Gagnon Guitars DeVant

The guitar has a very open, well rounded tone with lots of complex overtones and great volume.

It is a truly all handmade instrument, so if one looks very carefully - you can find VERY MINOR finish "flaws". But to be honest - that's what sets a truly handmade guitar apart from the "perfect" machine made, mass produced instruments that are available from the BIG NAME brands. I am much happier with this guitar than any of the Super 400's, L-5's and similar guitars I have owned in the past.

Too early to tell - but Gagnon gives a lifetime warranty on their guitars, so I'm not concerned about it.

Willing to do almost anything to make customer happy with their guitar! Have requested several adjustments to be made without any problems with turnaround time or quality of work.

After more than 40 years playing professionally, I would recommend Gagnon guitars to anyone considering an investment quality archtop. I just wish I'd found him years ago!

I just received my Gagnon DeVant this week having placed an order with Bill this winter. I was fortunate that a friend who had an order coming up asked to trad places with me because he decided to go with a smaller body (16). This guitar has a 25 inch scale with 1 11/16 at the nut. The body (17 inch and 3 inch deep) is finished in a honey blonde is a tad darker than normal I think and impeccably done. It has a very subtle burst affect. This guitar has one sunken Kent Armstrong pick-up. I decided to go that route after recently letting go of a "63 L4C with floating DeArmond pick-up and an ES 165 with standard sunken pick-up. The combination here of the carved top with sunken pick-up is a perfect blend for me. It has the smooth quality of the electric (sunken pick-up) but with the woody sound of the carved top. And feedback is easier to control. I went with plastic trim and black veneer headstock although Bill likes to use wood and does nice inlay work. I prefer this look myself. The tailpiece is ebony with cello gut meeting the endpin jack for the pick-up. The neck on this guitar is not inlayed except for the fleur de lis at the 12th fret.

The sound is superb. As Bill suggested you can feel each note. The evenness across the entire range is the best I have experienced in a carved top. For me this guitar is everything I would dream about in a more expensive L5 but more. The guitar has one pick-up rather than the two sunken pick-ups (the latter providing extra un-wanted baggage) and the tone and volume are where they should be; on the pick guard; this one is a gorgeous ebony pickguard that is trimmed out. The pick-up is clearly a different animal from what I am used to and is quieter than the DeArmond. With this PU when you roll off the tone, the sound is muted but not muddied as is normally the case with tone controls on guitars. I attribute this to the excellent frequency response that Kent Armstrong is able to realize witrh his design and careful work. I have so far run this through my 70s Princeton with Weber 10inch. Great combo! For performance in concert spaces I will also split the signal with a bit of stereo chorus using a custom made PA that I have. I will place speakers from the PA left and right and the Princeton in the center. This set-up worked nicely for the L4C but I anticipate will be even better with this instrument.

Fit and finish are beautifully done, comparable to the best I have seen or played. The woods are stunning in terms of grain and match. The neck is three piece with very fine thin strips running the length of the neck to the black laminate on the back of the headstock. Again beautifully executed workmanship. The guitar was only strung up this week but when it arrived I began to play it and now after just four days, it plays beautifully and is really opening up and feeling more relaxed. It turned out when I first phoned Bill to inquire about another of his guitars in a shop that I was considering that we share a preference for Tomastik Bebop 13s. This guitar was set up by Bill with those and I have adjusted nothing. I am a classical player so I like to play hard and into an instrument (this is not particularly good for electric playing), but this guitar loves to be played into. It has a great acoustic voice. Aesthetically the guitar is very classically done. The headstock and tailpiece are really well integrated into the visual design of the body which is also very nicely balanced. The guitar is a bigger body than I have had since I sold n ES 340 in 1972. I don't usually find large instruments work for me but this is a dream to hold and to play.

I anticipate this guitar will be around a long time.

Bill is just down the pike and he has been very accesible. He would return email regularly during workdays.....and surprised me on a Sunday eve once too. I was a pest about what finish and Bill's patience made me feel totally at ease about my indecision. I really like the orange burst that he does and wanted that but taken/sanded to a more blonde burst. He did that and the burst and orange are really gone from this finish but the result is an extraordinary "blonde". I don't really know how to describe it. Honey-Blonde non-burst....

I have played for almost 40 years. I play classical professionally and play mostly solo and with bass when playing jazz. I love old Gibsons when they are set up and in good shape but this really makes me rethink the hype around many oldder guitars. We are so fortunate to be living in this new golden age of lutherie. It is a privelege for me to be able to collaborate with someone like Bill Gagnon and in the end to have a "new" classic to break in for myself. This is a keeper.

I have my DeVant for three weeks now. I wanted to wait until I change the strings at least once before making an intitial review. I plan to review it again (with ratings)at its 6 month anniversary.

Mine is a 17" honey blonde version with a 1-11/16 inch nut width. This is an archtype jazz style acoustic/electric guitar. Bill called it a DeVant Deluxe. My features include the standard features for this model - solid spruce top, curly maple sides and back, adjustable ebony bridge, 3 piece maple neck wedged with 2 pieces of walnut, ebony fretborad with split rectangle inlay (MOP-Abalone-MOP), black headstock ebony pickguard w/ gold tuners, floating Kent Armstrong adjustable poll pickup) - plus split rectangle inlay of MOP-Abalone-MOP on the 1,3,5,7,12,15, 17 and 19th frets and wood binding on the front, back, heel, headstock, pickguard and f-holes. I had it strung with Thomastik 13s BeBops. Bottom line, this is a top quality handmade custom guitar at a very reasonable price. It shipped with a basic TKL hardshell case.

I play jazz - a la Johnny, Wes, Russell, George, Herb, Joe style with some Lee Ritenour fusion type jazz. I play a lot of chord solos, primarily with a pick but some finger style. For the more contemporay Ritenour type stuff and its ilk, I use my Fender Strat with Gold Lace Sensors.

The DeVant guitar represents the prototype archtop jazz guitar design. I use either Thomastik or LaBella 13s round wounds. I may be tempted to try a set of flats but, in spite of what the gurus say, I've never been satisfied with either the feel or sound of flat wounds - perhaps the Gagnon will be different.

I play through a 1-year old Polytone MiniBrute 4 (15' speaker) and a 45-year old Ampeg AC15 that I have had since I was 13 - usually with just reverb and no effects or with just a touch of digital delay. The sound of this guitar through either amp is just what you'd want from an archtop jazz guitar. The best thing is that it should just get better with time. Mine is still new and needs to "break-in". Bill says that it takes at least 6 months for the finish to completly settle. I can't wait. This guitar already has that primo classic acoustic jazz sound. For now, I've been rolling off the tone knob a bit. The sound is clear and even. No booming of the low E sting. I have not had any problem with feedback. I don't have expeience with other types of "floating" PUs to comment on whether the Kent Armstrong is better or best - for sure it is Good. I'm have no need to think of changing it, it's just fine as is for this guitar.

This is a beautiful, elegant looking, well-built instrument. Bill's woodworking skills are masterful, he is a true craftsman. Except for a small blemish in the spuce top wood, the materials and finish are first rate. The flame on the maple sides and bookmatched back is as good as you'll find in any top of the line guitar - mass produced or handmade. I love to just look at this beauty. This may sound silly, but it's even a joy to clean the guitar, especially the arched top and back.

Now for the best parts, it plays and sounds better than it looks. The set-up, action and intonation as recieved from Bill was excellent. As with all new guitars, it was a bit stiff to play at first but, as Bill advised, this went away in about a week. This is one of the most easy playing guitars I ever played. I can grab those finger busting Johnny Smith streeeeeetch chords with relative ease and can fly over the fretboard on single and double note soloing also with relative ease. This guitar is every bit as easy playing as the Buscarino Monarch I once played for three hours (and would have bought except for it's $8,000-10,000 price tag).

Only time will tell how the guitar will hold-up but it's hard to imagine that there will be a problem on this score. Although light in weight, the guitar is solidly built. I would have no problem gigging with this (if I still gigged), without a backup for pure jazz gigs .

This is my first custom built guitar. I didn't know what to expect. Bill is easy to work with. He genuinely wished to please me. He sent me progress reports and pictures of my guitar on a weekly basis. I asked a lot of questions (most of a general informational nature) and he was forth coming in his responses. I am confident that if I ever the guitar ever needed a repair or did not hold-up in any way, Bill would fully stand behind his work.

I have been playing for over 40 years, mostly acoustic style jazz(a la Johnny, Wes, Joe, Barney, Herb, Russel, etc. - although not nearly as accomplished as any of these guys) for the past 30 years or so. I have owned many Gibson (ES165, ES175, LPs) and Guild (X-175, Slim Jim)guitars over the years. It's unfair to compare a custom handmade solid wood guitar with any of the "massed produced" GIbsons or Guilds. Even though they are very good guitars, they just can't measure up in workmanship, style, sound and playability.

I owned a new NYL2 D'Angelico reissue for about a year but sold it to make way for the Gagnon. The NYL2 is a lot of guitar for the money and is a reasonably good replica of the original (at least from what I remember from playing an original D over 30 years ago). I also have played L5s, L4s, Artists, a Citation, a Campellone, and numerous higher end Ibanez jazz archtops (including some fine "lawsuit" models) Since I can only afford one "luxury" type guitar, I am very happy with my choice of a Gagnon. This guitar holds it own against all of the finest guitars I have owned or played. If money were no object, I'd seriously consider buying a Buscarino. For now, I am considering buying another Gagnon (Bill's thinline electric model) and still have thousands of dollars left over from the cost of a Buscarino. Would I replace the DeVant if lost, stolen or otherwise destroyed? You bet!!! There are a lot of good-to-great luthiers out there. In my humble opinion Bill is in this category. It is easy to understand why he has loyal customers. Do yourself a favor, look into one if you are thinking about buying a "high end" guitar. You will not be disappointed.

Handmade in the USA! The features of this guitar are as follows: 3 1/16th " body depth. 1 11/16ths at the nut. 25 " scale. All AAA European tonewoods including, body purfling and binding. This guitar is completely bound including the f-holes and the truss rod cover. The neck is 5 piece American curly maple and walnut combination. The headstock veneers front and back, fingerboard, pickgaurd, tailpiece, bridge, volume and tone knobs, side dot markers, tuning buttons and neck end cap are all solid ebony. A floating Kent Armstrong adjustable poll paf pickup mounted to the pickgaurd. One small fluer de lis on the 12 fret in abalone. All gold hardware including Schaller tuners, endpin jack, pickgaurd bracket and strap button A natural honey blonde finish in Nitro tops it off.

I play jazz, from ballads to bebop. This guitar is a simple straight forward jazz box. The hand carved top seems a little thinner than my D?Angelico New Yorker (Vestax) and my L4 and for this reason I believe the guitar is more resonant. I use a Mesa Boogie mark 1 and a 65 twin blackface, either amp enhances the sound of this guitar. The Lows are deep and rich while the highs are shimmering and bright. If you want the Kenny Burrell tone, this guitar is a good start ? Listen to Burrell for more information. As for versatility, I do not require much versatility; I don?t play with the knobs and for my purpose ? less is better. Simply put: this guitar has the bone tone of a classic jazz box.

Bill Gagnon inquired as to my preferences and accordingly set up the action to my specification. I use TI round wound 12?s. Finish is AAA. No Flaws. Book matching is top notch. Binding is elegant. The worst thing about the fit and finish is that if you let a friend play the instrument ? they might not want to give it back to you. Lastly, Most of my guitars are 17? models; I was a bit worried about the size at first. However, after playing this guitar for a short time I found that the instrument is not at all cumbersome and upon hearing big body tone ? forgetaboutit ? you not regret your purchase!

Since this guitar is new (few months old as of 4/2003), I find it difficult to remark about durability in the sense of geological time. I can stress that there are very few things to go wrong as far as hardware is concerned. Most of the hardware is ebony, Schaller?s, two pots and an output. The output is the hardest thing to replace on an archtop ? That would be the only non user serviceable. Regardless, talk to Bill and I am certain that he would support this product. Will the guitar still be playable in 50 years? No doubt. Would I gig without backup? Yes, but I always prefer a back up because I like being paid!

Go to Gagnon guitars (http://www.gagnonguitars.com/) and check out his page and if you have questions ? inquire! I did and Bill answered all of my questions beyond my expectations. You will find that Bill is very friendly treats each guitar as if it was one of his kids and you are the trusted caretaker for the time being. Each guitar is covered by a limited warranty to the original purchaser for life against defective workmanship or material. Natural wears is excluded as you should expect and if your kid slams his Tonka truck into your box or your dog chews the headstock off ? Hang your head in shame as you are an irresponsible owner!

I have been playing for > 30 years, classically trained from a tender age and banged my head until I learned the finer art of jazz. If this guitar was stolen ? I don?t even like broaching the subject, however, I would hunt the four corners of this earth and the far reaches of the universe until I found the culprit and ritually eviscerated the person. As for comparison, I own many guitars, Solid bodies and Archtops, including a L4 and a D?Angelico ? I prefer the Gagnon ? It even smells better ? maybe there is something in that Oregon air? Lastly, if you are familiar with Archtops and Hollow bodies, you know they have a tendency to feed back. That isn?t a defect, it is simply the bias signal and if you have been playing for a while you know how to deal with it. If you have bothered reading this far you probably know the rest? I have no buyer remorse. In fact, I want another and my woman is going to kill me if I do but what she doesn?t know???.!

Solid Sitka Spruce Top, Maple Sides and Back, Hand carved; Ebony Fretboard, bridge, saddle, tailpiece, pickguard; handwound Kent Armstrong floating humbucker; volume and tone knobs on pickguard;

I play straight ahead jazz, both the loud and the quiet kinds, and it sounds great doing both, rich dark sound without being boomy in the bass range. Only complaint: tone knob pot is either on or off, no variability as you turn it - I had it replaced by builder for free, new one is the same way. no big deal in the big picture though.

plays great, I adjusted the pickup, intonation great too. This guitar sounds FABULOUS.

I use it to gig 2-3 times a week + rehearsals, practice, and 15-20 hours of lessons per week! I has held up to some nasty bumps, etc. already wonderfully the finish is superb, my only concern is the top is carved fairly thin (the guitar itself is very light to hold) and I wonder if an accidental blow to the top wouldn't damage it more than a gibson or a guild of similar price range.

Bill Gagnon bends over backwards to make you happy, and does it at a very competetive price too. When the wire from my pickup to the output jack broke, he repaired it promptly for me for free! very friendly and helpful person who works to please the customer.

This guy is using top-quality ingredients and making gorgeous instruments out of them, and he's doing it far cheaper than some luthiers charge for comparable guitars. Get one before he raises his prices!