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Teodoro Perez.
£4950
Maestro Model Cedar and Madagascar Rosewood 2008.
This guitar has a direct and bright voice, immediately responsive to right hand touch, with strong, clear projection. Her character is vibrant and exciting, highlighting the oranges and reds of the colour palette.
The treble E has a "crystal" singing voice, very rounded and polished, with a warmer, resonant sound on the inner trebles that I found to be less defined.
I would describe her character as "alive", encouraging experimentation with tone and colour. This became obvious as I was playing through Gerald Garcia’s "25 Etudes Esquisses", pieces that require many different sounds, timbres, tempos and moods. This guitar responds very well to changes in mood and attack and so offers a perfect vehicle for training the musical ear and the fingers!
The initial brightness of the trebles is combined with a sweetness that comes to the fore in, for example, slower, more wistful melodies. This brightness and response is however lost a little in the very high registers.
The bass is a highlight of the guitar, with good projection and support to the overall voice, and capable of rich melodic lines.
£4950 GBP
Buy !
Victor Anglada .
£1995
Spruce and Madagascar Rosewood model 2006.
This guitar has what I describe as a traditional Spanish voice; a full sound, round and velvety in character, made up of rich reds and blues. It is also a very secure and reliable tone, meaning that it is easy to achieve a good sound, for example not amplifying nail imperfections. The bass voice and timbre is the highlight overall; strong and exciting with good sustain and definition, giving lots of choices for pieces like Prelude no. 1 by Villa Lobos and Asturias by Albeniz. The blending of the inner voices gives rich and resonant harmonies and brightness in the higher registers lifts the overall sound.
In fact this guitar is ideal for repertoire demanding a full, resonant voice. I am sure that she will respond more to a stronger right hand than mine, and she still has plenty of “playing in room” for further development.
£1995 GBP
Buy !
Alastair McNeil.
£3995
Spruce and Rio Rosewood model 2006.
This guitar is in very good condition and the rosewood on the back and sides is almost black, and very beautiful.
I think that the best way to describe her character is "understated"; she is not an "excitable" guitar but the focus and support in the sound is very noticeable giving the guitar balance, strength, depth and control. There is also a "sparkle" in the treble voice, which noticeably developed as I played, and a lot of potential for growth, with strong, full and direct bass strings.
In playing a wide variety of music, I found that the definition of notes across the range of strings and fingerboard is very good and especially noticeable in contrapuntal music. This clarity has a "soft" edge, not sharp or bright, emphasizing warmth in harmonies and chords.
There is the potential for strong playing with this guitar while retaining a comfortable playing action, and as you push for more sound, you notice the freedom developing in the treble voice, and the overall projection coming out.
Overall, this guitar will give you a strong, focussed and full tone, which supports the right hand technique allowing you to use less effort!
Her voice is one that a player can rely on and develop to their playing style.
£3995 GBP
Buy !
Bernabe M50.
£3750
Spruce and Rio Rosewood model 1997.
This guitar has a very striking appearance with a light, figured rosewood back and sides blending beautifully with the honey coloured, spruce top. As I started to play, I was immediately aware of the strength of her voice, which is full, mature and resonant giving the player great confidence and room to improve.
Despite the warm resonance around the sound, there is plenty of definition across the whole range. This helps to bring more volume and texture to the music, as there is a lot to listen to! I particularly enjoyed playing with the chord voicing in Bach's Chaconne and was pleasantly surprised that I was able to get the control and clarity necessary for this complicated piece.
I played a wide variety of music, and found that she was able to respond to different techniques of right hand touch quickly and easily. This is very satisfying for the player and demonstrates that although she is a big and powerful instrument she also has control and finesse.
As you would expect from a guitar of this quality she is well balanced across the bass and treble voices with a supported sound that delivers clarity with resonance and warmth. She still has a lot to give to an enthusiastic owner.
£3750 GBP
Buy !
Ramirez 1a Elite.
£5350
This beautiful Cedar and Brazilian Rosewood model built in 1987 is in as new condition having been treasured by its original owner. The finish is immaculate in fact, having been wrapped in silk for most of its life, there are not even any of the light marks usually attributable to the case lining.
From the first touch of this guitar, the player is aware of its power, which is enhanced by a supported and focused sound. The trebles are rounded and polished, and there is a very good transition in tone from string 1 to string 3 with no heaviness apparent on the latter. The bass voices are crisp and vibrant which came as a surprise to me. They offer excellent support to the harmony and melody and compliment the trebles beautifully helping to create a traditional "Spanish" voice with a real added zing!
As you would expect from a guitar of this quality she is very well balanced. The overall character is of warmth and strength with a clean edge; the warm resonance is not overly dominant and the notes across the full range remain focused. This means that control is not a problem at all giving the player freedom to experiment with sound and phrasing.
My impression is that she would really benefit from a strong player to bring out every aspect of her voice. The sound does come easily and smoothly under a gentle touch (as I have) but there is definitely more in the tank that needs a firmer hand!
£5350 GBP
Buy !
Peter Barton.
£4500
Spruce and Rio Rosewood 2006.
The first thing that I have to say here is that the back of this guitar is very unusual and quite stunning. The Brazilian rosewood has beautiful figurations that are like intricate line drawings on the wood, and perfectly matched over the two halves.
Her voice is quite mature with a sound that feels completely supported, firm and beautifully even. By supported I mean that the tone is easy to produce and maintain, enabling me to relax since I had complete trust in what I was going to hear. This is a great feeling and does allow you to experiment with sound and musical ideas in the knowledge that nothing horrible is going to come out!
The more I played the more I valued the evenness of tone and fantastic balance across the strings. This was particularly evident when I played a small tremolo piece (not one of my technical fortes!) and found the necessary technical control came easily. I could hear great detail, didn’t have to work hard with my right hand and also achieved a lovely glowing blend of sound in the upper register of the trebles.
Melodies sing and sustain in the treble strings and the basses are full and firm. The character of her voice is rounded and smooth with plenty of definition and great balance.
There is some waking up to be done, which is great since there is nothing better than sitting and listening to a guitar open up as you play. Exciting times!
Pictures to follow.
Sold June 2009
Paul Fischer.
£3950
Virtuoso Model, Spruce and Maple 1996.
Firstly I have to say that the combination of maple back and sides with a spruce soundboard give this guitar a stunning appearance that I love!
It has a smooth, sweet tone that is well balanced across the guitar with an easy playing action. The sound is focussed and "rounded", giving the player depth and excellent control especially when playing through the strings with good right hand technique. There is plenty of colour to be found but I don’t think that she will respond well to hard hitting or harsh playing. The voice is more subtle than vibrant, without a bright edge, emphasizing a more velvet character.
The top E string sings cleanly supported by a full, rich bass voice and warm rounded inner harmonies.
This is not an "excitable" guitar but one that offers the player support, control and an even, balanced and full tone.
Fitted with Rodgers German Silver Machine Heads.
Sold June 2009
Bernabe Especial.
£5900
Spruce and Madagascar Rosewood 2006.
Although the date on the label of this guitar is 2006, she is still only a baby since she has been in a different country from her owner and has never been played in! This of course means that there is work to do in playing her in but you can hear the potential as soon as you start to play so it will be very enjoyable work!
The traditional Spanish character of overall warmth and colour is prominent with strong, vibrant basses that give us a hint of the amount of power and sound still to develop in this guitar. Having said that the projection and responsiveness are already excellent and the strings have the “spring” that gives you the confidence to keep pushing for volume and colour.
Resonance and richness are key words for this guitar. The notes have a depth and shape that fills in sound as you play producing rich, full and rounded harmonies and legato melodic lines across the strings.
The changes in, and development of, her voice were obvious to me as I played various pieces from Bach to Garcia studies to Brouwer’s “Decameron”.
This is a guitar that is desperate to be played to bring out her best and this will be an improving and exciting journey for her new owner.
Sold May 2009
Vicente Carrillo Model 1a Especial.
£1950
Spruce and South American Rosewood (Caviuna) model 2008
As we have come to expect from Carrillo's Gabriella guitars, the finish and workmanship of the 1a is excellent. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that her visual beauty is also reflected in the way she responds and the quality of her tone.
This price range can be quite difficult with buyers who are concerned as to whether they should spend so much money on a guitar. The 1a belays all these fears as her musical qualities are far beyond what one may expect.
The first thing that I noticed was the firmness of the overall tone, particularly the basses which are full and focussed, pushing the sound outwards. She is beautifully balanced across the strings and along the range of the frets; the clarity in the inner strings is wonderful. In playing Bach I didn't have to make any extra effort to bring out the voicing or to make a musical line sing. This is a great attribute in a guitar as it really helps to improve playing and musicality.
The 1a is happy with any style of music, having a big colour palette for the player to use and develop. Being a spruce top there is a lot of room for expansion of sound and tonal colour. The top "e" feels tight at first but the voicing is clear and pure, and as you play you can hear her, musically, "opening out".
The 1a is an exciting guitar to play.
Sold March 2009
John Price.
£4000
Spruce and African Rosewood model 2001.
From the first notes, it is obvious that this is a big and powerful instrument. The sound is very full and is projected strongly forwards so that the player does not initially get the best impression of the performance. However once you settle into playing your ear adjusts and you start to understand how the guitar speaks and learn how to get the best from her.
The treble is very mellow in colour and consistent up to the highest notes. The warm resonance of the sound does not hamper the clarity in any way. I found it easy to bring out individual notes and melodic lines on all of the strings.
This separation worked particularly well in "Asturias" by Albeniz, which I initially played to experiment with the bass. I found that I only needed a light touch with my thumb to get a rich, smooth resonance, but as I put more into the stroke I was rewarded with an incredibly strong and vibrant, yet focused and supported sound
I do not really think that I have the technique to get the most from this instrument (by this I mean strength of movement). She gives a full sound and projects beautifully but I know she would respond even better to a stronger player, who could benefit fully the huge sound available.
Sold February 2009
Carrillo Gabriela.
£3100
Spruce and Madagascar Rosewood model 2008.
To put it simply, this is an exciting guitar!
She is the sort of instrument that is difficult to put down; like a good book you just want to play a bit more to see what is over the next page or in the next chapter.
Mostly it is the thought that if she sounds this good now what will she be like in 2 years when the spruce top is played in!
This Gabriella guitar has already got a maturity to her sound; elegant and silky trebles supported by rich and powerful bass strings.
The evenness across and along the strings is wonderful.
I particularly enjoyed trying out close position chords on various groups of strings and in different positions. I found clear and well balanced voices even using strings 2, 3 and 4.
The clarity of the spruce top is enhanced by the Spanish warmth that is present in all of Vincente's guitars and so this is not a difficult guitar to play whatever the players technical standard (or state of nails!)
She is also very easy on the left hand and particularly responsive to up and down slurs, enabling the player to think less of technique and more of the music. I cannot emphasise enough how much I have enjoyed testing this guitar.
The range and variety of tone and dynamic is already big and there is a church like quality to the overall feel of the sound.
The consistency of Carrillo's guitars in workmanship, playability and sound quality is first class and I would recommend this guitar to any player as something that they will enjoy and cherish for a long time.
The current owner has upgraded to a Jean-Noël Rohé
guitar.
Sold February 2009
Michael Gee.
£1850
Spruce and Indian Rosewood model 1988.
This Gee guitar gave an immediate sense of security with its mature and rounded tone. She is vocally even across the strings and her voice is pure and focused - not excitable or particularly adventurous but very reliable. One's right hand can quickly find the technique required to draw the best from the guitar and the evenness makes for ease in voicing and dynamic contrast. In this price range she offers excellent value for money for a player simply wanting to enjoy music for themselves, with quality of sound that is traditional and has the purity of an English concert guitar.
Sold February 2009
Simon Ambridge.
£4750
Spruce and Rio Rosewood model 2007.
The beauty and detail of this guitar is immediately obvious as you open the case. The table has wonderful close grain and a light honey colour that shimmers with the changing angle of light, and the workmanship is immaculate down to the very last detail. The colour and grain of the rosewood is smooth rather than fiery, enhancing the highlights at the outer edges of the lower bout, and the book matching is perfect, especially as you look down the neck at the wood that seems to flow outwards from the heel in sweeping curves. This type of rosewood is ideal for the three piece, back which has a subtle and graceful appearance.
The overall warmth of the guitar’s looks is definitely carried through to her tone, which is creamy and rounded across the strings with a feeling of strength and depth as you play enabling one to feel very safe and "supported" even with such a young instrument. The result of this is that she is "easy" to play.
To look at the sound in more detail the top E string is clean and crisp while retaining the underlying creamy tone of the guitar as a whole. This means that she sings cleanly and clearly in melodies but the blend of the strings is maintained at all times. This blending leads to beautiful and emotional resonance in closely spaced and "dissonant" chords helping to reveal the shape of the music. The bass side of the guitar is rich and deep. You may think that this is stating the obvious however bass strings can sound what I call "zingy" – bright and emphasising harmonics. With this guitar the deep resonance is clear, adding great support to the harmony – particularly fun to play with a D tuning as I quickly discovered!
To sum up, this guitar already has a confident, yet smooth and sweet voice; she is an emotional instrument in the way the voicing highlights the harmonies and enables you to hear the shape and feeling written into the music. She then has the ability to communicate your ideas through contrasts in tone and colour making playing her not only easy but also highly enjoyable. Why is the owner selling? -- simply -- he has purchased a Hauser III guitar due to arrive early this year. The Ambridge is being sold to make way for this new instrument.
Sold January 2009
Hernandez Maestro Model.
£1950
Spruce and Cocobolo Rosewood model 2001.
For me, this guitar has a typical, big "Spanish" sound. From the first touch you can hear the full resonance and strong basses reflecting, in colour terms, the reds, oranges and vibrant feel of Spanish music. However, as I played I realized that the clarity of a spruce top brought definition to the strings, balancing the guitar so that the resonance is not overpowering. I found voicing chords easy and enjoyed experimenting with dissonances and musical lines across the range.
Before having the opportunity to try all of these great guitars I knew the theory of playing guitars in, and how the sound grows, but never realized how true that really is. After half an hour with this instrument I could hear the treble warming up and growing and after listening to the guitar from the front realized that there is more to this range than I initially thought.
She is even across the range and the inner strings are clear and easy to control. This was obvious in playing Carcassi's A major study, no. 3 from opus 60, where I could get a great balance between flowing line for arpeggios, and blending of the great harmonies.
She has a voice that projects easily and there is much more in the strings for a stronger player than myself. The character is colourful with plenty of variety, which I really enjoyed in going through the Villa Lobos Preludes.
Sold July 2008
Earl Marsh.
£1600
Spruce and African Rosewood model 2003.
My first impression was of quite a small bodied guitar that has a striking appearance with the unusually light back and sides, and decorated head stock. I am not very tall and found the size of the body led to ease of playing and posture; the player has easy control over "holding" the guitar so hands and arms tend to be more relaxed.
She has an open and clear tone across the strings, and what I describe as a "smiling" voice, that is warm and colourful.
She is also well balanced and is responsive to a light touch which helps to bring out melodies and voicing.
Overall the guitar is very and resonant and will definitely benefit from lots of playing by an enthusiastic player who is looking for more music in their playing!
Sold July 2008
Ramirez 125th Anniversary Model.
£11000
ANNIVERSARY GUITAR.
The Anniversary Guitar was especially designed by Amalia Ramírez to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the founding of the firm. The design pays tribute to the beauty of the guitars of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
This is a limited series of 125 guitars and there will be no re-editions.
This beautiful instrument; No4 of 125; was presented to Harold Grettons winner of the 2007 Cordoba guitar competition.
Unusual and striking appearance, with its bold rosette and smaller features such as the carved bridge and head and the inlay in the back of the head reminding you that you now own something extra special. The sound of the 125th anniversary is bright and vibrant in the trebles with a lot of resonance giving the feeling of playing in a big acoustic. Basses are fat and round with the inner harmonies adding warmth. The 125th is a loud guitar and at this moment in its young life needs pushing to develop its full potential. As you play you can hear the guitar starting to develop and blossom. Strong playing is preferable as she is a guitar that craves to be mastered
SPECIFICATIONS:
Cedar Soundboard.
Back & Sides Madagascar rosewood.
Special headstock.
650mm string length.
Carvings on the bridge and the heal.
Special design in boxwood for the finish of the head.
Black & White Rosette.
Sold June 2008
Manuel Contreras Double Top Premium.
£4450
Cedar and African Rosewood model 2005.
Having had experience of these guitars over a few years now, I had a good idea of what to expect, but I have to admit to being surprised at the volume and amount of sound that this guitar produced under a "normal" touch. This is simply a powerful and resonant Spanish guitar that is very "alive" under your fingers. The character of her voice is vibrant, colourful and exciting; in colour it would be made up of oranges and reds, bright blues and greens! This description may sound a little strange and does represent my personal interpretation; I am just linking my feelings on hearing the sounds to pictures, as this helps me to bring more expression into playing.
You only need to stroke the strings to turn on the surround sound, but this resonance does not lead to a mushy sound because the separation and clarity of all the strings is so good. In harmony and contrapuntal music, every note is clear and easy to highlight. I particularly enjoyed experimenting with Prelude no. 1 by Villa Lobos. The bass melody singing out smoothly, the harmony and dissonances easy to control and really highlighting the direction of the music, and, most exciting, when I wanted to build the volume she has a seemingly endless volume control!
To sum up this is an exciting and vibrant instrument that has a huge sound and produces a very satisfying feeling for the player! I think that she has the wrong strings on now and would certainly like to experiment with D'addario strings. There is no need to use strings to get more clarity as she already has this virtue in spades.
Sold May 2008
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