The highÂest qualÂiÂty clasÂsiÂcal guiÂtars handÂmade in the 21st cenÂtuÂry can run into the tens of thouÂsands of dolÂlars. This is no frivÂoÂlous expense for a proÂfesÂsionÂal playÂer. Put such an instruÂment in the hands of an amaÂteur and you may not hear much difÂferÂence between it and a $150 facÂtoÂry-made budÂget modÂel. In the hands of a seaÂsoned playÂer, a high-end guiÂtar truÂly sings. Tone resides in the finÂgers — or 90% of it anyÂway — but a skilled guiÂtarist knows how to disÂcovÂer and make use of all an instruÂmenÂt’s best qualÂiÂties. For a musiÂcian who makes a livÂing doing so, spendÂing the cost of a car on a guiÂtar makes ecoÂnomÂic sense (as does a good insurÂance polÂiÂcy).
The tonal qualÂiÂties of the instruÂment below, a handÂmade clasÂsiÂcal guiÂtar from 1888, are clearÂly abunÂdant; it’s also clear that guiÂtarist BranÂdon AckÂer — who has appeared in many of our preÂviÂous posts on the guiÂtar — knows how to exploit them. At times, he brings out such rich resÂoÂnance, the instruÂment sounds like a piano; at othÂers, it is almost harp-like. We have a conÂfluÂence of rarÂiÂty: a highÂly skilled playÂer with deep knowlÂedge of clasÂsiÂcal stringed instruÂments, and an instruÂment like no othÂer — so rare, in fact, that it’s valÂued at over a quarÂter of a milÂlion dolÂlars, roughÂly the averÂage cost of a modÂerÂateÂly-priced house in the U.S., the largest investÂment most peoÂple make in their lifeÂtime.
To underÂstand why the instruÂment carÂries such a high price tag, see AckÂer and YouTuÂber and guiÂtarist Rob ScalÂlon visÂit with father-and-son luthiÂer team R.E. and M.E. BrunĂ© at their shops in IlliÂnois in the video at the top. The BrunĂ©s are speÂcialÂists in clasÂsiÂcal and flaÂmenÂco guiÂtars. (The elder BrunĂ© tells a charmÂing stoÂry of makÂing his first flaÂmenÂco guiÂtar for himÂself from his parÂents’ first dinÂing room table.) In their shop’s storÂage area, they have ready access to some of the rarest guiÂtars in the world, and they give us a liveÂly tour — startÂing with a “bit of a letÂdown,” the “low-end,” 1967 Daniel Friederich conÂcert modÂel valÂued at $50,000.
In AckÂer’s hands, each guiÂtar delivÂers the full potenÂtial of its susÂtain and resÂoÂnance. FinalÂly, at 16:00, we come to the 1888 AntoÂnio de TorÂres guiÂtar valÂued at $275,000. There are many oldÂer guiÂtars in exisÂtence, even guiÂtars made by AntoÂnio StradiÂvari and his heirs. But it was this guiÂtar, or one of the few othÂers made by the legÂendary TorÂres around the same time, that revÂoÂluÂtionÂized what a guiÂtar looked and soundÂed like. When AndrĂ©s Segovia arrived on stages playÂing his TorÂres, the BrunĂ©s tell us, guiÂtarists around the world decidÂed that the old style, small-bodÂied guiÂtars in use for cenÂturies were obsoÂlete.
There are perÂhaps 90 to 100 of the TorÂres clasÂsiÂcal guiÂtars in exisÂtence, and this extravÂaÂgantÂly-priced numÂber 124 is “as close as you’re going to get to origÂiÂnal,” says the elder BrunĂ©, while his son makes the fasÂciÂnatÂing obserÂvaÂtion, “oldÂer instruÂments that have been played a lot, espeÂcialÂly by great playÂers… learn the music.” AckÂer expressÂes his surÂprise at the “sweetÂness” of the very touch of the guiÂtar.
If you had attendÂed the 2016 GuiÂtar FounÂdaÂtion of AmerÂiÂca conÂferÂence in DenÂver, where M.E. BrunĂ© exhibÂitÂed sevÂerÂal of his shop’s rare guiÂtars, you would have been able to play the TorÂres yourÂself — or even purÂchase it for the lessÂer price of $235,000.
In the video interÂview above from the GFA conÂferÂence, M.E. BrunĂ© describes the year plus-long restoraÂtion process on the guiÂtar, one that involved some disÂasÂsemÂbly, extra bracÂing, and a replaceÂment finÂgerÂboard, but preÂserved the beauÂtiÂful spruce and birdÂsÂeye maple of the guiÂtar, wood that “doesÂn’t grow on trees like this anyÂwhere” these days, says BrunĂ©. It is, he says, “the best-soundÂing TorÂres” he’s ever heard. ComÂing from someÂone who has heard, and restored, the sweetÂest-soundÂing guiÂtars in exisÂtence, that’s sayÂing a lot. $275,000 worth? Maybe. Or maybe it’s imposÂsiÂbly arbiÂtrary to put any price on such an artiÂfact.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Hear MusiÂcians Play the Only Playable StradiÂvarÂius GuiÂtar in the World: The “Sabionari”
The HisÂtoÂry of the GuiÂtar: See the EvoÂluÂtion of the GuiÂtar in 7 InstruÂments
Encore! Encore! An Hour of the World’s Most BeauÂtiÂful ClasÂsiÂcal GuiÂtar
Josh Jones is a writer and musiÂcian based in Durham, NC. FolÂlow him at @jdmagness
What hapÂpened to the enorÂmous list of MooC
That you used to feaÂture? And the list of free movies and books?????
I enjoyed that list as much as the artiÂcles in your newsletÂter.
This list is not comÂplete and is not inforÂmaÂtive.
I watched one episode from Yale three times. ExcelÂlent preÂsenÂter and I learned a lot .