Pellerin Guitars by Michel Pellerin Interview
Pellerin Guitars by Michel Pellerin – Interview
ID
NAME: Michel Pellerin
NICK NAME: Mitch
LIVING IN : Thetford Mines, Québec, Canada
TRAINING & BACKGROUND: École Nationale de lutherie, Québec 1998 , then Ervin Somogyi voicing class, in 2011
PLAYING: Guitar, for sure…. but mostly classical guitar and electric (metal)
NAME OF YOUR HIGH SCHOOL BAND : Nivo Zéro , but it was in cegep (our college between high school and University)
LUTHIER YOU ADMIRE THE MOST:Mario Beauregard and Ervin Somogyi.
INSTRUMENT YOU DREAM TO HAVE ONE DAY: The Godin Artisan STIV , in Aqua blue finish I sold twenty years ago….
LAST ALBUM YOU BOUGHT: Matt Thomas (Man on the moon) and Dustin Furlow (Woodscapes), bought at the same time
LAST MUSIC SONG YOU PUT IN YOUR CAR: Frank Zappa, Fillmore East June ’71 album
LAST SHOW YOU WENT TO : The Jerks
MOST IMPRESSIVE INSTRUMENT YOU EVER HAD IN HAND: A Burton LeGeyt parlor size guitar…everything on this guitar was asthonishing, especially the sound and weight.
MOST STRANGE RESTORATION OR REPAIR YOU HAD TO DO : a guild 12 strings non cutaway that I converted to play Indian inspired music… too long to explain but here is the process explained with visual in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNSRDSAxkuM
Pellerin Guitars by Michel Pellerin – Can you tell us what you consider to be the most important thing when you design a guitar ? What is your process of creation and how does it often start?
Sense of lines.
I think the guitar as a whole concept. If I build a guitar for a show or experimentation, I begin with the choice of wood… but if I build a custom guitar, I begin with a long discussion with the client to know exactly what he’s looking for and what he doesn’t like on a guitar. The comprehension of the client’s needs is the key.
Can you present us your flagship models ?
Grand Auditorium CW model , especially the CL Signature (Featuring multiscale option, Manzer wedge design, Cutaway and spanish assembly)
On this video, you can see and hear Claude Laflamme playing his, made with Indian Rosewood back and sides with Alpine spruce top
I’m also well renowed for my Harp-guitars, especially the 21 strings (with subbasses and super-trebles)
The sharping levers allow , in seconds, to play in 9 different modes without having to retune the instrument. Here some pictures of this instrument made of bird’s eye maple and Salvaged sitka spruce top.
Pellerin Guitars by Michel Pellerin – According to you, what is the most impactful thing in the instument sound ? The woods ? the building technique ? what should a buyer ask for when he want to order an instrument when he was to be sure he is ordering the right instrument for him?
The builder is the key.
The wood helps for the tone, but the main thing is the “chef” who manipulate all the ingredients….
The buyer should explain exactly what is searching in a guitar, soundwise, then trust the builder and let the magic happens
Pellerin Guitars by Michel Pellerin – For a custom instrument, can you explain your process? What are your average delays? And how do you advise your customer? What questions do you ask him so that his instrument is perfectly adapted to his expectations?
I also want to know his or her music background. The more I know, the best will be the guitar for the customer.
Right now, I have 26 months waiting list.I discuss with the customer, at least two hours in general, to figure out exactly what he’s looking for ; soundwise and esthetically . I also ask some technical things like shape of the neck, width and thickness, then I let him try some of my guitar (if possible) , or I send him some pics and videos of my guitar (I have a bunch of them on my website, instagram, youtube channel).
I also want to know his or her music background (what he or she plays, influences, type of playing), then technical stuff as main tuning, type and gauge of strings, etc. The more I know, the best will be the guitar for the customer.
Do you have famous musicians playing on your models ? If so, can you tell us who ??
Kaven Girouard, guitarist of Celine Dion
Claude Laflamme and Alex Anderson, harp-guitarists
Many Artists here in Quebec : Pascale Picard, Mara Tremblay, Vincent Vallières,…
Do you still repair instruments or do you only concentrate on making instruments?
I had to stop doing repairs in early 2021… with 2 years waiting list for my instruments, I had to took his decision. But I did repairs for more than 20 years and even gave repairs courses at the National Lutherie school from 2007 to 2009.
Luthiers.com brings together luthiers from all over the world. According to you, how is the Canadian lutherie different?
Many talented guitarmakers in here, a lot of us influenced by californian lutherie. It’s a small community and we are very close to each other, sharing knowledge and tips.
Where can we buy your instruments? Can we try them somewhere? Will you participate to some guitar shows ?
Luthiers.com is the best place to see and hear my instruments if you can’t come to my shop. Guitar shows are the best if you want to try them, talk with me and feel the magic 😉 I’ll exhibit my guitars in 7 guitar shows this year….Next will be Fretboard Summit in Chicago (End of August), Woodstock invitational in Woodstock New-York (October), Then Harp-guitar Gathering in Connecticut (End of October)
You can contact Pellerin Guitars
using the contact form on his personal page on Luthiers.com here :
https://luthiers.com/listing/pellerin-guitars/
We also invite you to follow him on his various social networks:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/guitarespellerin
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michel.pellerin.737/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pelleringuitars/
- Website: https://www.guitarespellerin.com
Michel Pellerin Interview
In the coming weeks, as for others luthiers for plucked string instruments, luthiers for bowed string instruments, amps & effects makers, wood & supplies dealers, lutherie events, jobs, schools & teachers subscribers on our site, you will be able to follow our series of mini-interviews dedicated to the fascinating world of luthiers.
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