I am a maker of fine quality classical and flamenco guitars built in the spanish tradition of Torres/Hauser. The legacy of their surviving instruments, many of which are still playable, and some not only playable but sounding fantastic, is a continuing source of inspiration.
My own approach was to study the guitars of Antonio de Torres to gain insight into the fundamentals of traditional spanish guitar-making - from then on, the experience of making itself became my teacher. I found that my guitars improved steadily from batch to batch, and I learned to trust my instincts more and more. I continue to work in this way, always adjusting and refining, and usually the ideas work to move things in the right direction.
In this process of learning, the input from guitarists has been vital - it is they who opened my ears to the qualities necessary in a fine guitar, and gradually, as a result, I was able to further develop my own faculties for critical listening. You can only change something if you're aware of it. Once you're aware you can try and build in the change, which is where the experience and instinct come in to play.
It is very important to conceive a clear idea of the sound you want to create - this may sound obvious, but it would be quite easy to make a guitar ( once you know how, of course) without thinking about this at all. In other words, when I am working, I always try to keep in mind what I'm trying to achieve ( with each instrument), and not just do the work out of habit. This keeps the work, which on the face of it contains many boring and repetetive tasks, fresh and interesting. I am always seeking to improve on what I've done before. The quest for perfection - like the guitarists who seek the perfect guitar with which to express themselves, I am seeking to make the perfect guitar - although this goal may not be something which is practically achievable, it nevertheless provides a good impetus to improve.
I aim for excellence in craft, musicality and aesthetics to make guitars which are a pleasure to play and which, as well as possessing the necessary acoustic attributes of a fine instrument, (e.g. musicality - wide dynamic range and the ability to colour the sound, a quick response, good tone and balance, focus/separation =clarity, projection, evenness, playability and volume) have a depth of character, an individuality, which will speak to both the player and the listener.
My current concert model (12) is the latest incarnation, replacing model 10. (If you're wondering what happened to 11, it is a small child's guitar shape that I also used for a bazouki some years ago). The shape of Model 12 was originally inspired by a 1932 guitar by Domingo Esteso which I thought was particularly attractive- I say "originally" because I have revised and re-sized it several times - the first plantilla based on this guitar was number 4, then 5 and 7. I use it both for classical and flamenco guitars.
Past model numbers 8 and 10 were inspired by two very different Torres' guitars, one from each of his two building epochs. Model 08 is based on F.E.13, a small and elegant guitar which Torres made in 1860. Miguel Llobet may have owned this guitar, but later it was owned by Hauser I who used the pattern for his own instruments. Model 10 is based on a guitar from Torres' second building epoch, S.E.83 built in 1885. This was an eleven-string guitar with a much larger and more robust shape, although not large by today's standards.
