Trenier Guitars (Luthier Bryant Trenier)

**QAman** · 04-02-2019, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by iim7V7IM7

Enjoy your visit and audition...

. I will need to wait for the 12th....(patience).

I have no doubt it will be worth waiting for. I can see Bryants taken his work to yet another level of refinement. I’m only 6 serial numbers away from the 150th anniversary model.

D’Aquisto fan - when you see this guitar you just might want to get in on my batch 1151( if it’s not already taken ).

Real happy for your excitement -

**iim7V7IM7** · 04-04-2019, 02:56 PM

Almost there (still needs KA single coil & controls)

**iim7V7IM7** · 04-06-2019, 02:43 PM

Bryant has completed the “Artifex” and it will be leaving France tomorrow for United States to be exhibited at the Artisan Guitar Show in Harrisburg, PA on April 12-14 (please come and audition it).

As a reminder, this is a 17” archtop with a 25-1/4” scale length, a 1-3/4” nut width, Italian Alpine Spruce top, Bosnian Maple back and sides, one-piece Sugar Maple neck, Gaboon Ebony tailpiece/bridge/finger rest and fretboard, Jescar EVO .047” x .095” fretwire with a Kent Armstrong single coil floating pickup.

**QAman** · 04-06-2019, 03:33 PM

Exquisite ! Can’t wait to see it in a few days.

**D'Aquisto Fan** · 04-06-2019, 03:58 PM

Stunning. Looking forward to seeing it and playing it in PA!

**iim7V7IM7** · 04-07-2019, 08:33 AM

Originally Posted by QAman

Exquisite ! Can’t wait to see it in a few days.

Perhaps you and Bryant can make a short video?

**Fal Tarlow** · 04-07-2019, 09:44 AM

Originally Posted by iim7V7IM7

Perhaps you and Bryant can make a short video?

Yes, please!

**omphalopsychos** · 04-07-2019, 11:35 AM

Congrats! That looks like one hello of a guitar. Very excited for you.

I got a jazz special a couple of weeks ago and have been meaning to share more about it. I finally had a chance to remind myself how my recording setup works and did a quick take last night. A full NGD post with photos will come later today but here’s a sneak peak.

**QAman** · 04-09-2019, 07:57 PM

Originally Posted by iim7V7IM7

Perhaps you and Bryant can make a short video?

Bob,
Bryant stopped by my office today with a friend to say hello. He decided to not bring your guitar because he felt you should be the first to play it - and I certainly agreed. He did bring the blond non-cut (1145) which is headed off to Paul Schmidt , author of “ Acquired of the Angels” - and will be on display at the show.

It was fun catching up with Bryant - I really miss my visits to his shop in Wesley Hills, NY.

I wish I was headed to the show to meet up with you and D’Aquisto fan, but between work and family obligations it’s just impossible this year.

Please let us all know about your new guitar day .

**iim7V7IM7** · 04-09-2019, 08:40 PM

Steve, that’s a shame, it would have been perfectly fine for you to audition the “Artifex” ahead of me. Guitars are meant to be played. That is why I encouraged Bryant to exhibit it at the Artisan Guitar Show.

I will definitely follow up with a posting and perhaps a video...

Originally Posted by QAman

Bob,
Bryant stopped by my office today with a friend to say hello. He decided to not bring your guitar because he felt you should be the first to play it - and I certainly agreed. He did bring the blond non-cut (1145) which is headed off to Paul Schmidt , author of “ Acquired of the Angels” - and will be on display at the show.

It was fun catching up with Bryant - I really miss my visits to his shop in Wesley Hills, NY.

I wish I was headed to the show to meet up with you and D’Aquisto fan, but between work and family obligations it’s just impossible this year.

Please let us all know about your new guitar day .

**QAman** · 04-09-2019, 09:03 PM

Originally Posted by iim7V7IM7

Steve, that’s a shame, it would have been perfectly fine for you to audition the “Artifex” ahead of me. Guitars are meant to be played. That is why I encouraged Bryant to exhibit it at the Artisan Guitar Show.

I will definitely follow up with a posting and perhaps a video...

It is a shame he didnt bring it over. I just assumed he would bring both guitars. About a half hour into the visit when I mentioned you wanted my feedback on the Artifex he said " sh..t- I should have brought it". No worries, if you live close to NY or PA , we can always get together.

Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk

**iim7V7IM7** · 04-09-2019, 09:35 PM

You sure that he didn’t say m*rde instead of sh*t?

Originally Posted by QAman

It is a shame he didnt bring it over. I just assumed he would bring both guitars. About a half hour into the visit when I mentioned you wanted my feedback on the Artifex he said " sh..t- I should have brought it". No worries, if you live close to NY or PA , we can always get together.

Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk

**iim7V7IM7** · 04-13-2019, 01:17 AM

**Hammertone** · 04-13-2019, 06:29 AM

That is the right pickup to use, IMO - an updated version of a great design. Like the guitar.
Do you have the switch installed to select between P-90 and Dearmond outputs?

**iim7V7IM7** · 04-14-2019, 05:47 AM

No, I believe it is set at the 7,000 ohm setting because he likes the sound of it over the 10,000 ohm.

Originally Posted by Hammertone

That is the right pickup to use, IMO - an updated version of a great design. Like the guitar.
Do you have the switch installed to select between P-90 and Dearmond outputs?

**Hammertone** · 04-14-2019, 06:23 AM

Well, if you don't particularly like the sound of old Dearmond FHC-C, 1000, or 1100 pickups, leave it as is - it provides a great P-90 sound. If you do like the Dearmond sound, install the switch.

**iim7V7IM7** · 04-14-2019, 06:50 AM

Thanks for the tip. I am sure that I will likely play it as is for a while before experimenting.

Originally Posted by Hammertone

Well, if you don't particularly like the sound of old Dearmond FHC-C, 1000, or 1100 pickups, leave it as is - it provides a great P-90 sound. If you do like the Dearmond sound, install the switch.

**iim7V7IM7** · 04-14-2019, 11:24 PM

Here’s a short video of my friend taking the Artifex for a spin in a loud room...

**Fal Tarlow** · 04-15-2019, 02:08 AM

Beautiful.. and your finger is nice.

**Hammertone** · 04-15-2019, 03:11 AM

Originally Posted by iim7V7IM7

Here’s a short video of my friend taking the Artifex for a spin in a loud room...

Looks like the lessons are really paying off....

Ahh, it's good to see Jimmy back on his feet.

**iim7V7IM7** · 04-15-2019, 06:24 PM

Here’s Brandon Scott Coleman (left) playing with Steve Herberman (right).

**iim7V7IM7** · 04-17-2019, 04:17 PM

As people here are aware, we love archtops because they do certain things really well. Good ones have supreme balance in volume across the strings, great string-to-string separation and maintain strength in their timbre all the way up the fretboard. This one has all that plus added sustain and a nice touch of added overtone warmth. It is a fantastic soloist instrument. Bryant is doing his own thing, but is no doubt very much influenced by the direction the late Jimmy D’Aquisto was headed in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s.

For a 17” instrument with thick plates, a rock maple neck and many ebony appointments it is quite light at 5.8 lb. the 25-1/4” scale is a nice balance between the power of a long scale and the ease of play and sweetness of a short scale. You can see in the photo below that Bryant continued to shape the bridge base (tapered now towards treble side) after he assembled and strung up the guitar. This is part of his build process to customize components of the guitar based upon playing it.

The Kent Armstrong 6-pole piece single coil floater does work even though the guitar has bronze strings on it. It is quiet and has a clear, but warm tone to it amplified. It is set up at 7,000 ohms (there are two settings on this pickup: 7,000 ohm and 10,000 ohm) and has volume and tone pots under its finger rest. I will hold my thoughts on that until I get a set of nickel strings on the guitar.