrument. Amazing!!

Roy

John Bushouse · Post by **John Bushouse** » 20 Mar 2011 11:44 am

HowardR wrote:

I really like the looks of this guitar... can anyone provide any info about it?

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 20 Mar 2011 4:48 pm

http://www.benoitguitars.com/QM136_8string.htm

There were three made in "The Flame" series....

Larry Tresniky has the 6 string, I own the 7 string, and the 8 string is available....

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 21 Mar 2011 4:48 am

JC[/quote]

I spoke with Mr. Benoit and he indicated he uses Beard cones on his instruments.[/quote]

Carroll asked me to correct this....he uses Quarterman cones....

John Bushouse · Post by **John Bushouse** » 21 Mar 2011 9:56 am

Howard,

Do you know the story behind the flame guitars - inspiration, etc? I love the body shape.

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 22 Mar 2011 7:32 pm

John Bushouse wrote:Howard,

Do you know the story behind the flame guitars - inspiration, etc? I love the body shape.

From Carroll.....

"When I was a kid growing up I lived on a farm, and my parents were share croppers. At that time there was no electricity and none of the conveniences we have today. Coal oil lamps was our source of light. So for a long time I had sort of an idea of some how make a guitar that would remind me of those days. That's how the "Flame" came about. The peghead is shaped like the lamp, and tail piece shaped to match and the body too. All of the position markers are in the shape of a flame and I sprayed the guitar to look like it sets in a flame. Till now I didn't think anyone would notice or wonder why I used that design. I really thought I had brought that out in making the guitar."