ELECTRIC GUITARS (2006/2008) AND ARCHTOP (2010)
We built these three guitars for Djamel Laroussi, a great guitarist who is a major star in his native Algeria, and who has played with Stevie Wonder, among others. The first guitar was a Strat-like guitar, then we moved on to a Les Paul-ish design, and finally arrived at the Pagelli-ish Archtop.
Besides having very specific ideas about neck dimensions, sound, and playability. Djamel insisted that the guitars needed to include the traditional Tuareg cross symbol in their design.
Copying a pendant he wears on a necklace, we chose to hammer our versions from metal, giving it a rough-edged look that provides a beautiful contrast to the smooth finish and otherwise high-end fit-and-finish of the guitars, while at the same time symbolizing Djamel’s constant movement between African and European cultures.
On the archtop, the Tuareg cross even takes on a practical function: Positioned above the f-holes, it can be raised or lowered with a pair of thumb-screws, allowing adjustments to the guitar’s bass response and a complete closure of the holes, which increases the instrument’s ability to be used at high volumes without feeding back.
