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Humidity question(s)
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Richard Jernigan
Posts: 3430
Joined: Jan. 20 2004
From: Austin, Texas USA
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RE: Humidity question(s) (in reply to Echi)
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quote:
The early Romanillos guitars (built in a bungalow in the English countryside) used to have the same problem (it’s well known that the guitar ofBream had the back replaced four times, one by Hauser). The label in Romanillos #407 from 1973 says "Fontmell Magna," a village in Dorset, about 8 miles from Semley, Wiltshire where Bream's country house was. Bream's #501 was hanging on the wall of the Fontmell Magna shop when he and John Williams went there to have the machines replaced on Williams's Fleta. It was there that Bream offered to buy #501. Romaillos began his professional career as a luthier in a cowshed on Bream's estate, later moving to Fontmell Magna. Spruce/Indian #407 was shipped from Kansas to the Marshall Islands in the Central Pacific in 2000. It arrived in a good plywood case. It lived there in 66% indoor humidity for 9 years before being shipped to Austin, Tx, where the indoor humidity has ranged from 37% to about 50% until now. When not played it has been in a Mark Leaf case since 2000. This case is the most airtight I have experienced among various "airtight" models. I don't know where #407 was before 2000. The dealer I bought it from lived, concertized and taught in Germany for several years. He played Romanillos instruments exclusively. He made regular trips to Europe to find instruments. He told me #407 hadn't been played for a number of years previous to 2000. It took a couple of weeks to open up after I received it on approval. #407 has certainly not experienced the numerous rapid changes in environment which #501 did, but it shows no ill effects of age and varied environments. When I saw #501 in the late 1970s it already looked like it had been "rode hard and put up wet." It had no visible cracks, but the finish was well worn and the top had a number of fingernail dings. Bream kept his nails long. The original Brazilian rosewood back of #501 was re-sawn from the top of a table that Romanillos found at an auction. It was hard to find guitar wood in England in 1973. The tops of both #407 and #501 are from re-sawn 'cello billets. The fourth back replacement for #501 was done by Hauser II because he was known to have a stock of well seasoned Brazilian rosewood. Despite its problems Bream called it, "The best guitar I ever had." RNJ #407 is the 7th of the 4th design series. It is "modeled on" a 1950 Hauser. #501 is the first of the 5th series, made from a drawing of a 1930s Hauser owned by Sergio Abreu. It has more dome to the top, and two fan braces extend under the lower harmonic bar. A well known luthier opined that #407 may be the one just before #501. I have never written to Romanillos to ask. I suppose I should....
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Date Aug. 1 2021 1:45:07
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