It is very clear to me that there are more advantages to setting the back bars into the linings as opposed to removing the lining in that area and glueing a support under the bar. Firstly there is an extra step involved in using a separate support. Secondly those supports are difficult to shape after the fact (the top ones are easy to shape with a bellied chisel if you are putting the top on first and then the back). The last disadvantage has to do with glue squeeze out. A pocket makes a very self contained joint whereas the open lining with the support is open and allows glue flow if you are not very careful, especially if the brace end is high. And that is the problem, I use supports for the back bars on my Torres copies because that is what he did but also because with those unscallopped bars the bar end is too high to allow a pocket with enough support.

This is the Torres bracing from SE 153.

We needed a logo for the Association of Guitar-makers and I had a few offers from web developers and designers but there was really no interest among the members to spend money on that sort of thing. So I thought maybe I could do something:I took a photo of the guitar after wrapping it up in string the way we do to glue the back on. We do this in order to put light pressure on all points of the back and to be able to heat it up afterwards. In this case I wasn’t glueing the back on but rather trying to get the perfect shot so the guitar is a completed one and I didn’t do it on the solera. I was then able to negativize it and clean it up and get rid of the background. Then it was a matter of reducing it to black and white.And of course to find the right orientation. Of course deciding how to do it and trying different photos initially is what took the most time. And here is the final result on a business card. I love it because it really represents us but is simple and aesthetically pleasing.

Flamenco took centre stage on Tuesday at the Town hall and the mayor once again put his support behind culture in Granada. Santiago Benavides and Pepe Luis Carmona are the directors of the “Milnoff Flamenco Festival” which aspires to take its place among the great festivals in Spain. Each day is dedicated to a particular flamenco artist. All of the participating public institutions were represented and professed their dedication to culture and their support for those who need it to make a living. Given the situation due to Covid 19 all events will be free of charge for the public.

Last week I finished some work on a Manuel de la Chica 1970 and it has now gone back to its owner. The guitar was in excellent shape but needed some work and especially the owner wanted an expert opinion on a previous intervention and the stability of a crack which seemed to be starting. The first thing I do with a guitar like this is examine it completely and investigate its history and construction as deeply as possible. The first thing I noticed was that the entire guitar was built with white glue. I continue to to find that hide glue is the best glue for guitars the way I make them and have long held that it is superior in every way. This excellent instrument is making me step back from my fierce defense of exclusive hide glue use although I have no intention of moving to synthetic glues at this time. The guitar is extremely well made and gives the impression that, to quote Yuris Zeltins: “he made every cut with a samurai sword”. I think de la Chica brought a technical level to building that didn’t exist in Granada before him.

One of the discoveries I made examining this guitar is the tall brace under the bridge which at first made me think that someone had modified the guitar. However, upon further investigation it seems that Manuel designed the guitar with this element in mind and installed it from the beginning. Since then I have seen photos of two other Chica guitars with the same construction. I am very happy with the result in the look and sound of the guitar and to demonstrate it is Marcus Toscano with Manhã de Carnaval by Luiz Bonfá. He also brought his Marcelo Barbero guitar and hearing the two guitars together was very special.