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Interview with the Swiss luthier Claudio Pagelli who builds gorgeous and very original guitars with his wife Claudia. Here's the video recorded during the 2019 edition of the Guitar Summit in Mannheim, Germany.

Click here for the video (you have to scroll a bit...) and
the Guitar Channel site

And if you are interested, Pierre shared the link with us to the full video he recorded in Mannheim, even though this is part of the content reserved for paying subscribers on the Guitar Channel*

Thanks Pierre for that!
Pierre is a great support for all luthiers, so lets support his site too!

theguitarchannel.biz

Der goldene Schnitt / The Golden Cut
- Pagelli Guitars 40th Anniversary Flattop
 

What a great review of our new 40‘ year anniversary guitar in the new GrandGtrs magazine! It's in german - so for the english readers I just post one phrase of Leonard Breukens review: «Im running out of superlative words..»  :-) 

And to have a guitar of my oldest friend in the guitar business on the cover makes the whole thing perfect.

Thanks Leonardt and Grandgtrs for that flattering review!

Get your own copy:  www.grandguitars.de

Outside the Box

Innovation, artistry and elbow grease - how women luthiers are rewriting the rulebook.

Many thanks to Adam for thinking of me when you planned this feature about guitar makers.
At first I mentioned to him that I am not a guitar maker, but rather that I became a guitar designer. But I think because our instruments have achieved a different way of thinking in guitar making thanks to my unconventional approach, our innovations and implementations, I still fit into the interview.
Many of his interview questions were an interesting challenge for me to think about. When you are involved, you often forget what it looks like from the outside ... It feels good to be featured with such well-known women in guitar making.

link to the Guitarist Magazine issue

We love the way the feature is made! It looks nice and clean…bang!
Thank you very much, Terence.

About the magazine:

Guitarbench is designed to be an electronic magazine, but with a familiar, print face. Even though the issues are optimised and available for electronic platforms, we're still at heart, a traditional publication.
You won't find our magazines on big retail sites. We don't go for big business models or numbers. We want to do our best for, and connect with our readers.

Link for the guitarbench website

Our dear friend Kaz from Jersey Girl Homemade Guitars in Japan, one of the finest builder on the planet, has written a really beautiful article in the Japanese Laid Back Guitar Magazine about us. Jerseys and Laidbacks, thanks for choosing us!..

Kaz's translation of the articles. Here is the meanings of that. I wrote it with the styles of Japanese poetry. So it is more unique English than always. Please read with your full imagination!

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Emerald of deep forest, pale yellow of warm wood. Whirlwind created by contrast. Again, I was fascinated by Pagelli.

Late 1960s. The purple haze of hippie culture drifted from the radio quickly captured A Boy- Claudio in Switzerland. He learned piano building, and his "sense of the tones” cultivated there are further trained in the work of guitar repair. While he was working actively in the Swiss music scene as a bandman, engineer and producer, his guitar production continued passionately.

Claudia's designs, like abstract paintings that capture the sparkle of creature’s life, stimulated artisan Claudio, and the world of Pagelli became wider and deeper with each work.

This work was created for S. M. in 2019.
 

Maple flows to the body back as if holding a Swiss moon spruce top, and the ebony bindings applied throughout show the supreme handwork. Häussel special rail type single coil that fully reproduces the emotional expression of the player. The Zirikote bridge tailpiece, inlayed with copper oxide, incorporates controls and output jacks as well as rear pickups.

Sophisticated and simplistic enough to forget the complex process and the production process that requires meticulous calculations, the shape is like an innocent dance that spins lightly.
 

The praise for their works are to many to count, that fulfill player’s thoughts, but at the same time are innovative. However, those words become powerless when we see their breathtaking originality and high completeness in real. 
 

«Pagelli‘s are Pagelli‘s»
 

I gave Claudio a small antique tin can when we met again. Then he took a tin can out from his pocket and gave me in return. That small tin can, he found when he first visited Woodstock, he told me. I also received his unvarying rock spirit, I felt.

A great article, written by Andreas Schulz, in the April/May issue of Akustik Gitarre Magazin, Germany about our new 40“anniversary guitar.
Here some Phrases:

Ear wellness, artwork, great feel, modern, harmonic, innovative construction details, between musical instrument and art, can't get much better...!

A.S.... a man with style..:-))

guitarpics ©2019 by Andreas Schulz I www.leftover-visuals.de

Antonio Marano works as a full professor of Industrial Design at the Department of Architecture, University of Chieti-Pescara, Italy. Among other things he is very interested in guitar designs for his researches and teaching in industrial design at the University.

That's why he pubslished end of the year his new book called:
«Design Musicale» Innovazione tecnologica ed evoluzione del linguaggio nel guitar design.

Published by Gangemi Editore of Rome.

During his research, Antonio also asked us about some of our designs. The Golden Fretless Bass, the Gitane Nouveaux, the Tim Ray Archtop and the incredible Convertible won the race.
It is a great honour and we are proud to be part of such an informative, well-made book.

And we are also proud that three other members of our «Luthiers Beyond Limits» group are published with their extraordinary work. Michihiro Matsuda, Jean-Yves Alquier and Tao Guitars by John and Serge.

Thank you Antonio for your incredible and important work.

It’s possible to buy the book through these links:

https://www.amazon.it/musicale-Innovazione-tecnologica-evoluzione-linguaggio/dp/8849237340

https://www.gangemieditore.com/dettaglio/design-musicale/8402/4

In the January / February 2020 report on the Aria D'Aquisto teardrop archtop in GrandGtrs Magazine, we are mentioned along with John D'Aquisto and John Monteleone. Among the current guitar makers as bravest innovators in terms of shape and constructive features of the sounding «dinosaurs».

Thank you very much - Wolfgang and grandgtrs ...you are real connoisseurs!

Vielen herzlichen Dank an Akustik Gitarre, Andreas Schulz für den wunderbaren und grossen Bericht über unser 40 Jahre Jubiläum!

Es tut gut zu wissen, dass Leute bei Akustik Gitarre arbeiten, die das mit Herzblut machen - Liebhaber eben.

www.akustik-gitarre.com

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Herzlichen Dnank für da Interview und wir sind stolz einen Teil dieses Features über die Geschichte der Archtop zu sein.

 falls du den ganzen Artikel lesen möchtest...

Klingende Legenden: Die Gitarren von Claudio und Claudia Pagelli.
Herzlichen Dank für den gelungenen Bericht über unsere Arbeit, Passion und die letzte «Kleine» in der Sommerausgabe des Graubünden Magazins.

Die «Les Petites Naïves» entstand in Zusammenarbeit mit Gian Häne. Siehe frühere News... 

Text: Andrin Schütz, textext.ch
Herausgeber: Marc Gantenbein, diebuendner.com

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Dank an Silvio Liechti und das Schweizer Radio SRF 1 für den unterhaltsamen Bericht zu unserem 40ig Jahre Jubiläum.

Dank auch an Silvio für die gelungenen Bilder dazu.

Link zum Reinhören  und zum Lesen

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Schöner Report über unseren Japan Trip. Leider sind die Namen der anderen Gitarrenbauer und involvierten Personen nicht erwähnt. Im nachfolgenden Bericht ist aber alles näher erläuteret.

Its was a big pleasure to build a guitar for and together with my friend and former band mate Sam Senn, whos playing in 2 of Swiss most known bands, BREITBILD and dabufantastic.

Hope he wont have any trouble with the lead singers, since all eyes will now be addressed to him.

So…. endlich erholt vom Jetlag und den Strapazen der NAMM Show in Los Angeles, der grössten Musikmesse der Welt!

Unser Gemeinschaftsstand unter den Namen «Luthiers Beyond Limits» war ein grosser Erfolg der enorme Beachtung fand. Kein Wunder bei so klingenden Namen wie Michihiro Matsuda, Mario Beauregard, Steve Klein, TAO, Jean Ives Alquier… und unserer Wenigkeit. Alles Weltklasse Gitarrenbauer, die wir seit Jahren schätzen.

Dass der Stand eine Länge von 20 Metern hatte, machte ihn natürlich auch nicht grad unsichtbar…:-)

Wir möchten uns bei allen bedanken die uns mit ihrem Erscheinen beehrt haben. So viele gute Gespräche, viele herausragende Gitarristen… und die daraus resultierenden Aufträge sind natürlich willkommener Lohn für den enormen Aufwand.

Einzig schade, dass wir durch den Erfolg selber nie Zeit hatten, Freunde im Business oder auch Lieferanten zu besuchen. Hiermit also Entschuldigung an alle, denen wir versprochen hatten sie zu besuchen. Aber ich denke Ihnen ging es genauso.

Anbei eine kleine Auswahl an Impressionen. Zu oft hatten wir schlicht vergessen Fotos zu machen. Und ein Video des «Guitar Interactive - The Free Online Guitar Magazine» für einen lebendigeren Eindruck ;-)

Depeche Mode ist eine der Bands die man nie unterschätzen darf. Seit bald 40 Jahren kommen da Hits und Hymmnen.... Klassiker!

Und das nun MARTIN GORE sich in eine unserer Gitarren verliebt hat macht uns brutal stolz.

Unsere GRINGOBEAT in den Händen von einem so erfolgreichen Songschreiber und Gitarristen in einer der bekanntesten Bands unseres Planeten zu wissen ist schlicht umwerfend.

Wir hatten dir grosse Freude Bündner Tagblatt Chefredaktor Luzi Bürkli im Rahmen seiner Talk Serie bei uns zu Gast zu haben! Mit von der Partie auch  TV Südostschweiz, auf youtube kann  man das Gespräch immer wieder nachschauen...
 

Wir bedanken uns für das zahlreiche Erscheinen der Gäste, den launigen Fragen des Moderators und nicht zuletzt auch an GUYA für die wunderbare musikalisch Einlage..:-)

It was a great joy and honour to meet George Benson yesterday in Zürich.

He is my favourite Jazz guitarst since the early 70ies... so fluid, groovie and tasteful. And yeah, that, after not stopping playing our Massari Archtop Nr. nün, he said: «You made me the highlight of the day» ...made actually the day for me.

Many thanks to allblues concerts for making that possible. www.allblues.ch

Es ist uns eine grosse Freude und Ehre bekannt zu geben, dass wir für BILLY F GIBBONS von ZZTOP eine auf ihn mass- geschneiderte Gitarre kreieren durften.

Das ein so grossartiger Gitarrist und Sammler mit unglaublichem Wissen und Erfahrung  zu unserer Gitarre das Prädikat «hervorragend, eine der richtig Guten» gab, erfüllt uns natürlich mit besonderem Stolz.

Live Pics by festhalter.ch

Our favourite US Magazine PREMIERGUITAR made a Feature about the Santa Barbara Guitar Show. Some of the world best Luthiers have been there... and me, myself and I.

Please scroll to «P» on the Pic's and read the flattering words about us...thanks a lot guys! premierguitar.com or click on the pic to the left for a short impression.

Unsere Inserate im Guitar Connoisseur Magazine von diesem Jahr - für mich ein Vergnügen diese zu gestalten!

Fish und sein Techniker Ryan geniessen die frische Luft, die Berge, und die MASSARI Archtop!

Was a great day - great guys!  <(((>

Very nice report about us in the new German grandgtrs issue!

Click on the link to the left for an impression or go for the whole story in grandgtrs on their website.

Für die neue Akris punto Kollektion, inspiriert von Francoise Hardy - Beatnik der 60er Jahre, hat das international bekannte Schweizer Modehaus die Gitarren Designs von uns verwendet.

Pagelli nicht nur auf der Bühne – jetzt auch auf den Laufstegen dieser Welt!

www.akris.ch

36 Jahre Pagelli Gitarrenbau, das klingt sogar für uns die dabei waren unglaublich.

Ein wunderschönes Kapitel sind aber die vielen auf uns zugekommen Glückwünsche und Statements von Gitarrenbauer aus aller Welt, deren Arbeit und Können wir bewundern und schätzen:

«It's difficult to say just when our traditional craft of guitar making began evolving into a contemporary art form, but it most certainly has, and the work of Claudia & Claudio Pagelli is my proof of that.  They are among the rarest of luthiers whose work distinguishes true art from high level craft and novelty.  Hail Claudii!»
- Charles Fox, charlesfoxguitars.com 

«In a world full of cloned guitars (mere copies of the models that have been around for decades) Claudio and Claudia Pagelli's breath-taking creativity feels like a breeze of fresh air. I admit it: whenever I see these beautiful instruments, a little (however healthy) envy pinches my soul, as I ask myself: «How come didn't I thought of making a guitar like that?»
They have earned a place at the top of contemporary European (and why not, global) lutherie. But above all else they are great people, and I am proud and honored of calling them my friends.»
- Leo Lospennato, lospennato.com

«Ihr lebst es, den Gitarrenbau. Seit 36 Jahren. Pagelli ist eine europäische Perle. Und sie strahlt von innen.»
- Frank Deimel, deimelguitarworks.de

«Dear Claudio and Claudia, congratulations on 36 years of amazing guitars.  Your work is an inspiration to anyone with eyes and ears.»
- Your friend, Harry Fleishman, fleishmaninstruments.com

«Let's get it straight here, we wouldn't be what we are now without the Pagellis, they've always been the model to follow, Their perfect blend of design flair mixing so tastily elements of the past with a real sense of modernism doubled with a true artistically perfect execution, is the goal we still dream to reach. Thank you guys»
- John & Serge, taoguitars.com

«Claudia & Claudio - the better I’ve gotten to know you over the years, the more I’ve learned to understand and love the extraordinary flow of creativity and passion that oozes from every seam of your work. I respect this moment as your friend and brother in arms. 36 years in your labor of love - wow - congratulations! May the tone be with you for many many more years to come!»
- Juha Ruokangas, ruokangas.com

«Congratulation to your 36th anniversary! Please keep knock us out with your fantastic ideas and works to your 51th anniversary! Your  beautiful new website is full of inspirations. We are great fan of yours again!»
- Kaz and Akiko, jerseygirlhg.com

«Happy Birthday Team Pagelli!
Claudio and Claudia Pagelli have my deepest affection for their kindness and selfless service to others. That alone could keep me busy for a few pages, though the task at hand is to reflect on their 36 year contribution to the art of luthery and to their refinements of the design of modern guitars.

A true indication of a visionary’s influence is in the flattery of imitation. Claudia’s innovative visions and Claudio’s gift of realization have created a school of design that is so pervasive in contemporary guitar making that most observers would attribute the quick acceleration of the “new” style to some phenomenon of simultaneous discovery. 

Generations ago it would have taken lifetimes to establish this kind of influence on such a tradition bound trade as stringed instrument making. The internet could take some blame for the seemingly rapid paradigm shift, though it is the Pagelli’s graceful practice of giving more then they get that is the true source of our shared benefit from their contributions.

Historically speaking; the acclaim and the wealth from stringed instrument genius, like that of the team Pagelli, will go to the heirs of those who  were Italian and dead for a few centuries. It’s my prayer that Claudio and Claudia will see the rewards for their priceless work while we can still enjoy their presence.»
- Richard Hoover, santacruzguitar.com

«Claudio and Claudia are close friends and their work continues to earn my highest respect. From the first time I saw their work I was deeply inspired. The originality of their designs and exquisite execution set a standard I can only hope to attain. Thank you for your artistry and friendship!»
- Abraham Wechter, wechterguitars.com

«I'm only making guitars since 20 years, so I've always been growing up in my work with the Pagelli's inspiring designs in the corner of my head, since the begining of my luthier's life. A different way to think guitars, not only in its shape, but also in its whole concept. Beautifull instruments, as only very skilled artisans can conceptualize and finally be able to reach the perfect balance between sound and design, with the goal to make of this intrument a tool for a musician, and also to be able to light the word art in artisan.»
- Pierrick Brua, bruaguitars.com

«Pagelli is style, charm, design and sonic qualities made available for musicmakers. Anniversaries are rewards for the good work done! Tanti auguri.»
- Andrea Ballarin, manne.com

«The Pagelli's are one of the super stars of original, outside the box creativity. Their innovative approach to both the construction and visual flair is unrivaled in this community and much envied by me personally. They are inspiration to the rest of us.»
- Doug Kauer, kauerguitars.com

»Dear Claudio, it's unbelievable! You celebrated 35 last year - I'll do that this year! And it seems to be only few years I built my first instrument and a while we first met each other. But I want to say, I have never met a person like you are! There is so much invention and creativity in your work! Very rare and seldom to see. After my opinion you are not a luthier only - you make jewels! Jewels that sound! Wish you all the best and a lot of such a nice instruments in your next 36 years!»
- Roman Zajicek, rozawood.cz 

«Congratulation for 36 years in business! You are always adding more meaning to guitar making. I have deep respect for you.»
- Michihiro Matsuda, matsudaguitars.com

Stromgitarren

Legenden. Lärm. Leidenschaft.

Eine sehr gelungene Ausstellung, die vorab in Deutschland und dann in der Schweiz im Museum für Kommunikation gezeigt wurde. Mit viel Herzblut, Wissen und Leidenschaft erstellt und unserer «Jazzability» die Chance für den grossen Museums-Auftritt ermöglicht. Erfrischend unkonventionell :-)

Herzlichen Dank - Claudio+Claudia

 Spannend und aufschlussreich auch die Didaktischen Unterlagen, welche für die Oberstufen erstellt wurden.