A Modern Approach Rooted in Tradition

For the past 160 years, the construction process used by Antonio de Torres has been the foundation by which all other build styles and techniques have been judged. My guitars utilize a Torres seven fan bracing pattern on the soundboard, which proves to be the most reliable pattern for achieving desired sound quality for a classical guitar. The shape of the guitar is built upon a 1937 Hermann Hauser guitar.

Although I believe the celebration of a handmade guitar is the experience it provides for the player and audience and not simply the technicalities of the build process itself, below are some interesting aspects to my process.

The Spanish Method of Guitar Construction

Traditional Spanish guitar construction is a many faceted topic but there are several elements to the construction that tend to be associated with this type of build, which are outlined below.

The Mortise and Spline Joint. Guitar building using the mortise and spline joint involves creating a strong connection between the neck and body. The mortise is a precise cavity in the guitar body, while the spline is a matching piece on the neck that fits into the mortise. This joint offers enhanced stability, superior alignment, and excellent transfer of vibrations, resulting in better sustain and tonal quality. It's a reliable method favored for its durability and strength in high-quality guitar construction.

Fan Bracing. The traditional Spanish method soundboard bracing is the fan, with the seven brace as a common standard, along with accompanying tonal bars in the lower bout, though there are many variations on this standard.

Building Forms. The Spanish tradition uses a plantilla template (one-half of the guitar face) to create the outline of the soundboard, and a dished out work board to create the on the top radius during the gluing of braces. A more modern approach is to include the use of a CNC cut full template and an outside form to hold the sides in place during the stages of connecting the neck to the body and during the closing of the soundbox. While every hand built guitar will have some minor inconsistencies due to variations in wood and the use of hand tools, it is also true that this more intimate approach to guitar building allows the builder more opportunities to sense the qualities of the wood being used.

Radiuses Soundboard. Although much less pronounced than other arched instruments such as an arch top jazz guitar, the Spanish method utilizes a radius in the area below the sound hole. I apply a fifteen foot radius to both the lower top and the overall back of the guitar, which creates torsional strength and aides in sound projection.

French Polish. French polish is simply the best finish for a handmade instrument. Applied thinly, it does not hinder the acoustic qualities of wood and has been used on virtually every world class guitar for the past 160 years.

While more delicate than the type of heavy varnishing that produces high gloss and sound affecting finishes, French polish is easily repairable, preserves the true tonal quality of the wood it protects, and has an effect that some might call old world and certainly beautiful. I use Royal-Lac and Seal-Lac, a proprietary formula that is easy to apply and is resistant to heat, water and alcohol once cured.

The Spanish Heel. Integrated neck-body construction is a hallmark of the traditional guitar build. The construction of the neck is such that the neck headblock extends inside the soundbox which creates a structurally and sonically strong connection between the neck, sides, and top and bottom. The presence of a Spanish heel inside the guitar identifies neck built with the Spanish method and not by a method such as a dovetail or mortise and tenon, which connects the neck to an already assembled soundbox.