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Richard Jernigan -> RE: guitar scratch... (Dec. 31 2011 19:27:00)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Rico_Kiko
Yes , I am not allowed to pick up a Barbero now after dinging a Yamaha .....[:(]
If a classical story is permitted, this is from an article by the English luthier Kevin Aram in the Journal of American Luthiery.
Jose Romanillos had moved his shop from Julian Bream's cow shed on the farm at Semley, where Romanillos began his professional career, to a cottage in nearby Fontmell Magna. In 1973 Bream and John Williams visited Romanillos to have the tuners replaced on Wlliams's Fleta. Handing the guitar to Romanillos, Williams dinged it against the jointer, leaving a sizable mark on the top.
While waiting for the tuners to be changed, Bream took down a guitar hanging on the wall and began to play. Romanillos had shown the guitar to Bream when it was completed. Bream commented it was a nice guitar, "but perhaps a little quiet."
Romanillos said he was a bit ashamed of the guitar, and hung it on the wall of the shop. Williams commented to Bream that he sounded quite good on it. Bream liked it himself, and told Romanillos he would like to buy it. Bream used it for more than 20 years on all recordings and concerts, making it perhaps the second most famous classical guitar of the 20th century.
The guitar had already been sold when Bream asked for it. Romanillos had to convince the purchaser to accept a later instrument. Romanillos said he had never mentioned this to anyone until he told the story to Aram.
I have the guitar Romanillos made just before Bream's. I bought it in 2000, when it was 27 years old. It has only a very thin wash coat of shellac on the top. There are a few nail marks on he top beside the finger board, and a spot where the shellac is almost completely worn through just above the first string. The french polish is a bit cloudy on the back and is just about worn through at a spot on the neck. The tuners definitely need to be replaced. There is visible, but not disabling wear on the second and third frets under the fourth and fifth strings.
I have talked to Richard Brune about re-polishing the back, sides and neck and replacing the tuners, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.
All the same, it is my favorite of all classicals I have played, and when I'm gone my kids won't be disappointed that their old Dad spent some money on a guitar.
My '67 Ramirez blanca is well marked up, no really big dings, but it has been my faithful companion since it was new, and bears a lot of great memories. The '82 Arcangel blanca is spotless, but it almost never leaves the house.
RNJ
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