Regular visitors to the Grouse Guitars website will already know that I hold Gerard Gilet in the highest esteem amongst Australian luthiers.

This delightful OO-size acoustic guitar, made by Gerard in 1998, is a supreme example of why I have the opinion I do of Gerard's guitars! Beautiful tonewoods , combined with flawless workmanship combine to produce a guitar that looks just as elegant and beautiful as it sounds. This is without doubt amongst the best-sounding acoustic guitars I have ever had the pleasure of owning. It is equal to the stunning O parlour guitar I purchased new from Gerard recently, but as one would expect has a fuller sound. It's loud, it's detailed, it's bloody superb!

This Gilet guitar was previously owned (from new) by a well-known Melbourne-based musician, so it shows some play wear (see the 'more pictures' link below), but overall has been very well cared for. The main mark is on the back where a guitar stand has reacted with the thin nitro-cellulose finish, leaving a mark. This could easily be repaired by any competent luthier with a light sand and airbrushed new clear, but I find it inconsequential and prefer to leave it all original. After all, the guitar is already well over a decade old, and has been both well played and well looked-after in that time. It is a guitar that I frankly hope I can keep for ever.

When I contacted Gilet Guitars about this particular guitar, they were not sure now whether the top was Swiss Pine or European Spruce. Back and sides a solid Brazilian Rosewood, which is legendary (rightly so in my opinion, which is why I will always have a Brazilian Rosewood guitar at the top of my own private instruments). The Rosewood is not of the most remarkable appearance, but is well-seasoned, very stable, and sounds incredible. It even smells nice, something that will always identify a Brazilian Rosewood guitar! Gerard remembers purchasing the batch of pre-CITES rosewood from a bow-and-arrow manufacturer!

The guitar is set off beautifully with hand-inlayed Abalone purfling and rosette, which combine perfectly with the pyramid bridge, vintage-style fretboard inlays and slotted headstock combined with the 12th fret neck/body join. A very elegant guitar, with the beautiful tone I find only a 12-fret neck can give, which places the bridge at the optimum point in the lower bout.

The selling price represents a substantial saving on the price of a similar handmade Gilet guitar today (at least $10,000), with the benefit of more than a decade of ageing and sensitive playing to bring out the full potential of this beautiful Australian-built guitar.

Sold to Jim