Michel Pellerin Small Jumbo CW Acoustic Guitar with Lutz Spruce and Flamed Sapele

Spec Sheet for Michel Pellerin Small Jumbo CW Acoustic Guitar with Lutz Spruce and Flamed Sapele

Case for Michel Pellerin Small Jumbo CW Acoustic Guitar with Lutz Spruce and Flamed Sapele

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The Michel Pellerin Small Jumbo CW is a magnificent expression of contemporary lutherie, alive with graceful curves, extraordinary materials, and the unmistakable hand of a builder who understands that beauty and musicality should never be separated. Its pale Lutz spruce soundboard glows against the deep amber figure of the sapele, while the sharply sculpted cutaway and elegant side soundport give the instrument a sense of movement. Every visual element feels connected, from the wide flame maple top purfling to the custom rosette of maple burl, segmented flame maple, and slender ribbons of abalone.

Michel Pellerin has been refining his craft since 1998, building his reputation from his workshop in Thetford Mines, Quebec. His early experience repairing guitars taught him to recognize where instruments succeed, where they fail, and how subtle structural decisions shape their response. That methodical curiosity became central to his work. After more than 250 completed instruments, Michel has become a deeply respected voice within the luthier built guitar community, sharing his knowledge as an instructor and even offering private training to accomplished builders from around the world. His approach combines an artist’s intuition with the discipline of an engineer, carefully documenting each instrument and continually refining the relationships between structure, energy, and sound.

That philosophy is beautifully embodied in this Small Jumbo CW. Its Sonic Lutz spruce top from Pacific Rim Tonewoods is supported by 100 year old red spruce braces arranged in Michel’s post Somogyi XX pattern. The result is a top designed to respond as a unified system, producing exceptional sensitivity, dynamic freedom, and a broad, dimensional voice. The doubled sides, constructed from dyed Adirondack spruce and figured sapele, create a rigid perimeter that allows more of the player’s energy to remain focused within the soundboard. Even the interior receives a Super Blonde shellac finish, a beautiful indication of the care devoted to areas most players will never see.

The pairing of Lutz spruce and figured sapele gives this guitar a voice that is immediate, warm, and wonderfully articulate. Lutz provides the headroom, clarity, and quick response needed for expressive fingerstyle playing, while sapele contributes a strong fundamental, woody warmth, and a lively midrange presence. The Small Jumbo body adds breadth and authority without sacrificing balance. Bass notes arrive with depth and definition, trebles shimmer without becoming brittle, and the midrange has a lyrical quality that gives single notes remarkable substance. Chords bloom with separation and harmonic color, while the guitar’s long sustain allows melodies to hang beautifully in the air.

A side soundport brings that rich voice directly to the player, creating an intimate sense of immersion and revealing the smallest changes in touch. The 25 inch scale gives the strings a supple, responsive feel, making this a guitar that rewards nuance but still has the strength to accept a confident attack. Its 1 3/4 inch nut, 2 1/4 inch bridge spacing, and 16 inch fingerboard radius offer generous room for detailed fingerstyle work while remaining natural and comfortable for chordal playing.

The figured sapele neck continues the visual language of the body, reinforced internally with dual ebony bars and fitted with a two way adjustable truss rod. A Gaboon ebony fingerboard and bridge provide a dark, elegant contrast, while medium EVO Gold frets echo the warm tones of the surrounding woods. The live edge burl rectangle at the twelfth fret feels like a small framed piece of the natural world, complemented by mother of pearl side dots, ebony body binding, the segmented ebony backstrip, and an ebony headstock face outlined with delicate maple purfling. The rear of the headstock is dressed in figured sapele, completing the instrument with the same thoughtful continuity seen throughout the entire build.

Cosmo Black Gotoh 510 tuning machines with ebony buttons provide smooth, precise operation, while a bone nut and saddle and ebony bridge pins with abalone dots complete the acoustic system. A clear pickguard protects the Lutz spruce without interrupting its clean visual sweep. Finished in high gloss polyurethane and weighing 4 pounds 9 ounces, this Pellerin feels substantial and beautifully composed without losing the responsiveness expected from an elite handmade instrument. It is accompanied by a hard case.

The Michel Pellerin Small Jumbo CW is refined but never restrained, modern but deeply organic. It is a guitar built to respond, to inspire, and to reveal more of itself as the player learns its voice. Gorgeous from every angle and deeply lyrical in sound, it represents Michel Pellerin at the height of his craft.

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