Top Thirty

Last year was Vigier’s 40th anniversary, quite a milestone for any maker, which in different times would have been celebrated. While we couldn’t pop a cork for that birthday, we can at least honour one of the finest – and now 30-year-old – modern bolt-on designs, the Excalibur. It marks a significant point in Vigier’s history, replacing the almost experimental, pioneering, out-there designs of the company’s first decade with a much more conventional style.

“The way the guitars looked was one more reason why people were reluctant to try Vigier,” said founder Patrice Vigier back in 2012. “I made my choice: what is important is that people play the instruments or at least want to try them. If they’re