Michi Matsuda M1, 2011

CONDITION: near mint - a few light fingernail scratches on the body; little signs of being played. An excellent example of a preowned Matsuda.

Writing about an instrument as sublime as this reminds me of the saying: "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture." Trying to adequately put in words the sublime deliciousness of this guitar is like that.

I can try.

It's a superb example from Michi Matsuda, one of the world's finest and most talented luthiers. This guitar is all about incredible sound and feel and inspired touches — check out the stunning neck joint/heel as one example of Michi's unique and transcendent aesthetic.

The sound is just glorious. While Michi has drawn from Ervin Somogyi's expert tutelage (this guitar has a definite sonic nod to those renowned origins), it has a more modern quality. It's very pianistic for a guitar. The responsiveness is immensely satisfying. The notes bloom when played with the lightest touch - and the guitar jumps to attention when played with authority. It can whisper or 'burst.' It is full and rich over its entire range - whether played with a pick or fingers. The playability is beyond reproach, with a beautiful neck carve and splendid fretwork. Together, they make playing this guitar an utterly gratifying experience.

Michi Matsuda builds fantastic guitars, a concoction of high skill and profound artistry. They are an inspiration to play and a joy to behold.

If you'd like to find out more about this item, just call or e-mail me. It would be my pleasure to talk to you about it.

ABOUT MICHIHIRO MATSUDA GUITARS
Michihiro Matsuda was born in Nagoya and raised in Tokyo, Japan. After graduating from the Robert Venn School of Lutherie in Phoenix, Arizona, he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area for an apprenticeship with master luthier Ervin Somogyi. Michrhiro is currently a member of the repair staff at Gryphon Stringed Instruments. Pairing traditional woodworking skills with an innovative sense of design and construction, Michihiro builds around ten to twelve guitars each year at his lutherie studio in Oakland California. His instruments integrate fine materials with organic shapes and graceful lines, each unique, personal, and individual. Michihiro feels that guitars are not just the tool to make music, they are more than that. In the process of making a guitar, the wood itself becomes musical, and Michihiro's depth as a luthier is due to being profoundly tuned in to this process.