June 1989 (France) (Translation Below)*

Janet (Smith) & Porl Thompson
 

Philippe Dubreuille, a French guitar maker whose beautiful production is regularly showcased here, has built guitars for Robert Smith and Porl Thompson. He told us his story:
“It was during their 1989 tour. I had brought my catalog and a very simple little guitar, similar to the firs Les Paul’s. I met them at their hotel. A little scared, but when they saw the guitar they said: Oh nice. Porl took it immediately and tried it and we scheduled a meeting for their soundcheck the following day. Then Porl plugged the guitar in and asked: How much? While he was showing it to the others, Robert, who had taken a look at my catalog, told me that he would like me to build him a guitar. He was hesitating between one similar to the one he eventually ordered and another one shaped like a violin. What he wanted more than anything was a big semi-hollow body. We agreed and I finally ended up in the Fiction offices in London. I had to wait in the music-video studio surrounded by Dali paintings. Robert arrived and I exhibited the guitar: a semi-hollow body with a solid mahogany body, a maple soundboard, mahogany neck, ebony dot inlays, and Seymour Duncan microphones. Robert had asked for a low humbucking and a soft vibrato. I gave him a Bigsby, Gretsch position markers, a tuning adapted to the heavy gauge that he uses (11-56) and naturally, a black color. All his guitars are black. He sends them back when they are not originally black. Robert obviously loved the guitar and he used it for the American tour. I asked for his approval to make copies of it and he agreed for 25 copies (55,000 francs a piece, justified by the heavy use of solid wood). Anyway, what I can say is that these guys are really cool and that I was overwhelmed with joy.” As for us, we can guarantee that Philippe Dubreuille is beautifully skilled, as this picture of the guitar he made for Robert Smith will prove.

(THANKS to: Pierrig for the TRANSLATION)

Photos from = http://www.dubreuille.com