Welcome to the Jeff Cogan  website!

Jeff Cogan is a California native born in Culver City in 1953.    He graduated from California State University, Northridge (CSUN) in 1982.  Cogan is a guitarist, educator, and documentary filmmaker.   He produced and directed the film  Daniel Friederich, Luthier d’Art in 2015.

Career

Cogan taught classical guitar at Chapman University for more than 37 years.  Additionally, he was an associate professor of music as well as director of the music technology  program.  

He is past president and currently vice president of the Orange County Guitar Circle.

Remembering Daniel FRIEDERICH 1932-2020

French guitar builder Daniel Friederich passed away at the age of 88.  He is considered by many to be the greatest classical guitar builder of all time.

Many have written about Friederich’s innovations and techniques.  As a result, Friederich is widely recognized for his important contributions to the art of instrument building.

Life and Work

Daniel Friederich was born in 1932 in Paris and died in November, 2020.  He built his first classical guitar at the age of 23 because he was learning to play the guitar and his teacher thought that he needed a better instrument.  “As I could not afford a good guitar, I decided to build one for myself,” Friederich said.  Subsequently, in 1960, he became a full-time “luthier”, (guitar-maker).  His work includes an output of more than 830 guitars.  These instruments are famous all over the world for their impeccable craftsmanship.  Additionally, they are known for their rich, sweet, explosive and vigorous sound.

Guitars

Friederich built several models of guitars between 1960 and 1970. The first was the ‘Concert’ model, with a serial number on the label.  It was the most expensive and advanced.  It had a carved head and wood of the highest quality.  The ‘Récital’ and ‘Arpège’ models were less expensive with no serial number on the label and used wood of lesser provenance.  Since 1970, he made only ‘Concert’ guitars.  Friederich frequently spent  200 or more hours to build each  guitar.

“When a guitar is finished, my ear quickly tells me if the result is successful,” he said. “The guitar works as a complete harmonic unit and all its elements must be combined, like in a painting.”

Legacy

Daniel Friederich guitars are known for impeccable craftsmanship as well as evolutionary techniques.

As a result, many of the greatest classical guitar artists have been seduced by his instruments.

Clearly, Friederich’s guitars will be coveted as long as there are those who appreciate extraordinary  sounding classical guitars.   

A tribute from French guitarist, Olivier Chassain:

…the instrument itself, in my acceptance of the guitar world, had been associated with the name of Daniel Friederich from my very first “finger” steps on the instrument.  I was and I am still today fascinated by the incomparable elegance of the sound of Daniel’s guitars.

The wonderful perfection  and the delicacy of his art was astonishing and unique in our cherished instrument’s history.  His passing is an inexpressible loss in the guitar world and a sword in my heart.

 This is both in the intimacy of my soul and as an unconditional admirer to his genius.  I miss him a lot. –

November 11, 2020

 

                2005 Friederich guitar #802, built for Jeff Cogan

Illustration by Robert Wulbrecht, 2014

Photograph by Alberto Martinez, 2013

Purchase the Daniel Friederich DVD


Watch the Daniel Friederich DVD Trailer