1946 Robert Bouchet No. 1 PI/CY (ex Robert Bouchet)

This 1946 Robert Bouchet is a pine and cypress classical guitar made in Paris – No. 1, the very first instrument Bouchet ever made, which remained his personal guitar throughout his life.

In the videos above, George Sakellariou plays Lawrence Long's "David's Lament" and Billy Arcila plays "Simbelmynë" on this guitar.

Bouchet's First Guitar, in His Own Words

This is an extremely rare and historically important guitar by one of the most legendary makers of the twentieth century. José Romanillos interviewed Robert Bouchet in Paris in April of 1986 (published in Guitar International, November 1986), and Bouchet said the following of this guitar: "I had played the instrument since 1932. In that year I returned to Paris, I couldn't bring my piano with me but I was introduced to the guitar and was captivated at once. Then I was lucky, I became a friend of a guitar maker called Julián Gómez Ramírez who was Spanish but lived in Paris. He made good instruments and he made one for me. I often used to visit him in his workshop so that when I came to make one myself, I knew what to do. Actually it was because I lost that nice guitar that I decided to make one. I showed it around and people said that it was quite good. A friend of mine, Corbani, who was a string maker, ordered one and so became my first customer!"

The Guitar Bouchet Showed His Visitors

Bouchet's reputation as a maker soon attracted players to his studio – Ida Presti and Alexandre Lagoya, Emilio Pujol, Oscar Ghiglia, Turíbio Santos, Manuel López Ramos and even Julian Bream – and this was the instrument that Bouchet would show to his visitors and his quickly growing list of top players, who were ordering his guitars from the start. This guitar comes from the Russell Cleveland collection and is featured on pages 48-49 of the book "The Classical Guitar – A Complete History", in its pages on Bouchet, together with our 1961 Bouchet.

Torres Proportions and a Pine Top

Bouchet's reputation of having all the skills of a master luthier from the start is absolutely confirmed with this instrument. His first "phase" (guitars #1-21) displays a remarkable affinity to Torres, with a lightly braced (7 fan) soundboard and the same essential proportions and dimensions of Torres – although the Bouchet "headshape", "label" and even easily identifiable bout proportions are already present in this guitar. The top is of pine (as Torres was known to do from time to time – a great example here), which is a remarkably responsive material as this guitar attests – it has great punch, a firm fundamental clearly heard in every note and a beautiful, lyrical and singing voice, especially in the upper registers. The instrument is in great and original condition, including finish. It is difficult to imagine a guitar that could be more collectible than this – and it plays and sounds world-class as well.

Robert Bouchet: From Painter to Guitar Maker

Robert Bouchet (1898–1986) was a Paris painter who became one of the most influential guitar makers of the twentieth century and the founding father of what is called today the "French school of guitar making". He took up the guitar in 1932 and became a friend of Julián Gómez Ramírez, a Spanish maker in Paris trained in the José Ramírez I workshop in Madrid, whose workshop he often visited. When he lost the guitar Gómez Ramírez had made for him, he decided to build one himself – in 1946, at the age of 48. In all he made only 154 instruments.

Founder of the French School

Bouchet's reputation quickly attracted some of the greatest players to his workshop: Ida Presti and Alexandre Lagoya, Emilio Pujol, Oscar Ghiglia, Turíbio Santos, Manuel López Ramos and Julian Bream. His innovations, including the famous "barre d'âme" in the soundboard bracing, left a lasting mark on guitar making, and the guitars of Daniel Friederich and many later French makers grew from his school. Bouchets are in the top tier of collectible classical guitars, along with Antonio de Torres and Hermann Hauser I.

Books on Robert Bouchet

Alberto Martínez's bilingual book is the most complete look at Bouchet's life and work, and a 1959 Bouchet is among the guitars shown in Orfeo's "34 Classical Guitars in Life Size":

Robert Bouchet 1898-1986: Peintre & Luthier

Orfeo – 34 Classical Guitars in Life Size