One of the best lutherie schools in the world is the Cmb at Puurs (Belgium) and part of what makes them great is their commitment to research and dissemination. As I have mentioned before their role in the Leonardo Guitar Research Project is vital to its success. Another great iniciative is the Cordefactum festival which is usually held every two years, the first having been held in 2004. The focus is on different instruments each year and this year once again the guitar takes centre stage. Lecturers, players and builders come together to share their knowledge and experiences. The lineup over the years has been quite impressive: Rolf Eichinger, Bruno Marlat, Paul Fischer, Andrea Tacchi, Daniele Chiesa, Pavel Steidl, Fabio Zanon, Fernando Espí and Rafael Aguirre. This year I have been invited to speak about the Granada school of guitar-making and will be speaking on Sunday at 1:30pm. For those of you wishing more information please visit the site here.

I am looking forward to hearing some of the guitars made with non-tropical woods, meeting some old friends, catching the concerts and lectures and of course trying some strong Belgian beer.