Jean Barault 2010 Oval Hole Guitar (Indian Rosewood Back and Sides) HSC

This beautiful guitar was built by the renowned French luthier Jean Barault. Biréli Lagrène and Tchavolo Schmitt currently endorse Barault guitars.

This guitar includes:

• laminated Indian rosewood back and sides
• A real pliage (the top is bent just like the older Selmers!)
• Spruce top
• 670mm scale
• 14 fret neck
• Walnut neck
• Selmer body specs (15 3/4" body, 3 3/4" deep)

The sound of this instrument is among the best Selmer copies being made today. It's no wonder Biréli chose to endorse Barault guitars as they offer a very traditional Selmer sound but have the playability of an ultra smooth archtop.

The tone is just spectacular on this guitar. Barault has achieved a delicate balance between stinging highs and rounded lows. Most guitars favor one or the other while this one has a biting high end when you need it for lead, but at the same time there are all these thick lower mids that make the chords sound super fat! The guitar is very full and satisfying yet still projects just as loud as a Dupont Vieille Reserve. In contrast to Duponts, the Barault is more "open" in tone....it has a swirling complexity that is really unique. A somewhat "boxy" sound whereas a Dupont is ultra dry and direct.

Barault is one of the very few luthiers today actually making Selmer copies with a real pliage. He uses the method that Selmer did...the top is bent with a hot iron which creates a fold, or "pliage," in the top just under the bridge. 99% of Selmer copies being made today have forced tops which generally don't have the punch, volume, and quick attack that the pliage tops have.

It is currently strung with Argentine 11 gauge strings. Action is very, very low at 3mm...but is buzz free and sounds great at this height. As you would expect, the guitar plays very, very easily.


Barault certainly wins the award for weight...this guitar is feather weight at only 3.8 pounds! Hard to find anyone making guitars that lightweight today. The lower weight allows the guitar to resonate freely....no wonder it sounds so good!

This is the CASH price...add 3% (4% for International orders) if you'd like to pay with a credit card.