2016 catalog - two old hippiesresources.twooldhippies.com/resources/fd1579d05dc3... · 2016...

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S E B A S T I Ã O S P I E K E R M A N N

2016 CATALOG

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Bedell Guitars are rooted in the simple belief that extraordinary acoustic guitars can be crafted from the world’s most precious music wood in complete harmony with forest sustainability while respecting the indigenous cultures and economies that live among them.

At Bedell Guitars, it is all about the wood – knowing where your instrument comes from and knowing that the woods were obtained responsibly. We never clear-cut or use any tonewood from clear-cut trees.

Understanding the life of each tree, the dynamics of it's growth, and the variability in each tonewood set, we individually profile and sand each set to a designated thinness for specific density and frequency…turning tonewood into music wood. We thoughtfully and responsibly handcraft our instruments entirely in the U.S.A. We are committed to complete transparency from “Seed to Song.”

SEEDTO

SONG

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TABLE OF CONTENTSTHE SEED TO SONG JOURNEY

Tonewood Certification Project 4

Bedell Hand Tuning 6

BRAZILIAN COLLECTION

Summer of Love Series 10

Revere Series 11

Rio Series 12

Bahia Series 13

ANGELICA SERIES

Angelica Guitars 15

HOMEGROWN COLLECTION

Bedell Wildfire Series 17

Bedell Blackbird Vegan Series 18

Earthsong Series 19

FOLK ROCK COLLECTION

Coffee House Series 21

1964 Series 22

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SOUTH EAST ALASKA

It is a crime that the US Forest Service allows the clear-cutting of 1,000 year old-growth Sitka forests. Bedell Guitars has joined with Brent Cole of Alaska Specialty Woods to salvage dead 4-600 year old Sitka trees and turn them into music wood. Each salvaged tree is marked for it's location and every tonewood set is traceable back to it's tree.

T H E B E D E L L T O N E W O O D C E R T I F I C A T I O N P R O J E C T

GUATEMALA

Traveling to the Mayan Biosphere in northern Guatemala, Bedell established a partnership with Custosel, a conservation cooperative that selectively harvest Honduran mahogany, insuring sustainability while supporting the livelihoods of the 85 families living near & among the forest. Supported by the Rainforest Alliance, FSC, CATIE, & other forest stewardship organizations, Custosel individually harvests old-age mahogany trees & traces all the wood supplied to Bedell back to the individual tree.

MADAGASCAR

Due diligence of the Madagascar rosewood trade uncovered a total decimation of the rosewood forests and illegal harboring and exporting of Madagascar rosewood even though there is a worldwide supported CITES imposed total export ban. Following his trip to Madagascar, Tom Bedell committed to using no wood products from this impoverished nation until governmental corruption is ended and new sustainability practices are put into place and enforced.

HAWAII

Visiting The Big Island in Hawaii, Tom joined Jorma of Winkler Woods to locate dead koa trees for his guitars. It is impressive how the Hawaiian government is enforcing permitting and harvesting controls to protect the endemic koa forests that thrive between 300 and 7,500 feet above sea level on the Hawaiian Islands.

TILLAMOOK, OREGON

We don’t need to travel to the far end of the globe to source the finest, sustainably harvested tonewoods for our instruments. For two decades Cyril Jacob has been rescuing tonewood-quality trees from going to waste, either from rotting on the forest floor, or from being processed into garden mulch or firewood. All of our big leaf maple and walnut is salvaged or individually harvested in our home state of Oregon and is as important ecologically as any of our tonewood projects.

D O I N G T H E R I G H T T H I N G N E V E R S O U N D E D B E T T E R

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At Bedell Guitars, we honor every tree we turn into instruments. We know the characteristics of the wood in each tree vary in density, frequency and appearance. Honoring this gift of Mother Nature demands that we understand the music wood potential in every soundboard using frequency and density technology. As the Bedell craftsmen in Bend, OR strive to build the best sounding, sustainable and aesthetically brilliant acoustic instruments - they are venturing down an exciting path intertwined by technology and craftsmanship - hand tuning select instruments' top and back tonewoods with the assistance of cutting edge software and meticulous attention to sonic perfection.

H A N D T U N I N G B E D E L L G U I T A R T O P S & B A C K S

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If this all sounds mysterious and complicated, allow us to explain this simple yet extraordinary process. After top and back tonewoods have been chosen for an instrument build,they are sanded to a designated thinness based on a targeted frequency. Then perfectly quarter sawn bracing is applied to the top and back wood sets. Individually, the top and the back are placed into a customized jig, and tapped with a specialized mallet producing frequencies that are recorded and analyzed in real-time by sophisticated software. This real-time data enables the craftsmen the ability to tap among all of the bracing and tone bars, analyzing the results and meticulously hand carving away wood from the bracing and tone bars . This process - tap, review the results, and slowly carve the bracing - is repeated until the selected soundboard frequency is achieved throughout the entire top, giving maximum sound efficiency and tonal clarity. Thus we have taken the variability in each tonewood set and created astounding music wood.

Additionally, all Bedells are crafted with a one-piece neck and compound taper dovetail neck to body joint. Similar to guitars built in the 1930's, this traditional dovetail minimizes the need for vibration deadening glue and maximizes the wood-to-wood transmission of sound energy into the body and back up the neck. Musicians frequently comment on how alive the Bedells feel, giving them a feedback connection between their playing and their guitar.

You will be amazed when you experience the aliveness that is achieved in the Bedell Wildfire, Bahia, and Rio series and the Angelica Collection instruments.

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B E D E L L B R A Z I L I A N C O L L E C T I O N

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Known for it’s magical tonal character and deep rich beauty, Brazilian rosewood is regarded as the world’s finest acoustic tone wood. Unfortunately, it has become rare and highly regulated as Brazilian Rosewood is endangered and protected – listed in CITES in the same category as elephant ivory. It is not illegal to own a guitar made with Brazilian, but without documentation confirming it’s harvest before 1992, there may be restrictions on both travel outside of America and the future ability to resale the instrument legally. Bedell Guitars may be the world’s only company owning a significant quantity of Brazilian rosewood tonewood sets, fully documented, and tour certified to legally travel throughout the world. We are honored with an amazing treasure.

Tucked away in a warehouse just outside of Madrid, Spain, Madinter stored a large quantity of Brazilian timber imported during the 1950’s and 1960’s. During the 1980’s and 1990’s, Madinter decided to cut the timber into fine acoustic instrument sets. The sets were then left to naturally air dry in their warehouse. After the Spanish government verified the legality of Madinter’s Brazilian in 2010, Bedell Guitars acquired all of it. We are pleased to offer the exceptional voice of our 50 year aged Brazilian in four magnificent instrument series: “The Summer of Love” and the Revere, Rio and Bahia series.

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T H E B E D E L L S U M M E R O F L O V E S E R I E S

Limited Edition of 12.

The Bedell Summer of Love series revives the spirit of the most coveted acoustic guitar during the summer of 1967: the Adirondack/Brazilian dreadnought. It tells the story of the tonal magic of Brazilian rosewood and its prominence in the music that gave us the ‘60s sound we love and appreciate to this day; it’s the sound that inspired a revolution, and went on to inspire countless musicians and transform the face of modern music.

The soundboards are crafted from 200-year-old Adirondack spruce, which has higher resonance and more complex overtones than Sitka and provides strong volume and pronounced individual note clarity with vintage sound.

The Brazilian rosewood used in the Summer of Love series is regarded as one of the finest tonewoods: hard, stiff, and highly resonant. It is known for exceptional sustain and clarity and producing a loud, warm, rich tone with full, deep bases and brilliant trebles.

The Bedell Summer of Love comes with a Hoffee carbon fiber case.

THE SUMMER OF LOVE | $17,450

Top: Adirondack spruceBack & Sides: Brazilian rosewoodNeck: Honduran mahogany

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T H E B E D E L L R E V E R E S E R I E S

THE REVERE SERIES | $9,990

Tom Bedell designed the Revere series guitars for one significant purpose: to offer the world’s most talented musicians the finest stage ready acoustic instruments possible.

These ultimate performance guitars are made from ethically sourced and fully documented heritage tonewoods. Naturally seasoned Brazilian rosewood and individually harvested old age Adirondack spruce provide the ultimate in projection, articulation, and balance. A handcrafted Koa inlay accents the three-piece back from Brazilian rosewood trees that were acquired by our Spanish wood partner over 50 years ago and aged in an ideal climate near Madrid, Spain. When played, the traditional wood to wood hand carved compound tapered dovetail neck/ body joint brings the Revere to life. You can feel your music. Revere instruments come equipped with the PowerMix Pure XT system from K&K Sound: an electronics package offering amplification of the purest acoustic sound possible. The SKB iSeries Travel Case makes it easy to tour with your Revere and the complete documentation package enable a Guitar Passport for worldwide touring.

Top: Adirondack spruceBack & Sides: Brazilian rosewoodNeck: Honduran mahoganyElectronics: K & K PowerMix Pure XT

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T H E B E D E L L R I O S E R I E S

THE RIO SERIES | $6,990

Brazilian rosewood has long been heralded the pinnacle of guitar body tonewoods. Many of the tonewoods in the rosewood family grow in the tropics, but none has ever matched the magical Dalbergia nigra of Brazil. It's life, the decades of being buried in a wet environment and the slow natural aging of the Esperanza tree somehow has resulted in the finest music wood of all. You can hold an Esperanza tonewood set between your fingers and feel it vibrate. It has a bright glass-like ring that sustains. And it has that unique Brazilian rosewood aroma.

With this prodigy of Brazilian rosewoods, we have created the Rio Power Dread, the Rio Bold Orchestra, and the Rio Regal Parlor. Due to Esperanza's denseness we can use a thinner more responsive back, a hand selected extra stiff salvaged Bearclaw Sitka spruce soundboard, and tone bars that are hand carved for 100% frequency tuned tops. The one-piece Honduran mahogany neck is dovetailed into the body with a compound taper similar to how vintage guitars were made in the 1930's. And a stunning Rio Burst compliments the magic of the music these instruments produce.

All of Bedell Guitar's Brazilian rosewood is legally documented for world travel and future conveyance. A concierge service is available to assist musicians with required travel permits or international sales. Doing the right thing never sounded better.

POWER DREADNOUGHT, BOLD ORCHESTRA & REGAL PARLOR

Top: Bear claw Sitka spruceBack & Sides: Brazilian rosewoodNeck: Honduran mahogany

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T H E B E D E L L B A H I A S E R I E S

THE BAHIA SERIES | $4,990

The Bedell Bahia is hand crafted from more than a decade cured, air dried Brazilian rosewood imported into Spain in the 1950's. Long heralded as the Mother Nature's finest body tonewood, we have paired it with Alaska Sitka spruce that was salvaged from the forest floor near Craig, Alaska. We never use wood from clear-cut trees... most importantly, clear-cut wood from over 1,000 year old-growth Sitka forests.

Our salvaged soundboards are over 400 years old...growing slowly as they compete in the forest for sun, water and freedom. The result, the slow growth and tight growth rings give the tops of our instruments previously unheard power and clarity.

So marrying nature cured Brazilian rosewood with multi-century old Alaskan Sitka spruce to create the most responsive and beautiful sounding acoustic guitars requires more than luck. We have studied the tonal character of our Alaskan Sitka and Brazilian rosewood to determine the best frequency pairings to maximize the sound, feel and power. We actually sand each top to a targeted thinness and then hand tune it by carving away wood on each of the tone bars of each Bedell Bahia to a selected frequency. Different from most guitars, when you tap on the top of a Bedell Bahia you will notice that the frequencies are the same anywhere on the top you tap. This results in efficient energy transfer of the music to the back wood, which is also hand tuned to maximize its efficiency in responding.

Top: Alaska Sitka spruceBack & Sides: Brazilian rosewoodNeck: Honduran mahogany

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Over three centuries ago the birth of the acoustic guitar enabled some of the most exquisite classical music to be performed in social gatherings and family parlors.

Founded on the principle of 12 frets to the body and the bridge resting neatly in the center of the lower bout, the instruments delivered warmth and clarity – note by

note. Wanting to replicate the presence of this voice with the projection expectations of America’s musicians, Bedell Guitars set out to locate and pair dense salvaged red cedar with incredibly figured East Indian rosewood from the coffee plantations of

southwestern India. The results have been astonishing. To facilitate finger stylists the nut widths are 1 3/4 inches, and the body depths have been extended 1/4 inch to give a more powerful presence. The final detail of an old-fashioned hand carved dovetail neck joint brings the guitars to life in your hands. We are delighted to present the “Grandezza” dreadnought, the “Bella Voce” orchestra, and the “Bellissima” parlor.

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T H E B E D E L L A N G E L I C A C O L L E C T I O N

All three models, the Grandezza dreadnought, Belle Voce orchestra and Bellissima parlor are crafted with 12 frets to the body, slotted headstock, and 1 3/4 inch at the nut, necks profiles. A quarter inch has been added to deepen each of the body styles enabling a more robust presentation to the warmth of the red cedar soundboards. The bridge placement in the center of the lower bout and the hand carved frequency tuning of the tops and backs give the Angelica Collection instruments an efficient, warm, yet powerful presentation. Designed for finger style performances, the sound and feel of these unique designs will be compelling to add to your instrument collection the second you experience them.

Top: Salvaged red cedarBack & Sides: Figured East Indian rosewoodNeck: Honduran mahoganyElectronics: K & K Pure Mini

Price: $4,990

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From cowboy ballads around campfires, to back porch bluegrass, and the southern soul of the blues, guitars have long been the inspiration for America’s music. In keeping with this inspiration Bedell Guitars presents The Home Grown Collection; a series of instruments that match the beauty and wonder of America’s landscape and the diversity of our plentiful forests. Individually selected big leaf and hard rock maple trees, salvaged Sitka spruce from the forest floor in SE Alaska, selectively harvested old age Adirondack from America’s northeast, and dense Oregon walnut. We have achieved lively, rich, balanced and bold sound by understanding the unique character and gifts each tree offers. These woods are plentiful and sustainable. We never clear-cut or use clear-cut tone wood to craft these guitars. The Home Grown Collection Series presents the Bedell Wildfire, Bedell Blackbird Vegan, and Bedell Earthsong - each built with all American grown tone wood and hand crafted one hundred percent in America by American artisans.

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T H E B E D E L L W I L D F I R E C O L L E C T I O N

The Bedell Wildfire is the most soulful, native series of instruments we craft. Built from all American woods with amazing handcrafted detail, they fill the room with American sound that has made the guitar our country’s most popular musical instrument. The beauty of the flamed maple and the power of the sturdy Adirondack are accented by exquisite appointments and a stunning Fire Burst gloss finish. The desire to hang the Bedell Wildfire on the wall as art will be overcome by the inability of musicians to put it down. We have figured out how to appreciate the unique musical gifts of each of these generous American woods by hand tuning each top and customizing the tone bars for tonal balance. We then individually pair the soundboard to a hand tuned back to achieve a liveliness that must be experienced.

Top: Adirondack spruceBack & Sides: Flamed big leaf mapleNeck: Hard Rock mapleElectronics: K & K Pure Mini

Price: $3,990

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T H E B E D E L L B L A C K B I R D V E G A N S E R I E S

BEDELL BLACKBIRD VEGAN SERIES | $2,490

Bedell Blackbird Vegan guitars represent the ultimate in forest stewardship with vegan friendly construction. They are crafted using only American harvested woods: salvaged Sitka spruce soundboards, western bigleaf maple back and sides, eastern hard rock maple neck, and a walnut fretboard, bridge and peghead overlay. Bedell craftsmen have achieved unparalleled tone and projection from these plentiful American woods for a truly planet-friendly guitar.

No animal bone, decorative shell or hide glue has been used. The Bedell Blackbird Vegan features a thin poly urethane finish with a translucent blackbird burst and is available in dreadnought, orchestra and parlor body shapes.

All Bedell Blackbird Vegan models include a workshop-installed K&K Pure Mini pickup and a Bedell deluxe hardshell case. The Bedell Blackbird Vegan are all American instruments. All the woods grew in America, all the hand craftsmanship is done by American craftsmen, and all of the parts - electronics, tuners, fret wire and brass inlay - are North American.

Top: Alaska Sitka spruceBack & Sides: Big leaf mapleNeck: Eastern hard rock mapleElectronics: K & K Pure Mini

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T H E B E D E L L E A R T H S O N G S E R I E S

THE EARTHSONG SERIES | $1,990

The most affordable of the Home Grown Collection, Bedell Earthsong guitars prove it is possible to create a guitar with incredible tone while honoring a complete commitment to forest stewardship. The Earthsong series is inspired by the beauty and wonder of the American landscape: the streams and deserts, swamps and forests, beaches and valleys, and all the natural wonders that grace this vast and diverse country, from shore to shore. This is America’s Guitar. The original inspiration of the Home Grown Collection, the affordable Earthsong series proves that the finest acoustic instruments can be made from all sustainable wood: salvaged Sitka spruce soundboards, western big leaf maple backs and sides, eastern hard rock maple necks, and walnut fretboards, bridges and peghead overlays. Bedell craftsmen have achieved unparalleled tone and projection from these plentiful American woods for a truly planet-friendly guitar made from ethically harvested trees. The Earthsong is available in a root beer burst and in a hand stained toner gloss finish. Included is a workshop-installed K&K DuoTone pickup. All Bedell Guitars come with a hardshell case.

Top: Alaska Sitka spruceBack & Sides: Big leaf mapleNeck: Hard rock mapleElectronics: K & K DuoTone

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Inspired by Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan and Peter, Paul and Mary, Tom Bedell advanced from his Stella acoustic to giving guitar lessons in the local Spirit Lake, Iowa music store. On February 9, 1964 Ed Sullivan introduced the Beatles to the United States and Tom’s world changed forever. Joining his friends in local coffee houses, playing the latest folk and popular songs, writing and sharing poetry... the world was exploding with possibilities. The 60’s were a time of an awakening that conformity was not sufficient, we had a voice, and music was our vehicle of change. Tom’s first two American crafted guitar series were the “Coffee House” and “1964”, delivering the folK rock sound of the 60’s...bringing alive the energy of the traditional pre-war dovetail neck joint, the power bracing patterns, and the traditional tone woods of Sitka and Adirondack spruce and East Indian rosewood and Honduran mahogany.

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T H E B E D E L L C O F F E E H O U S E S E R I E S

For the timeless folk-rock sound that defined an entire generation, look no further than the Bedell Coffee House Guitars. These instruments are exquisitely crafted to revive the spirit that inspired the incredible music of the counterculture era: Adirondack spruce tops from individually harvested trees, sustainably grown Indian rosewood backs and sides, traditional body shapes, an espresso sunburst finish, and a handcrafted Koa binding. There is something striking about the sound of rosewood paired with Adirondack spruce... when strummed, the Bedell Coffee House instruments take you right back to that moment in time when music was changing forever, when coffee houses were a radical, safe place for youth who wanted to change the world, and who believed in equality, justice, love and authentic self-expression. The workshop-installed K&K Pure Mini pickups in the Bedell Coffee House series capture the fullness of sound and the vibe of the era authentically, without stage feedback. The Coffee House dreadnought, orchestra and parlor models are also available in aged toner gloss finish.

Top: Adirondack spruceBack & Sides: East Indian rosewoodNeck: Honduran mahoganyElectronics: K & K Pure Mini

Price: $2,990

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T H E B E D E L L 1 9 6 4 S E R I E S

THE BEDELL 1964 SERIES | $2,190

The Bedell 1964 Series is constructed from a time-honored tonewood combination of Sitka spruce and Honduran mahogany, crafted similarly to the way guitars were built fifty years ago. The 1964 instruments bring back the spirit of the music we all love. The wood used in the Sitka spruce soundboards is salvaged from downed trees in Alaska. Sitka spruce has been the primary top wood for U.S.A. made instruments for many decades — it is strong, light, and gives an extended harmonic content that nearly equals the power of Adirondack spruce. The 1964’s Honduran mahogany back and sides deliver a balanced, resonant tone with a rich midrange, and a controlled, warm top end. As always, no forests were clear-cut to build Bedell 1964 guitars. The workshop installed K&K Pure Mini pickups in the Bedell 1964 series to capture the authentic fullness of analog sound and the vibe of the era, without stage feedback. The ethically sourced tonewoods, the all-wood binding and subtle appointments result in a classic instrument, made with the same care, attention and craftsmanship as guitars from the golden era of instrument building. The 1964 is available in an Heirloom and aged toner gloss.

Top: Alaska Sitka spruceBack & Sides: Honduran mahoganyNeck: Honduran mahoganyElectronics: K & K Pure Mini

Just listen…the music of the forest.Hundreds of years. The quiet. The animal voices. The birds. The rain and wind. The peace.

Just listen to the music wood growing.

Alone, with your Bedell, creating your music.Just listen to your heart…your notes come from inside, your words born in your soul.

Just listen to your music grow within you.

Seed to SongBedell Guitars

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Bedell Guitarsbedellguitars.com

61573 American LoopBend, Oregon 97702

541.385.8339

Crafted in America by American craftsmen.We never clear-cut or use wood from clear-cut trees.

Help us stop the clear-cutting of the 1,000 year old-growth Sitka forests of SE Alaska.

2016 catalog - two old hippiesresources.twooldhippies.com/resources/fd1579d05dc3... · 2016...

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