Guitar Messenger’s Ivan Chopik visited the Vigier Guitars booth at this year’s NAMM to talk to the friendly DJ Scully and find out what master luthier Patrice Vigier has in store for 2014. Check out the video above for the interview with DJ and a great demonstration of the new Vigier Excalibur Ultra AP by Thank You Scientist’s Tom Monda – then click on the image thumbnails below to see full-size pictures of some of Vigier’s exceptional axes!
Excerpts from VigierUSA.com:
Vigier guitars and basses are designed with an approach similar to the traditional craft of violin making. Raw logs to finished instruments, each step is performed by hand with great care. Vigier is one of the first brands to enter the realm of carbon in guitar making. The company’s history has seen the manufacture of many types of necks from 100% carbon neck through designs to today’s 10/90 bolt-on design. Currently, all Vigier necks have one (guitars) or two (basses) carbon reinforcement bars that replace the traditional truss rod. This is the renown 10/90 system.
By replacing the truss rod with a carbon fiber bar, the neck becomes uniquely stable. This rigidity is not absolute, as the neck retains elasticity that is calculated and necessary. This technique has several advantages:
- Perfect stability, ensuring identical action every single time you play
- A high resistance to temperature changes and humidity
- No neck adjustments when changing string guages
- No torsion possible (twisting of neck)
- Better sustain due to the lack of empty spaces in the neck that affect its ability to vibrate.
- Finally, this technique is used to adjust the strings as low as possible on the neck. Vigier is the only brand to ensure the string height at 12th fret with 100% accuracy.
Vigier guitars and basses are all equipped with a zero fret. This system allows for better sound balance between the strings and fretted and ensures a perfect string height down the neck. The zero fret is designed to be easily replaceable, if necessary.
For over 30 years, Patrice Vigier has strived to make the best guitars possible: “The instruments we offer today are the synthesis of this experience and we believe that over time, we have struck the right balance between respect for tradition and embrace of modernity.”
Ivan Chopik with the Vigier GV Wood.
Gallery
Click thumbnails to view full-size pictures:
[Special thanks to Chris Dingman and Alexander Pierce for their fantastic video work, and Chris’ additional editing assistance!]
