XXL guitars are made in a shop called “Les ateliers de la corde” located in Beauharnois, Québec, Canada by luthier Marc Lupien.
In 2003, Marc’s inquiring mind wondered… How would a “Danelectro” guitar sound if it wasn’t made of “cheap” materials?
Strong of 8 years of part-time guitar making, Marc decided to find out!
He disassembled his beloved 1963 Silvertone U1 to take measurements and make templates and began hacking perfectly good wood that would become the XXL guitars prototype.A 100 years old piece of pine salvaged during a house remodeling was used for the core of the prototype. Two guitar backs were then used to cap the pine core. Straight maple and a nice piece of rosewood became the neck. An original lip-stick pick-up was ordered and a varitone circuit was soldered. What Marc ended up with surprised even him…
The instrument is very light and has good sustain… but, above all, it has a soul!
When Marc showed his newborn to his friend, guitarist extraordinaire Steve Hill, a decision was taken, this guitar would be produced!!!
So Marc asked his friend and luthier Daniel Fiocco if he was up to the challenge of producing small runs of luthier-quality guitars. The answer was an immediate yes! The rest as they say, is history…
Since then, Daniel was hired by the Godin guitar Company, becoming their head of guitar design and winning two “best in show” awards at NAMM.