Musictime

Luthier is a term that originated in France, from the word "luth", which means the string instrument. Over time, it became the name of the specialist in making tools is artisanal.

However, today the term goes beyond: it is the professional who designs and manufactures instruments of great quality, following the same system craft, but directing its work to quality. This is a unique product that can be tailored to the musician, according to their needs. The luthier is, above all, a detailed and a perfectionist. His art is the musician who goes on stage to give the best of themselves on their performance.

AD'Alegria is a company founded in Rio de Janeiro by Daniel Alegria and Rodrigo Werneck, which aims to produce low and guitars with the standard of quality craftsmanship combined with cutting edge technology. Nothing better than knowing the work of these professionals, in an interview by Rodrigo Werneck.

Musictime: How did the idea to become a luthier? Why not? In what year was the beginning?

Rodrigo Werneck: In 2002, both me as my partner in D'Joy, Joy Daniel, we were somewhat disappointed with the Brazilian telecommunications market, where we are both coming. Daniel had an experience of 15 years in construction, repairs and services on musical instruments, and playing bass, guitar and violin (so amateur). I had many contacts in the music here in Brazil and abroad, on account of my involvement in production of shows and with the magazine Music Box, of which I was co-editor. Joining these previous experiences, we begin the production of low custom craft, and in January 2003 was the D'Alegria.

The company started the production of low, and more recently of guitars. How you felt the opening of the market?

Yes, we started with the production of low only. The first model was launched Dart, then the Defender, the Dragster, the Discovery (low vertical), and finally the guitar Dimension, in 2006. Recently, we launched another model of low, the Dragon. Initially, in the low to be restricted to a slice of the market less congested, "compared to the guitars, for example. Over time, however, we do a test launching a model of guitar, test that you just being very positive. During the first years, several guitarists charged in a line of guitars. The techniques of construction are very similar, after all. Although there is much more competition in the market for guitars, there is also a much larger consumer audience.

Today, there is a great discussion about the extraction of hardwood forests. D'Joy deals with this issue?

Some of the assumptions we adopted in the choice of wood for our instruments are: the use of exclusively Brazilian species (do not use wood as Ash, Alder, Ebony, Maple, etc..), And specifically those not threatened with extinction (not use Jacaranda, Mahogany, among others, unless perhaps one or another piece come from demolition). Furthermore, we certified suppliers, sources that are following the extraction rules and environmental concerns, replanting, etc.. Brazil is one of the countries, possibly * the * country, with one of the largest reserves and the greater number of tree species at our disposal. Therefore, we can pass the test and use great alternative to traditional species, with equal or superior results. Today, the very use Freijó the Ipê the Roxinho the Garapa the Tauari the Cherry, the Marupá the Cumaru, among other species.

What are the basic steps to produce an instrument?

Before the production itself, with the set customer to complete setup of the instrument, so that we can choose the most suitable timber. This affects both the aesthetic and in the noise characteristics, and the weight of the instrument. Then select the pieces of wood to be used, cut arm, body, following the manner and scale of the model chosen, and if necessary (option aesthetic) colamos sheets covering the body and the front hand. Proceeded with the rounding of the edges, defining the contours of the arm, after sizing scale installation of the tensor, installation of frets and markers of scale, and finally lixações of all the pieces to get to the finish. All steps are made on a full manual, or using tools and machines handled manually. We do not use CNC machines (equipment controlled by computers) in any case.

The next step is the completion of the parts. Body and neck are finished in polyurethane (PU), shiny or satin (semi-matte), and if any are dyed, or remain with the natural look of wood. In the case of bright finish, there is the final step of polishing. Then proceed to the assembly of the instrument, leveling the frets, forração cavity with electric copper (to prevent the capture of unwanted noise in the future), installation of sensors and the electrical, installation of hardware (bridge, nut, Knobs, etc. .) placement of ropes and final adjustment. The process as a whole takes about 3 months.

Despite the craft work that involves tools, D'Alegria also uses a cutting-edge technology in developing the electronics section. You can explain to us respect?

Accurate. As far as my partner I are electronics engineers trained by PUC / RJ, we developed our own pre-amplifier, 3 bands (with controls for low, medium and treble), using the best techniques for a high performance, than the use electronic components of the first category.

Initially this was pre manually manufactured in our workshop, one by one, but after a while it became necessary for his production on an industrial scale, and the pre is now supplied to other brands or even to individual customers, for installation on instruments do not necessarily manufactured by Joy D'. Born there, ToneChaser, which sells not only the pre (the TC-3B), as well as pickups wound to the hand down and guitar, "single coil" and "humbucking" ( "DOUBE coil").

This development is one of the major attractions of the company? This is a differential?

For a long time was in fact a spread, and many people bought our instruments for seeking the combination of wood alternatives, first-quality hardware (Gotoh, Hipshot, Grover, etc.., Elixir strings), and part electric exclusive. Besides the pre, also developed the "Vintagizer", a rotary switch, 6 positions that provides different sounds to the instrument, ranging from a sound brighter and more modern to something more "stuffy", close to the instruments "vintage", hence the name of control. The "Vintagizer" is still an optional facility fully exclusive D'Alegria, is it comes apart.

Among Endorsers of the company is the veteran musician Trevor Bolder, the classical band Uriah Heep. How do you get this contact?

I have contact with the staff of Uriah Heep since 1995, and now I became involved in various activities with them, from the band's own website to the organization of concerts, both in Brazil and in England. When D'Alegria began in 2003, came in contact with Trevor, who topou test was low because without endorsee at that time. There were several low tested from other manufacturers, such as Warwick, but had not adapted and is still using his old Fender Precision bass in 1973. By testing a model Defender JB ours, and now quite like 2 to provide it, both of 4 strings, the second a signature model, the Defender TB - Trevor Bolder model. Coincidently, today I received an email from Trevor asked me to provide a low of 5 strings, he will need to tour the dissemination of Heep's new album, called "Wake The Sleeper"!

Other Endorsers arise through our distributors outside, such as the North American bassist Trae Pierce, the legendary band of soul / gospel Blind Boys of Alabama. Here in Brazil we also have names of respect in our time, as André Neiva (Jorge Vercilo, Cama de Gato), roma Moussawer (solo artist, currently in the U.S.), Bruno Migliari (Frejat bands, and Ana Carolina) and Jorge Pescara (band of Ithamar Koorax).

Recently the low Defender JB Deluxe was analyzed by the American magazine Bass Player. What do you think this impact? The idea of the company is putting its products in foreign markets.

Indeed, increasingly we have increased the distribution of our instruments abroad. Currently, we sell more to the outside than in Brazil. We have distributors some years ago in the U.S., Canada, UK, France and Japan We close at the end of last year with a new distributor in Sweden, which will operate throughout Scandinavia and Finland. And we are now negotiating with a distributor in Germany, which also includes Austria and Switzerland. The foreign market is a priority for us, without neglecting (or desprezarmos) the Brazilian market.

We have participated in trade fairs abroad, from our distributors, such as editions of NAMM (USA), London Guitar Show and Music Live (both in England), and Musical Instruments Fair in Yokohama, Japan In the coming year our tools should be present at the Musikmesse in Frankfurt, Germany. And here in Brazil, we have participated every year of Expomusic of São Paulo.

Besides the analysis conducted recently by Bass Player (USA), have left more material in the journals Bass Guitar Magazine, Guitarist, Guitar & Bass (all three of England) and Bass Magazine (Japan), and in sites like Ultimate-Guitar.com ( USA) and Audiofanzine.com (France). Brazilian magazines such as Outside obviously Cover Bass, Guitar Cover, Backstage, music scene, among others, as well as sites Territory of Music, etc..

How low guitars and the company produces per month on average?

We have a production on average 5 to 10 instruments per month. This varies slightly depending on the season. For example, at the time of the summer and autumn fairs market in the northern hemisphere, production tends to increase. An interesting detail is that the number of guitars produced is reaching the amount of low. With the new contracts for distribution, however, anticipate an increase in demand for the coming months, especially abroad.

One of the advantages that the D'Alegria offers its customers is the choice of components that are present in the instruments from the wood of the body and the arm to the electronics section. This makes the product more like the next customer is not true?

Yes, that's the basic premise of the instruments "custom made". Our clients really value the opportunity to choose all the details of their instruments, among the alternatives we offer. There are several choices to be made, the model, the wood, color of the instrument, the electrical, hardware, among other details. The fact that our instruments are all made by hand, one by one, so personal, is a great attraction to many musicians, professional or amateur.

What do you think the work of a luthier in Brazil? What are the difficulties?

It is a difficult market, disputed, but with two different approaches. There are Luthiers, shall we say, "low profile", with more localized action, which based its disclosure in the "mouth to mouth." For a certain angle, is a less professional performance (I do not mean the quality of the construction itself). There is, moreover, the Luthiers (or companies from luthier) with a more professional, focusing on larger markets, with a more structured scheme marketing, distribution diagrammatically, etc.. AD'Alegria falls in this second group, which does not have many members in Brazil.

The biggest problems here in Brazil, are to demonstrate the instruments differ as customized, "handmade", in a series of instruments made by the big brands. The Brazilian also has a tendency to overvalue foreign products at the expense of what is done in our country. That is changing, but it is a slow process. Already on the outside, a great appreciation for everything that is done by hand, and there is also a great recovery of tropical timber we use.

How do you see the future of the profession? And the competition for big brands?

I think there will always be room for instruments made by hand, so custom. What happens today is that the instruments are manufactured in series best ever, decreasing the distance (in quality) to craft the instruments. The price difference, however, is growing. The rise of Asian manufacturers marketing explains this phenomenon, which occurs in several other areas of products and services, as we all know. This makes the scenario more difficult, but this is a phenomenon that affects most strongly the big Western brands such as Gibson, Fender and others, who are taking it to join the Eastern manufacturers are competing for themselves, with lines of instruments cheaper. "If you can not beat them, join them."

Already the market "custom made" works in a different way, is the whole issue of exclusivity, the fact that each instrument has its own characteristics. Wins in the margin of a highly specialized service, and not the quantity produced. It is logical that, as the quantities produced increases, several issues are inherent in the process. Even where growth without compromising quality? It is worthwhile to leave the production craft back, and go to something more automated? Each manufacturer handles these dilemmas in a different way, with results that vary with the competence to deal with each scenario that presents. In a market that combines creativity, art, with competition, professionalism, a great risk involved in each decision.

Video: Trae Pierce and low Defender TP - D'Alegria:

Contact: D'Alegria Custom Made

Interview: Ciro HIRUMA

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