S E B A S T I O S P I E K E R M A N N

2016 CATALOG

S E B A S T I O S P I E K E R M A N N

SEED
TO
SONG

Bedell Guitars are rooted in the simple belief that extraordinary acoustic
guitars can be crafted from the worlds most precious music wood in complete
harmony with forest sustainability while respecting the indigenous cultures
and economies that live among them.
At Bedell Guitars, it is all about the wood knowing where your instrument
comes from and knowing that the woods were obtained responsibly. We never
clear-cut or use any tonewood from clear-cut trees.
Understanding the life of each tree, the dynamics of it's growth, and the
variability in each tonewood set, we individually profile and sand each set to
a designated thinness for specific density and frequencyturning tonewood
into music wood. We thoughtfully and responsibly handcraft our instruments
entirely in the U.S.A. We are committed to complete transparency from Seed
to Song.

S E B A S T I O S P I E K E R M A N N

TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE SEED TO SONG JOURNEY

HOMEGROWN COLLECTION

Tonewood Certification Project 4

Bedell Wildfire Series 17

Bedell Hand Tuning 6

Bedell Blackbird Vegan Series 18

Earthsong Series 19

BRAZILIAN COLLECTION
Summer of Love Series 10

FOLK ROCK COLLECTION

Revere Series 11

Coffee House Series 21

Rio Series 12

1964 Series 22

Bahia Series 13
ANGELICA SERIES
Angelica Guitars 15

S E B A S T I O S P I E K E R M A N N

SOUTH EAST ALASKA

It is a crime that the US Forest Service allows the clearcutting of 1,000 year old-growth Sitka forests. Bedell Guitars
has joined with Brent Cole of Alaska Specialty Woods to
salvage dead 4-600 year old Sitka trees and turn them into
music wood. Each salvaged tree is marked for it's location
and every tonewood set is traceable back to it's tree.

T H E

B E D E L L TO N E W O O D
D O I N G T H E

R I G H T T H I N G

C E R T I F I C AT I O N
N E V E R

S O U N D E D

P R O J E C T

B E T T E R

GUATEMALA

MADAGASCAR

HAWAII

TILLAMOOK, OREGON

Traveling to the Mayan Biosphere in northern

Guatemala, Bedell established a partnership
with Custosel, a conservation cooperative
that selectively harvest Honduran mahogany,
insuring sustainability while supporting the
livelihoods of the 85 families living near &
among the forest. Supported by the Rainforest
Alliance, FSC, CATIE, & other forest stewardship
organizations, Custosel individually harvests
old-age mahogany trees & traces all the wood
supplied to Bedell back to the individual tree.

Due diligence of the Madagascar rosewood

trade uncovered a total decimation of the
rosewood forests and illegal harboring and
exporting of Madagascar rosewood even
though there is a worldwide supported CITES
imposed total export ban. Following his trip to
Madagascar, Tom Bedell committed to using
no wood products from this impoverished
nation until governmental corruption is ended
and new sustainability practices are put into
place and enforced.

Visiting The Big Island in Hawaii, Tom joined

Jorma of Winkler Woods to locate dead koa
trees for his guitars. It is impressive how the
Hawaiian government is enforcing permitting
and harvesting controls to protect the endemic
koa forests that thrive between 300 and 7,500
feet above sea level on the Hawaiian Islands.

We dont need to travel to the far end of

the globe to source the finest, sustainably
harvested tonewoods for our instruments. For
two decades Cyril Jacob has been rescuing
tonewood-quality trees from going to waste,
either from rotting on the forest floor, or from
being processed into garden mulch or firewood.
All of our big leaf maple and walnut is salvaged
or individually harvested in our home state of
Oregon and is as important ecologically as any
of our tonewood projects.

H A N D T U N I N G B E D E L L
G U I TA R TO P S & B A C K S

At Bedell Guitars, we honor every tree

we turn into instruments. We know
the characteristics of the wood in
each tree vary in density, frequency
and appearance. Honoring this gift
of Mother Nature demands that we
understand the music wood potential
in every soundboard using frequency
and density technology. As the Bedell
craftsmen in Bend, OR strive to
build the best sounding, sustainable
and aesthetically brilliant acoustic
instruments - they are venturing
down an exciting path intertwined
by technology and craftsmanship
- hand tuning select instruments'
top and back tonewoods with the
assistance of cutting edge software
and meticulous attention to sonic
perfection.

If this all sounds mysterious and complicated, allow us to explain this simple yet extraordinary process. After top and
back tonewoods have been chosen for an instrument build,they are sanded to a designated thinness based on a targeted
frequency. Then perfectly quarter sawn bracing is applied to the top and back wood sets. Individually, the top and the
back are placed into a customized jig, and tapped with a specialized mallet producing frequencies that are recorded and
analyzed in real-time by sophisticated software. This real-time data enables the craftsmen the ability to tap among all
of the bracing and tone bars, analyzing the results and meticulously hand carving away wood from the bracing and tone
bars . This process - tap, review the results, and slowly carve the bracing - is repeated until the selected soundboard
frequency is achieved throughout the entire top, giving maximum sound efficiency and tonal clarity. Thus we have taken
the variability in each tonewood set and created astounding music wood.
Additionally, all Bedells are crafted with a one-piece neck and compound taper dovetail neck to body joint. Similar to
guitars built in the 1930's, this traditional dovetail minimizes the need for vibration deadening glue and maximizes the
wood-to-wood transmission of sound energy into the body and back up the neck. Musicians frequently comment on how
alive the Bedells feel, giving them a feedback connection between their playing and their guitar.
You will be amazed when you experience the aliveness that is achieved in the Bedell Wildfire, Bahia, and Rio series and the
Angelica Collection instruments.
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B E D E L L

B R A Z I L I A N

CO L L E C T I O N

Known for its magical tonal character and

deep rich beauty, Brazilian rosewood is
regarded as the worlds finest acoustic tone
wood. Unfortunately, it has become rare and
highly regulated as Brazilian Rosewood is
endangered and protected listed in CITES in
the same category as elephant ivory. It is not
illegal to own a guitar made with Brazilian, but
without documentation confirming its harvest
before 1992, there may be restrictions on both
travel outside of America and the future ability
to resale the instrument legally. Bedell Guitars
may be the worlds only company owning
a significant quantity of Brazilian rosewood
tonewood sets, fully documented, and tour
certified to legally travel throughout the world.
We are honored with an amazing treasure.
Tucked away in a warehouse just outside of
Madrid, Spain, Madinter stored a large quantity
of Brazilian timber imported during the 1950s
and 1960s. During the 1980s and 1990s,
Madinter decided to cut the timber into fine
acoustic instrument sets. The sets were then
left to naturally air dry in their warehouse. After
the Spanish government verified the legality
of Madinters Brazilian in 2010, Bedell Guitars
acquired all of it. We are pleased to offer the
exceptional voice of our 50 year aged Brazilian
in four magnificent instrument series: The
Summer of Love and the Revere, Rio and
Bahia series.

T H E

B E D E L L

S U M M E R

O F

LO V E

S E R I E S

THE SUMMER OF LOVE | $17,450

Limited Edition of 12.

The Bedell Summer of Love series revives the spirit of the most coveted
acoustic guitar during the summer of 1967: the Adirondack/Brazilian
dreadnought. It tells the story of the tonal magic of Brazilian rosewood
and its prominence in the music that gave us the 60s sound we love
and appreciate to this day; its the sound that inspired a revolution,
and went on to inspire countless musicians and transform the face of
modern music.
The soundboards are crafted from 200-year-old Adirondack spruce,
which has higher resonance and more complex overtones than Sitka
and provides strong volume and pronounced individual note clarity with
vintage sound.
The Brazilian rosewood used in the Summer of Love series is regarded
as one of the finest tonewoods: hard, stiff, and highly resonant. It is
known for exceptional sustain and clarity and producing a loud, warm,
rich tone with full, deep bases and brilliant trebles.
The Bedell Summer of Love comes with a Hoffee carbon fiber case.

Top: Adirondack spruce

Back & Sides: Brazilian rosewood
Neck: Honduran mahogany

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T H E

B E D E L L

R E V E R E

S E R I E S

THE REVERE SERIES | $9,990

Tom Bedell designed the Revere series guitars for one

significant purpose: to offer the worlds most talented
musicians the finest stage ready acoustic instruments possible.
These ultimate performance guitars are made from ethically
sourced and fully documented heritage tonewoods. Naturally
seasoned Brazilian rosewood and individually harvested old
age Adirondack spruce provide the ultimate in projection,
articulation, and balance. A handcrafted Koa inlay accents
the three-piece back from Brazilian rosewood trees that were
acquired by our Spanish wood partner over 50 years ago and
aged in an ideal climate near Madrid, Spain. When played, the
traditional wood to wood hand carved compound tapered
dovetail neck/ body joint brings the Revere to life. You can
feel your music. Revere instruments come equipped with the
PowerMix Pure XT system from K&K Sound: an electronics
package offering amplification of the purest acoustic sound
possible. The SKB iSeries Travel Case makes it easy to tour with
your Revere and the complete documentation package enable a
Guitar Passport for worldwide touring.
Top: Adirondack spruce
Back & Sides: Brazilian rosewood
Neck: Honduran mahogany
Electronics: K & K PowerMix Pure XT

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T H E

B E D E L L

R I O

S E R I E S

THE RIO SERIES | $6,990

Brazilian rosewood has long been heralded the pinnacle of guitar

body tonewoods. Many of the tonewoods in the rosewood family
grow in the tropics, but none has ever matched the magical
Dalbergia nigra of Brazil. It's life, the decades of being buried in a
wet environment and the slow natural aging of the Esperanza tree
somehow has resulted in the finest music wood of all. You can hold
an Esperanza tonewood set between your fingers and feel it vibrate.
It has a bright glass-like ring that sustains. And it has that unique
Brazilian rosewood aroma.
With this prodigy of Brazilian rosewoods, we have created the Rio
Power Dread, the Rio Bold Orchestra, and the Rio Regal Parlor. Due to
Esperanza's denseness we can use a thinner more responsive back, a
hand selected extra stiff salvaged Bearclaw Sitka spruce soundboard,
and tone bars that are hand carved for 100% frequency tuned tops.
The one-piece Honduran mahogany neck is dovetailed into the body
with a compound taper similar to how vintage guitars were made in
the 1930's. And a stunning Rio Burst compliments the magic of the
music these instruments produce.
All of Bedell Guitar's Brazilian rosewood is legally documented for
world travel and future conveyance. A concierge service is available
to assist musicians with required travel permits or international sales.
Doing the right thing never sounded better.

Top: Bear claw Sitka spruce

Back & Sides: Brazilian rosewood
Neck: Honduran mahogany

POWER DREADNOUGHT, BOLD ORCHESTRA & REGAL PARLOR

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T H E

B E D E L L

B A H I A

S E R I E S

THE BAHIA SERIES | $4,990

The Bedell Bahia is hand crafted from more than a decade cured,
air dried Brazilian rosewood imported into Spain in the 1950's. Long
heralded as the Mother Nature's finest body tonewood, we have
paired it with Alaska Sitka spruce that was salvaged from the forest
floor near Craig, Alaska. We never use wood from clear-cut trees...
most importantly, clear-cut wood from over 1,000 year old-growth
Sitka forests.
Our salvaged soundboards are over 400 years old...growing slowly
as they compete in the forest for sun, water and freedom. The
result, the slow growth and tight growth rings give the tops of our
instruments previously unheard power and clarity.
So marrying nature cured Brazilian rosewood with multi-century old
Alaskan Sitka spruce to create the most responsive and beautiful
sounding acoustic guitars requires more than luck. We have studied
the tonal character of our Alaskan Sitka and Brazilian rosewood to
determine the best frequency pairings to maximize the sound, feel
and power. We actually sand each top to a targeted thinness and
then hand tune it by carving away wood on each of the tone bars
of each Bedell Bahia to a selected frequency. Different from most
guitars, when you tap on the top of a Bedell Bahia you will notice
that the frequencies are the same anywhere on the top you tap. This
results in efficient energy transfer of the music to the back wood,
which is also hand tuned to maximize its efficiency in responding.

Top: Alaska Sitka spruce

Back & Sides: Brazilian rosewood
Neck: Honduran mahogany

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S E B A S T I O S P I E K E R M A N N

Over three centuries ago the birth of the acoustic guitar enabled some of the most
exquisite classical music to be performed in social gatherings and family parlors.
Founded on the principle of 12 frets to the body and the bridge resting neatly in the
center of the lower bout, the instruments delivered warmth and clarity note by
note. Wanting to replicate the presence of this voice with the projection expectations
of Americas musicians, Bedell Guitars set out to locate and pair dense salvaged red
cedar with incredibly figured East Indian rosewood from the coffee plantations of
southwestern India. The results have been astonishing. To facilitate finger stylists the
nut widths are 1 3/4 inches, and the body depths have been extended 1/4 inch to give
a more powerful presence. The final detail of an old-fashioned hand carved dovetail
neck joint brings the guitars to life in your hands. We are delighted to present the
Grandezza dreadnought, the Bella Voce orchestra, and the Bellissima parlor.

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T H E

B E D E L L

A N G E L I C A

CO L L E C T I O N

All three models, the Grandezza dreadnought, Belle Voce orchestra and Bellissima parlor are crafted
with 12 frets to the body, slotted headstock, and 1 3/4 inch at the nut, necks profiles. A quarter
inch has been added to deepen each of the body styles enabling a more robust presentation to the
warmth of the red cedar soundboards. The bridge placement in the center of the lower bout and the
hand carved frequency tuning of the tops and backs give the Angelica Collection instruments an
efficient, warm, yet powerful presentation. Designed for finger style performances, the sound and
feel of these unique designs will be compelling to add to your instrument collection the second you
experience them.
Price: $4,990
Top: Salvaged red cedar
Back & Sides: Figured East Indian rosewood
Neck: Honduran mahogany
Electronics: K & K Pure Mini

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S E B A S T I O S P I E K E R M A N N

From cowboy ballads around campfires, to back porch bluegrass, and

the southern soul of the blues, guitars have long been the inspiration for
Americas music. In keeping with this inspiration Bedell Guitars presents
The Home Grown Collection; a series of instruments that match the beauty
and wonder of Americas landscape and the diversity of our plentiful
forests. Individually selected big leaf and hard rock maple trees, salvaged
Sitka spruce from the forest floor in SE Alaska, selectively harvested old
age Adirondack from Americas northeast, and dense Oregon walnut. We
have achieved lively, rich, balanced and bold sound by understanding the
unique character and gifts each tree offers. These woods are plentiful
and sustainable. We never clear-cut or use clear-cut tone wood to craft
these guitars. The Home Grown Collection Series presents the Bedell
Wildfire, Bedell Blackbird Vegan, and Bedell Earthsong - each built with
all American grown tone wood and hand crafted one hundred percent in
America by American artisans.

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T H E

B E D E L L W I L D F I R E

CO L L E C T I O N

The Bedell Wildfire is the most soulful, native series of instruments we craft. Built from all American
woods with amazing handcrafted detail, they fill the room with American sound that has made the guitar
our countrys most popular musical instrument. The beauty of the flamed maple and the power of the
sturdy Adirondack are accented by exquisite appointments and a stunning Fire Burst gloss finish. The
desire to hang the Bedell Wildfire on the wall as art will be overcome by the inability of musicians to
put it down. We have figured out how to appreciate the unique musical gifts of each of these generous
American woods by hand tuning each top and customizing the tone bars for tonal balance. We then
individually pair the soundboard to a hand tuned back to achieve a liveliness that must be experienced.

Price: $3,990
Top: Adirondack spruce
Back & Sides: Flamed big leaf maple
Neck: Hard Rock maple
Electronics: K & K Pure Mini

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T H E

B E D E L L

B L A C K B I R D V E G A N

S E R I E S

BEDELL BLACKBIRD VEGAN

SERIES | $2,490

Bedell Blackbird Vegan guitars represent the ultimate in

forest stewardship with vegan friendly construction. They
are crafted using only American harvested woods: salvaged
Sitka spruce soundboards, western bigleaf maple back and
sides, eastern hard rock maple neck, and a walnut fretboard,
bridge and peghead overlay. Bedell craftsmen have achieved
unparalleled tone and projection from these plentiful
American woods for a truly planet-friendly guitar.
No animal bone, decorative shell or hide glue has been used.
The Bedell Blackbird Vegan features a thin poly urethane
finish with a translucent blackbird burst and is available in
dreadnought, orchestra and parlor body shapes.
All Bedell Blackbird Vegan models include a workshopinstalled K&K Pure Mini pickup and a Bedell deluxe
hardshell case. The Bedell Blackbird Vegan are all American
instruments. All the woods grew in America, all the hand
craftsmanship is done by American craftsmen, and all of
the parts - electronics, tuners, fret wire and brass inlay - are
North American.
Top: Alaska Sitka spruce
Back & Sides: Big leaf maple
Neck: Eastern hard rock maple
Electronics: K & K Pure Mini

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T H E

B E D E L L

E A R T H S O N G

S E R I E S

THE EARTHSONG SERIES | $1,990

The most affordable of the Home Grown Collection,

Bedell Earthsong guitars prove it is possible to
create a guitar with incredible tone while honoring
a complete commitment to forest stewardship. The
Earthsong series is inspired by the beauty and wonder
of the American landscape: the streams and deserts,
swamps and forests, beaches and valleys, and all
the natural wonders that grace this vast and diverse
country, from shore to shore. This is Americas Guitar.
The original inspiration of the Home Grown Collection,
the affordable Earthsong series proves that the finest
acoustic instruments can be made from all sustainable
wood: salvaged Sitka spruce soundboards, western big
leaf maple backs and sides, eastern hard rock maple
necks, and walnut fretboards, bridges and peghead
overlays. Bedell craftsmen have achieved unparalleled
tone and projection from these plentiful American
woods for a truly planet-friendly guitar made from
ethically harvested trees. The Earthsong is available
in a root beer burst and in a hand stained toner gloss
finish. Included is a workshop-installed K&K DuoTone
pickup. All Bedell Guitars come with a hardshell case.
Top: Alaska Sitka spruce
Back & Sides: Big leaf maple
Neck: Hard rock maple
Electronics: K & K DuoTone

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S E B A S T I O S P I E K E R M A N N

Inspired by Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan and Peter, Paul and Mary, Tom Bedell advanced
from his Stella acoustic to giving guitar lessons in the local Spirit Lake, Iowa music
store. On February 9, 1964 Ed Sullivan introduced the Beatles to the United States and
Toms world changed forever. Joining his friends in local coffee houses, playing the
latest folk and popular songs, writing and sharing poetry... the world was exploding
with possibilities. The 60s were a time of an awakening that conformity was not
sufficient, we had a voice, and music was our vehicle of change. Toms first two
American crafted guitar series were the Coffee House and 1964, delivering the folK
rock sound of the 60s...bringing alive the energy of the traditional pre-war dovetail
neck joint, the power bracing patterns, and the traditional tone woods of Sitka and
Adirondack spruce and East Indian rosewood and Honduran mahogany.

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T H E

B E D E L L

CO F F E E

H O U S E

S E R I E S

For the timeless folk-rock sound that defined an entire generation, look no further than the Bedell Coffee House Guitars.
These instruments are exquisitely crafted to revive the spirit that inspired the incredible music of the counterculture era:
Adirondack spruce tops from individually harvested trees, sustainably grown Indian rosewood backs and sides, traditional
body shapes, an espresso sunburst finish, and a handcrafted Koa binding. There is something striking about the sound
of rosewood paired with Adirondack spruce... when strummed, the Bedell Coffee House instruments take you right back
to that moment in time when music was changing forever, when coffee houses were a radical, safe place for youth who
wanted to change the world, and who believed in equality, justice, love and authentic self-expression. The workshopinstalled K&K Pure Mini pickups in the Bedell Coffee House series capture the fullness of sound and the vibe of the era
authentically, without stage feedback. The Coffee House dreadnought, orchestra and parlor models are also available in
aged toner gloss finish.

Price: $2,990
Top: Adirondack spruce
Back & Sides: East Indian rosewood
Neck: Honduran mahogany
Electronics: K & K Pure Mini

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T H E

B E D E L L

1964

S E R I E S

THE BEDELL 1964 SERIES | $2,190

The Bedell 1964 Series is constructed from a timehonored tonewood combination of Sitka spruce
and Honduran mahogany, crafted similarly to the
way guitars were built fifty years ago. The 1964
instruments bring back the spirit of the music
we all love. The wood used in the Sitka spruce
soundboards is salvaged from downed trees in
Alaska. Sitka spruce has been the primary top wood
for U.S.A. made instruments for many decades it
is strong, light, and gives an extended harmonic
content that nearly equals the power of Adirondack
spruce. The 1964s Honduran mahogany back
and sides deliver a balanced, resonant tone with a
rich midrange, and a controlled, warm top end. As
always, no forests were clear-cut to build Bedell
1964 guitars. The workshop installed K&K Pure
Mini pickups in the Bedell 1964 series to capture
the authentic fullness of analog sound and the vibe
of the era, without stage feedback. The ethically
sourced tonewoods, the all-wood binding and subtle
appointments result in a classic instrument, made
with the same care, attention and craftsmanship as
guitars from the golden era of instrument building.
The 1964 is available in an Heirloom and aged toner
gloss.
Top: Alaska Sitka spruce
Back & Sides: Honduran mahogany
Neck: Honduran mahogany
Electronics: K & K Pure Mini
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Just listenthe music of the forest.

Hundreds of years. The quiet. The animal voices. The birds. The rain and wind. The peace.
Just listen to the music wood growing.
Alone, with your Bedell, creating your music.
Just listen to your heartyour notes come from inside, your words born in your soul.
Just listen to your music grow within you.
Seed to Song
Bedell Guitars

S E B A S T I O S P I E K E R M A N N

Bedell Guitars
bedellguitars.com
61573 American Loop
Bend, Oregon 97702
541.385.8339
Crafted in America by American craftsmen.
We never clear-cut or use wood from clear-cut trees.
Help us stop the clear-cutting of the 1,000 year old-growth Sitka forests of SE Alaska.

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