THE BEDELL TONEWOOD CERTIFICATION PROJECT

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1 2018 CATALOG

2 THE BEDELL TONEWOOD CERTIFICATION PROJECT DOING THE RIGHT THING NEVER SOUNDED BETTER MADAGASCAR ALASKA Knowing old-growth trees, living happily in a forest neighborhood, grow extraordinary music wood, we never clear-cut forests, nor use wood from a clear-cut tree. When possible, we collect salvaged dead trees or individually harvest old-age trees, making the smallest possible imprint on the forest neighborhood. 2 GUATEMALA

3 THE SEED-TO-SONG JOURNEY COSTA RICA Tonewood Certification Project The Build Process The Custom Shop Milagro Cathedral Rio Bahia Angelica Revolution Coffee House Special Edition Classic Folk ALASKA OREGON Tom Bedell travels the world and works with local mills, sourcing wood that is salvaged or sustainably harvested. Tonewood ideal for handcrafting extraordinary guitars. 3

4 EVERY BEDELL IS BUILT WITH THE HANDS OF EXTRAORDINARY CRAFTSMEN From the forest to your music, we appreciate the uniqueness of every piece of wood and optimize it accordingly. Using Sound Optimization we analyze the frequency and density of every soundboard, sanding it to the thinness that will deliver optimal sound. Every Bedell is Hand Voiced. No Bedell is delivered until we have achieved its ideal fundamental frequency. 1. It all begins in the forest. A tree may live hundreds or thousands of years, growing music wood. 2. Quarter sawing across growth rings, the life of each tree tells its own story...each tonewood set is unique. 3. Tracking individual tonewood sets, when possible, recording its tree, where it grew, its story. 4. Using the Sound Optimization Process, we learn the unique music character of every individual tonewood set, what style of play and body shape it is best suited for and what thinness it should be sanded to for the ideal deflection and performance. 4

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7 THE BUILD 5. Each top and back is coupled for ideal musical efficiency. They are individually sanded to the appropriate thinness s to achieve their target frequencies. 6. Braces and tonebars are applied for structure, tone, and sound. 7. Using FFT software we Hand Voice to targeted frequencies for tonal balance and maximum sound. 8. The binding and fine sanding completes the body. 9. The neck is hand sanded for profile and comfort. 10. A thin finish is applied with a hand-held spray gun, with repeated sanding and spraying. 11. The guitar is completed by attaching the compound tapered dovetail neck, lining up the bridge, and fine tuning the set-up into a musical instrument. 12. Sound Quality Assurance measures the weight and fundamental frequency. If the sound target has not been achieved, we remove the strings and reach through the soundhole to perform additional carving on the braces. 7

8 THE CUSTOM SHOP We welcome you to visit our Bedell Custom Shop in Bend, Oregon. Our collection of exotic tonewoods come from all over the world, highlighted by our exclusive treasure of legally documented Brazilian rosewood. We fit your guitar to you, your playing style and your music. With our sound optimizing processes, we define the body shape, deflection (feel) and sound that matches your music. Just as no two pieces of wood are the same; neither are two players. 8

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10 THE BEDELL MILAGRO FOUR CENTURY OLD SALVAGED SITKA SPRUCE & BRAZILIAN ROSEWOOD Top: Sitka spruce Back: Milagro Brazilian rosewood Neck: Honduran mahogany Neck Joint: Compound Taper Dovetail Fretboard & Bridge: African ebony Nut Width: 1 11/16th inch Inlay: 18th Century European Milagro Vine. Finish: Aged Toner Tuners: Waverly Nickel with Ebony Buttons Case: Ameritage Body Shapes: Dreadnought, Orchestra & Parlor For over 400 years this Sitka spruce fought its way through the 3,000-year-old forest on Prince of Wales Island in SE Alaska. The Milagro tree was found buried on a damp hillside in NE Brazil, carbon dated to be over 450 years old. Together they create extraordinary sound. Price: $9,990 10

11 THE BEDELL CATHEDRAL INSPIRED IN SEGOVIA, SPAIN Top: European Spruce Back: Puerta de Iglesia Brazilian Rosewood Neck: Honduran Mahogany Neck Joint: Compound Tapered Dovetail Fretboard & Bridge: African Ebony Nut Width: 1 11/16 inch Inlay: Cathedral Finish: Natural Tuners: Waverly Gold with Ebony Buttons Case: Ameritage Body Shape: Deep Body Dreadnought While Tom Bedell was securing the world s largest collection of legally documented Brazilian rosewood, he visited a magnificent cathedral in Segovia. Marveling at the acoustics, he vowed to design a huge sounding dreadnought. The backs are hand selected Brazilian, named Puerta de Iglesia (Church Door) as the stunning sap wood was popularly used in cathedral doorways centuries ago. The tops are individually harvested European spruce. Due to the rarity of these woods we must restrict this offering to a limited edition of six guitars. Price: $7,990 11

12 THE BEDELL RIO THE EXQUISITE DESIGN AND SOUND OF BRAZIL Top: Bear Claw Sitka Spruce Back: Esperanza Brazilian Rosewood Neck: Honduran Mahogany Neck Joint: Compound Tapered Dovetail Fingerboard & Bridge: African Ebony Nut Width: 1 11/16th inch Inlay: Rio Brass Finish: Rio Burst Tuners: Waverly Gold with Ebony Buttons Case: Ameritage Body Shapes: Dreadnought, Orchestra & Parlor There is something magical with Brazilian rosewood, it projects profound bass, yet delivers shimmering highs the most revered tonewood found in nature. We have chosen backs from the Esperanza Tree, buried for centuries in a wet environment, you can see the minerals that were absorbed into the wood fiber, adding density for more sound. The stout Bear Claw Sitka spruce tops are the ideal complement to create a powerhouse series of three body sizes. Price: $6,990 12

13 THE BEDELL BAHIA HANDCRAFTED. POWERFUL PRE-WAR GUITAR DESIGN Top: Adirondack Spruce Back: Brazilian Rosewood Neck: Honduran Mahogany Neck Joint: Compound Tapered Dovetail Fingerboard & Bridge: African Ebony Nut Width: 1 11/16th inch Inlay: Brass Pins Finish: Natural Tuners: Waverly Nickel iwth Ebony Buttons Case: Deluxe Hardshell Body Shapes: Dreadnought, Orchestra & Parlor Adirondack spruce top. Brazilian rosewood back and sides. Honduran mahogany neck. Compound tapered dovetail neck joint. Individually sound optimized thin tops and stiff backs. Hand Voiced. The Bahia are handcrafted to perfection, with the fundamental frequencies of instruments of the 1930s. Price: $4,990 13

14 THE BEDELL ANGELICA COLLECTION WARM, RICH, 12-FRET, DEEP BODY, FINGERSTYLE GUITARS Top: Salvaged Red Cedar Back: Figured East Indian Rosewood Neck: Honduran Mahogany Neck Joint: Compound Tapered Dovetail Fingerboard & Bridge: African Ebony Nut Width: 1 ¾ inch Inlay: Angelica Finish: Natural Tuners: Waverly Gold with Ebony Buttons Electronics: K&K Pure Mini Case: Ameritage Body Shapes: Grandezza (Dreadnought), BellaVoce (Orchestra) & Bellissima (Parlor) It has been a labor of love, designing the Angelica Collection of fingerstyle guitars. The warmth of salvaged red cedar paired with the bass response of highly figured East Indian rosewood in a 12- fret to the deep body guitar. The sound is rich and soothing. The 1 ¾ inch nut width enables easy fingerstyle play. Price: $3,990 14

15 THE BEDELL REVOLUTION THE MAGNIFICENT ALIVE SOUND OF COCOBOLO Top: Adirondack Spruce Back: Cocobolo Neck: Maple Neck Joint: Compound Tapered Dovetail Fingerboard & Bridge: African Ebony Nut Width: 1 11/16th inch Inlay: Revolution Finish: Revolution Burst Tuners: Waverly Gold with Ebony Buttons Electronics: N/A Case: Deluxe Hardshell Body Shape: Dreadnought, Orchestra & Parlor Cocobolo is the same genus as Brazilian rosewood, but denser. Through sound optimization we are able to sand it to a thinness that projects extraordinary volume. Paired with Adirondack spruce we have achieved surprising projection and complex tone. The Revolutions are Bedell s most sought after guitars. Price: $3,990 15

16 THE BEDELL COFFEE HOUSE THE FOLK-ROCK SOUND OF THE 1960S Top: Adirondack Spruce Back: East Indian Rosewood Neck: Honduran Mahogany Neck Joint: Compound Tapered Dovetail Fingerboard & Bridge: African Ebony Nut Width: 1 11/16th inch Inlay: Pearl Dots Finish: Espresso Burst (Aged Toner available, special order) Tuners: Waverly Relic Nickel Electronics: K&K Pure Mini Case: Deluxe Hardshell Body Shapes: Dreadnought, Orchestra & Parlor The sound that defined an entire generation, Adirondack and Indian rosewood, traditionally crafted. Where other makers have mechanized their build process, the Coffee House are handcrafted, each top and back sanded to its ideal frequency and hand voiced after bracing. Price: $3,240 16

17 THE BEDELL 1964 SPECIAL EDITION A BLUEGRASS MONSTER Top: Adirondack Spruce Back: Honduran Mahogany Neck: Honduran Mahogany Neck Joint: Compound Tapered Dovetail Fingerboard & Bridge: African Ebony Nut Width: 1 ¾ inch Inlay: Brass Pins Finish: Natural Shadow Tuners: Antique Brass Electronics: K&K Pure Mini Case: Deluxe Hardshell Body Shapes: Dreadnought, Orchestra & Parlor Pairing Adirondack spruce with Honduran mahogany results in a mid-range powerhouse. It has the power to fit in with any collection of acoustic instruments and more than hold its own. The wider fretboard facilitates finger picking, rapid fire play. Price: $2,990 17

18 THE BEDELL 1964 THE IDEAL VOCAL ACCOMPANIMENT GUITAR Top: Sitka Spruce Back: Honduran Mahogany Neck: Honduran Mahogany Neck Joint: Compound Tapered Dovetail Fingerboard & Bridge: African Ebony Nut Width: 1 11/16th inch Inlay: Brass Pins Finish: Natural Shadow Tuners: Antique Brass Electronics: K&K Pure Mini Case: Deluxe Hardshell Body Shapes: Dreadnought, Orchestra & Parlor From folk to rock, this Sitka spruce, Honduran mahogany guitar has the voice you have heard from the beginning of the counter-revolution of the 1960 s. Still handcrafted with a compound tapered dovetail and Hand Voiced for maximum projection. Price: $2,490 18

19 THE BEDELL CLASSIC FOLK ALL MAHOGANY SOUND Top: Honduran Mahogany Back: Honduran Mahogany Neck: Honduran Mahogany Neck Joint: Compound Tapered Dovetail Nut Width: 1 ¾ inch Inlay: Brass Dots Finish: Stained Open Pore Satin Tuners: Antique Brass Electronics: K&K Duo Tone Case: Deluxe Hardshell Body Shapes: Dreadnought & Parlor For decades, there are certain sounds that demand the warm comforting sound of an all mahogany body. Grown in the Mayan Biosphere of Guatemala, the true Honduran mahogany top, back, sides and neck of the Classic Folk give a sound and feel that will bring your playing and singing to life. Price: $2,490 19

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