The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    I recently came into possession of an 18" Trenier Classic , which is quite frankly the most " D'Aquisto like " sounding Trenier I've ever heard. This is a warm lush Cannon of epic proportions - and is a sonic clone of some of the better modern D'Aquisto F hole Classics Ive played, which were built during the late 80's into the early 90's .

    I was good friends with Jimmy D'Aquisto and frequented his shop often. During those visits I played many of his instruments from the early 60's through the modern series, up to his untimely death on April 17, 1995. My wife accompanied me on most of those trips and she loved Jimmy's modern series. The D'Aquisto Classic was unlike the earlier D'Aquisto's , which were based on D'Angelico designs - with Jimmy's evolving refinements.

    The modern series was designed to be a more versatile instrument , with a beautiful round soft timbre and endless sustain. They had flatter neck angles and the intent was to combine the best attributes of a prewar Martin with golden period Archtops qualities. The end goal was to produce an instrument for the chord melody soloist/ fingerstyle player - and they were purely acoustic instruments. Some were great, and others were not as well received as the earlier D'Aquistos. But......the real good ones were outstanding, and sounded like no other guitar. They possessd this pianistic quality with perfect balance and that endless "ring" which characterizes a great D'Aquisto. They were different. As time went on - they became the most sought after D'Aquisto's, setting record prices like no other guitar. They also paved the way for the continued evolution of the modern Archtop guitar.

    Fast forward to the Bryant Trenier era.....and we have a builder who has dedicated his building life bringing back the best of the early D'Angelico's ,up to, and including the D'Aquisto modern series.

    This Trenier , serial 1107, was born in 2014 and built to showcase Bryants work at the 2014 Woodstock show, and other guitar shows. The guitar was on display at Rudy's for a while along side the showcased D'Aquisto's and Monteleones. It was also on loan to Pasquale Grasso, who made two masterclass videos. It then moved on to NYC guitarist Will Sellenraad, who is a close friend of Bryants and also recorded some videos with the instrument.

    Just recently, Bryant decided its time to offer the instrument for sale, and asked Will to send me the guitar for posting on this forum. I sent Will a round-trip pre paid box and the delivery went smooth without any incident - thanks to good packaging and Fed X priority overnight.

    When I received the guitar I strung it up with my choice of acoustic strings- which are DR 12-54 Phosphor Bronze round core Sunbeams. I proceeded to play the instrument and my wife walked into my guitar room and couldn't believe what she was hearing. She said it sounded like one of Jimmy's "real good " Classics - which she loved. I then proceeded to take photos for the listing and she said " what are you doing " . I said " I'm posting it for sale" and she said "NO WAY - call Bryant we have to buy this guitar" . So we worked out a purchase agreement with Bryant.

    Unlike the Super 400 sized 18" Guitars, this one has a 2.900 body depth, with a waist span that is only a 1/4 inch wider than my 17" guitars - and it sits on my lap comfortably without any arm discomfort. It's not your punchy bright parallel braced orchestra style guitar, but rather a warm , syrupy smooth player with endless sustain......just like Jimmy wanted, and faithfully re-created by Bryant.

    For those of you contemplating an 18" guitar with the near comfort of a 17", and the Harpsichord qualities of great D'Aquisto, I highly recommend the Trenier 18" Classic.

    See links below of Pasquale and Will playing this guitar.











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    Last edited by QAman; 10-07-2021 at 09:23 AM. Reason: Correct typo

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    Congrats again and just want to remind you that those DR Sunbeams are 12-54

  4. #3

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    Great post, Steve! Thank you for continuing to provide some history and context for all these wonderful instruments. I had the privilege of having that Trenier Classic in my home a number of years ago. I agree. It's a fabulous instrument. It's now in talented, capable hands with you, Steve!

  5. #4
    Thanks Marco - much appreciated. I'll update the string gage.

    Sent from my SM-P610 using Tapatalk

  6. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by D'Aquisto Fan
    Great post, Steve! Thank you for continuing to provide some history and context for all these wonderful instruments. I had the privilege of having that Trenier Classic in my home a number of years ago. I agree. It's a fabulous instrument. It's now in talented, capable hands with you, Steve!
    Thanks for the kind words Michael ! This is a great instrument, and glad you had the opportunity to play it for a while. My wife just loves the soft timbre and sustain.

    Sent from my SM-P610 using Tapatalk

  7. #6

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    Almost broke the speakers on my tablet
    Congrats and it sounds like the missus is a keeper too.

  8. #7

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    My wife says if you change your mind about keeping it, call us first.

  9. #8

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    Wonderful guitar, and thankfully it’s living its life in the hands of players who appreciate it. Sometimes good things happen.

  10. #9

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    Beautiful!

    I have this guitar's 17 inch sibling - #1108 - and it shares much with sound and response of the few later D'Aquisto guitars I've played.

    Very similar visually to your #1107 also. I imagine they were built concurrently.

  11. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by wintermoon
    Almost broke the speakers on my tablet
    Congrats and it sounds like the missus is a keeper too.
    Wintermoon, its really quite the Cannon. My wife is an ace, she encourages my guitar hobbies 100%. In fact,
    she hates when I sell any of them.

  12. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by ThatRhythmMan
    My wife says if you change your mind about keeping it, call us first.
    Chuck- will do. You would love this one.

  13. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Balanwood
    Beautiful!

    I have this guitar's 17 inch sibling - #1108 - and it shares much with sound and response of the few later D'Aquisto guitars I've played.

    Very similar visually to your #1107 also. I imagine they were built concurrently.
    Balanwood, I'm sure they were hanging right next to each other in the spray rack. I'd love to see a pic of #1108.

  14. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
    Wonderful guitar, and thankfully it’s living its life in the hands of players who appreciate it. Sometimes good things happen.
    Hi Rob, hope your doing well. Its funny how guitars usually end up where they belong.

  15. #14

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    Congratulations!

    John Stewart (MyJazzHome) was brokering that guitar a couple years ago, and I was seriously considering it. I even contacted Will Sellenraad and quizzed him about it, and he sang its praises. Long story short, following that and having just played a used Trenier in a local shop, I ended up ordering one from Bryant.

    After reading your post, I almost have pangs of regret for not buying it when I had a chance. I say almost, because in the end, I am ecstatic with the one I ordered (his second Aurelia).

  16. #15

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    Reminds me of #1104, 16 1/2" lower bout:


  17. #16

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    Steve that is a stunning guitar. Normally I do not like plain fingerboards but with this guitar of yours I take back all the negative stuff I have said about not having inlay on FB. The guitar sounds so ringing and clear. It is clean sounding yet retains both a treble presence and a bass bottom. In other words just listening it covers the range of the guitar and yields equal results in volume and response. That my friend is maybe the most difficult part of sound.......getting it all even across the FB.

    You have a nice guitar for sure but let me tell you Mrs. QAman is the real prize!

  18. #17

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    Incredible guitar, and lovely personal account Steve!
    You are always such a gentleman and have a wonderful ability for expressing yourself and describing great guitars in these threads.
    It's such a joy to read about your experience. Thank you for sharing.
    I'd love to play through your collection. I wouldn't know where to start, and it wouldn't matter because they're all incredible!
    Cheers!

  19. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by FourOnSix
    Congratulations!

    John Stewart (MyJazzHome) was brokering that guitar a couple years ago, and I was seriously considering it. I even contacted Will Sellenraad and quizzed him about it, and he sang its praises. Long story short, following that and having just played a used Trenier in a local shop, I ended up ordering one from Bryant.

    After reading your post, I almost have pangs of regret for not buying it when I had a chance. I say almost, because in the end, I am ecstatic with the one I ordered (his second Aurelia).
    FourOnSix,
    Thanks for the congrats ! I'm learning more about the journey of this instrument every day, and glad it wound up in my hands. I'm a big Trenier fan for good reason - and your Aurelia will be very special I'm sure. Keep us posted on the progress.

  20. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by deacon Mark
    Steve that is a stunning guitar. Normally I do not like plain fingerboards but with this guitar of yours I take back all the negative stuff I have said about not having inlay on FB. The guitar sounds so ringing and clear. It is clean sounding yet retains both a treble presence and a bass bottom. In other words just listening it covers the range of the guitar and yields equal results in volume and response. That my friend is maybe the most difficult part of sound.......getting it all even across the FB.

    You have a nice guitar for sure but let me tell you Mrs. QAman is the real prize!
    Hi Mark,
    Great to hear from you and I hope all is well. You hit the nail right on the head with your sonic critique of this guitar. I too personally prefer fingerboard inlays , but can navigate quite nicely without them. Thanks for the kind words about my wife....she is a real gem , and spent many hours talking with Jimmy D'Aquisto about guitar building during my visits. My wife is an expert quilter, and cross stitch designer, and her creations are museum quality. So, we support each others hobby. If you saw her collection of fabrics / wool etc - it would blow your mind.

  21. #20
    HeyNow- nice to hear from you. This is like Homecoming day. Your #1104 is awesome, thanks for sharing a pic.

  22. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by skykomishone
    Incredible guitar, and lovely personal account Steve!
    You are always such a gentleman and have a wonderful ability for expressing yourself and describing great guitars in these threads.
    It's such a joy to read about your experience. Thank you for sharing.
    I'd love to play through your collection. I wouldn't know where to start, and it wouldn't matter because they're all incredible!
    Cheers!
    Hi Sky,
    So nice to hear from you and I hope all is well with you and the family. As always, thanks for your kind words. We both share the same passion - and I just love talking about great Archtops. When this pandemic clears up, you are always welcome to come visit and immerse yourself in my collection. Stay well my friend, and thanks for participating.

  23. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by Balanwood
    Beautiful!

    I have this guitar's 17 inch sibling - #1108 - and it shares much with sound and response of the few later D'Aquisto guitars I've played.

    Very similar visually to your #1107 also. I imagine they were built concurrently.

  24. #23

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    Utterly magnificent - visually striking, with contours simultaneously zaftig and elegant, with an easy poise and what I call "object-ness." Sonically, articulate and precisely detailed with a ringing sustain that gives each note its full voice within an exquisite balance. This is a apex instrument, world-class without doubt, and it has found its rightful home. Congratulations, and play it in good health!

  25. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by QAman
    FourOnSix,
    Thanks for the congrats ! I'm learning more about the journey of this instrument every day, and glad it wound up in my hands. I'm a big Trenier fan for good reason - and your Aurelia will be very special I'm sure. Keep us posted on the progress.
    And thank you. But actually, my Aurelia already IS very special. It's this one.

    https://www.facebook.com/trenierguit...9336331309249/

  26. #25

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    An 18” Trenier! Hey, that’s nearly the depth of a Super Eagle but with a voice and true refinement. Congratulations Steve!