New tuning machines

These tuning machines are relatively new on the market and seem to work very well from a mechanical point of view. I am looking forward to putting them on a guitar and getting some feedback from the clients. Clavijeros Aparicio has nothing to do with the guitar factory with the same family name in another city. These are made in Madrid. This particular set is gold-plated. Click here. Clavijeros Aparicio

 

European Guitar Students in Granada

Over the past 7 or 8 years the Granada Music Conservatory has invited the Granada Guitar-makers Association to meet with students so that they can get to know us and the guitars we make. This year’s meeting was part of an Erasmus programme centred on the guitar in Granada, including the region’s composers, guitarists and it’s organology. We met with the students from Italy, Finland, France, Belgium and Slovakia and some of their teachers too. After a lecture by Aarón García about the history of the guitar and a public audition of the guitars available we all went for lunch together. The interest shown by these students was heart-warming.

Batch Rosettes

I have now made 27 copies of Segovia’s Santos and the first batch of rosette material is used up. I won’t show the whole process for the new ones because I already showed that in a past installment. Just a few pictures here to inspire you to get to work. I skipped a step here going straight from the slices you see in the first photo to glueing them to the veneer. The idea to skip a step comes from José Luis Vigil.

Romanillos at the Badalona Guitar Festival

If memory serves me I met guitar-maker Antonio Manjón through the late Rolf Eichinger when he had the workshop next to mine and was mentoring me. Since that time I have visited Antonio in Badalona and he has visited me here both on numerous occasions. We have collaborated on a few articles for the Journal of Cultural Heritage and the Festival de la Guitarra de Córdoba. However, I think Antonio should be applauded most for his leadership in the Associació de la Guitarra de Badalona. Their festival is one of the best I have ever attended. Young guitarists are promoted and encouraged, care is taken to ensure an intimate setting and great respect is shown for guitar-makers when they have been a part of it. I attended with a guitar and a presentation back in 2017. The latest festival was by all counts another excellent meeting of guitar-makers, musicians and guitar-lovers. The video speaks for itself.

Sitka spruce

Sitka spruce has an excellent strength to weight ratio and for that reason has been used in making sailboat spars and parts of aircraft especially before WWII. This high ratio is also great for making musical instruments and I like it very much. I have made a few guitars already with this top wood and I find the results are excellent. The rosette design comes from my teacher Rolf Eichinger and has been used by a few of his disciples. I have quite few Sitka tops which I bought in 2001 or thereabouts from Timbre Tonewood in British Columbia.