Despiau Chevalets has worked out how to respect and preserve forest resources for future generations whilst maintaining a supply of top-quality bridges for luthiers. These bridges are called Despiau Planet, great for music, great for forests!
For several decades Pierre-Jean Despiau has been going to the forests of Bosnia-Herzegovina, sourcing maples we need to make bridges. However, journey after journey he has seen them become rare. We are talking about trees which are several hundred years old. They have grown in such a particular environment and climate that they yield an exceptional capacity to transmit sound; sound in all its original purity, wealth, power and colour. It is easy to understand just how precious the maples are and realise that this resource is depleting.
Today, a tree is not chosen for its acoustic qualities alone. Indeed, it is selected traditionally as wood which is visually and aesthetically « flawless ». A large number of otherwise perfect maples are rejected because of some « distinctive » feature which has no bearing on acoustic quality. From these observations, Despiau Planet was born.
We cannot keep on wasting wood with such rare qualities. Despiau Chevalets has decided to radically improve their selection criteria. Why? Out of respect for the forest, which gives us its trees, and to supply luthiers what they need for instruments entrusted to them. From now on, we will take however long we need to retain trees of exceptional quality that visual analysis didn’t retain.
An undertaking which requires intense scrutiny and stringency. From this endeavour we have obtained Despiau Planet bridges with excellent acoustic qualities. They are Despiau 3-Tree bridges with extra soul. The same soul that protects our forests.
French quartet, Quatuor Akilone, has gained renown on the world stage with their subtle yet colorful sounds, enriched by a great diversity of styles. The all-women quartet defends an authentic, historically informed approach to their repertoire which carries a resolutely spiritual vision.
Quatuor Akilone and Despiau Chevalets mutually recognize their ethical commitment to forest preservation, expressed and incarnated in the Despiau Planet brand, for which Quatuor Akilone have become ambassador. This partnership finds its meaning in the development of an essential and deeply rooted know-how which is looking to the future.
Laurent Montlaü / Signatures
