An Interview with Guitarist David Tanenbaum

by David Fisher

Originally published in Guild of American Luthiers Quarterly, Volume 8, #3, 1980



With this issue is begun a series of interviews with important and eminent Classic Guitarists on the subject of their tools and their relationships to lutherie. Twenty-four year old virtuoso, David Tanenbaum of Oakland, California, a graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, is already a veteran of New York City solo recitals, innumerable other solo concerts as well as having served with the Joffrey Ballet on several domestic and international tours including a tour to Russia. He began piano study at the age of four, cello at eight, folk guitar at nine or ten and classic guitar at eleven. David plays a redwood top guitar by José Oribe from 1975.


What qualities do you feel you need in an instrument?

Fundamentally projection, because the guitar is a small voiced instrument.