- D'Alegria
-
D'Alegria is a Brazilian company specialized in manufacturing custom-made electric basses and guitars, all handmade with the best woods in Brazil.
Contents
History
After 10 years of work in the telecommunications area, two engineers who graduated from the Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992, Daniel Alegria e Rodrigo Werneck, decided to join forces and begin a new and unexpected business venture considering their professional past: the manufacture and distribution of top notch, custom-made bass and electric guitars.
Totally handmade in Brazil with non-endangered certified Brazilian woods of high quality and beauty, the D'Alegria instruments are different from many others by their high level of customization. The 15 plus years of study and practice of woodwork contributed for the development of techniques that allow them to obtain the maximum in terms of visual and technical characteristics from several types of woods. The special care when choosing the woods to be used combines the aim for an odd sound and the need to help the protection of our environment. It's important to mention the use of new wood species not traditionally chosen in the manufacture of musical instruments, such as the Andiroba (recommended as a substitute for Mahogany), the Ipê (one of the most stable and stiff wodd species), the Freijó (typically used for fine furnishure), the Muiracatira, the Purpleheart, the Cumaru, the Garapa, the Marupá, the Tauari amongst others, contributing at the same for the obtention of specific tones and the dissemination of a culture that will relieve the pressure on endangered species.
All that helps to include the Brazilian woods among the preferred ones as standards in the manufacture of such instruments, putting Brazil in an important position in the international market for the volume of its reserves. This process has already happened with the Brazilian Rosewood and the Mahogany in the past, for example, although the uncontrolled extraction and illegal exportation have put them under extinction risk. The controlled use of Brazilian materials of low cost will help the industrialization process in this segment making the country play an important role as Korea has been doing for years, and now China.
Among the direct musical characteristics we should mention the search for a perfect project and manufacture of D'Alegria bass and guitars, aiming the creation of eclectic instruments that will work in all musical styles. The exclusive D'Alegria active preamps allow adjustments as specific as the choice of woods used for each instrument, and all that together should be in fine tuning to provide the ideal sound for each musician.
Models
Basic models
- Dart - 4, 5 or 6-string bass, presenting the Dart, A-Dart ("Acoustic Dart") and Double Dart versions
- Defender - 4 or 5-string bass, presenting the JB and JB Deluxe versions
- Dragster - 4 or 5-string bass
- Discovery - 4-string electric upright bass (EUB), with piezo pickups
- Dimension - 6-string electric guitar
- Dragon - 4, 5, 6 or 7-string bass
Signature models
- Defender TB - 4-string fretted bass, Trevor Bolder's signature model
- Defender TP - 5-string fretted bass, Trae Pierce's signature model
- Dimension JD - 6-string guitar, Jan Dumée's signature model
- Defender JP - 5-string fretted bass, Jorge Pescara's signature model
- Dart FA - 6-string fretted bass, Felipe Andreoli's signature model
- A-Dart FA - 6-string fretless bass, Felipe Andreoli's signature model
- Dart AN - 6-string fretted bass, André Neiva's signature model
- Dynamo AG - 4-string fretted bass (short fingerboard, 32 inches), André Gomes's signature model
Musicians who play D'Alegria instruments
- Trevor Bolder (Uriah Heep, Wishbone Ash and David Bowie)
- Trae Pierce (Blind Boys of Alabama, and James Brown's and Dr. Hook's bands)
- Jan Dumée (On The Rocks, Focus)
- Jorge Pescara (Ithamara Koorax, Dom Um Romão, Eumir Deodato, Luiz Bonfá, ZERO, Fernando Girão, solo)
- Felipe Andreoli (Angra and Karma)
- Arthur Maia (Gilberto Gil's band)
- Ako Kiiski (Wishbone Ash)
- Dennis Ward (Pink Cream 69)
- Dudu Lima (Stanley Jordan's band)
- André Gomes (Pepeu Gomes's band, and Cheiro de Vida)
See also
External links
Categories:- Companies based in Rio de Janeiro
- Companies of Brazil
- Musical instrument manufacturing companies
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.