A Rare Collector’s Instrument

There is something particularly compelling about a Robert Bouchet from 1968. At nearly six decades old, the instrument belongs to a generation of Bouchets that has become increasingly difficult to encounter, especially in exceptional original condition.

From a collector’s perspective, the appeal of this guitar goes beyond its age or its famous maker. It is the combination of scarcity, character and preservation that makes an instrument of this period so desirable. Every Bouchet carries a strong sense of individuality, and examples from the late 1960s allow us to experience the maker’s work at a particularly confident stage of his career.

The visual language is unmistakably Bouchet: understated, elegant and completely free of unnecessary ornament. Yet the simplicity makes the details all the more meaningful, the proportions, the workmanship, the rosette, the headstock and the subtle traces of the maker’s hand.

What is perhaps most remarkable is how difficult it has become to find such an instrument today. Many guitars of this age have inevitably experienced extensive playing, repairs or modifications.This 1968 Bouchet has no repaires non cracks, only a slight split of the bookmatching line on the top and a piece of tiny wood was inserted to fill the small gap. An golder-year Bouchet like this that has remained exceptionally well preserved therefore represents something quite different: not simply an old guitar, but a remarkably intact piece of the maker’s history.

For a high-end collector, this is precisely where the attraction lies. Bouchet guitars are already scarce by nature, and opportunities to acquire a mature-period example with such presence and originality are few and far between.

Specifications:

• Year: 1968
• Bracing: Spanish fan braces
• Top: Spruce
• Back & Sides: Indian rosewood
• Scale Length: 650 mm
• Nut Width: 52 mm
• Finishing: French polish
• Condition: Original, mint condition, only a slight split on the book-match line of the top and a tiny piece of wood was inserted to fill the gap.