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Current Featured Guitar... 2001 European spruce with elevated fingerboard and Indian rosewood back and sides. SOLD! Scale length is 650 mm; bridge is Honduras rosewood with a double-hole tie-block. Tuners are Sloane. Finish is French polish. Price: $6500. Click on the images below to see enlargements. The soundboard was cut over 30 years ago. It is well quartered and has some bear-claw that gives it character. The Indian rosewood was cut over 20 years ago, and is of a quality and beauty seldom seen today. This guitar was made in the latter half of 2001. It has had some playing (for a recording project that was postponed), but has never been sold and is in brand new condition. It has my intonation system applied and is very easy to play. The sound is clear and brilliant, yet rich and deep. Projection is excellent. I believe this is already a wonderful instrument, and has the potential to develop into something truely special. I recently had in my shop the guitar David Russell featured on his Torroba cd, and, to my ear, this new guitar is superior.
May 2001 Featured Guitar... 2000 Cedar with elevated fingerboard and Madagascar rosewood back and sides. SOLD! Scale length is 650 mm; bridge has a double-hole tie-block capped with fossilized Walrus ivory; tuners are Rodgers with black horn buttons. Finish is French polish. Price: $7500. Click on the images below to see enlargements.
This guitar was built for the Convocatoria Internacional de Guitarras held last November in Aranjuez. About 35 guitars from all over the world were entered in this invitation-only competition. It was organized by Cecilia Rodrigo and sponsored in part by the municipality of Aranjuez and the Spanish government as part of the celebrations honoring the centenary of the birth of Joaquin Rodrigo. For a week prior to the judging, the guitars were displayed on 18th century red velvet chairs from the palace in Aranjuez . Some of the instruments had remarkably intricate marquetry (one mimicked the famous Torres competition guitar from 1858) and a few were simply gorgeous. All the guitars had their labels covered, although some were recognizable by there appearance. Somewhat oddly by American standards, the names of the contestants were not made known to the public at large, even after the competition was over. Nor were any finalists made known; only the winner: Pablo Contreras. The judges included a Cello maker, a museum curator, flamenco guitarist Victor Monge (Serranito), Catalon guitarist Carlos Terpat, and guitarist José María Gallardo del Rey. The jury spent a day in private with the guitars and the winner was anounced the following day at a rather formal and well-attended press conference. I did not expect to win, but my wife and I took it as an excuse to visit Spain for a few weeks -- and we had a wonderful time. All three guitarists among the judges were effusive in their praise when I identified my guitar to them afterward. I was somewhat surprised that my non-traditional elevated fingerboard design was met with enthusiasm in the heart of Spain. Gallardo del Rey told me unofficially that mine was one of the finalists. I find this gratifying, and I think you will agree that this is a special guitar.
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