This guitar was made by Brugere in Mirecourt around 1850. His claim to fame is that he was a luthier who built for Rene Lacote (1785-1868) as well as for Coffe-Goguette (1799-1881), another well established maker in Mirecourt (Westbrook 2007:57). This guitar appears to be based on a guitar that Lacote made for Dionisio Aguado (1784-1849) towards the end of this Spanish guitarist and composer's life. There were actually two Brugere brothers who appear to have built for Lacote: Francois Brugere (1822-1875) and Charles Joseph Brugere. They were the sons Elie Brugere, a guitar maker in Mirecourt. Given their difference in age, Francois was probably trained by his father, and appears to have begun building guitars for Lacote around 1850. That some of these are signed "fait a Brugere" while others are inscribed "Brugere juenes" (Brugere, the youngers) suggests, given the difference in their ages, that Charles Joseph began working with his brother after finishing his apprenticeship, probably around 1860. A 1868 Lacote described by Sinier de Ridder (2007:46-47) bears the inscription "fait par Brugere, eleve de Marcard, Mirecourt, Vosges." It suggests that Charles Joseph Brugere, who became known for making fine guitars, apprenticed with LeMaitre Marcard, a master luthier in Mirecourt who trained many disciples. This guitar, however, is simply signed under the top, Brugere a Mirecourt. Westbrook believes it was made around 1850 (personal communication), if so it was made by Francois Brugere.

c. 1850 Brugere played by Cale Hoeflicker