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Review: The Century That Shaped the Guitar (From the Birth of the Six-String Guitar to the Death of Tárrega) by James Westbrook

Review: The Century That Shaped the Guitar
(From the Birth of the Six-String Guitar to the Death of Tárrega) by James Westbrook

Reviewed by Bryan Johanson

Previously published in American Lutherie #88, 2006



The Century That Shaped the Guitar
(From the Birth of the Six-String Guitar to the Death of Tarrega)

James Westbrook
2005. 180pp.
Available from theguitarmuseum.com.

In 1813 the soon-to-be-renowned composer and guitarist Fernando Sor left Spain, never to return. His destination was Paris, in the only country that would have him. After two years of frustration and disappointment he moved to London where he was to finally achieve the success that had eluded him. The large forces that brought Sor to London include his education, his professional training, the many wars in Europe, and taste.

Sor was given a liberal education in his native Barcelona. He studied composition, singing, and the newly invented 6-string guitar. With the premiere in 1797 of his opera Telemachus on Calypso’s Isle, Sor became the celebrated wunderkind. But a career in music was not in his immediate future. He had received a military training that seemed unlikely to cause his musical career much trouble. But, Napoleon’s invasion of Spain changed all that. Sor was thrown into active duty. When the French finally conquered Spain, Sor was given the choice of continuing his military career as part of the occupying French army, or joining the Spanish resistance. (The resistance was not doing so well, as documented by the many gruesome paintings by Goya.) Sor chose to continue his military career with the French (bad move). When Napoleon was finally defeated, these Spanish afrancesados were being murdered by the now victorious resistance at an alarming rate. Like many Spaniards in his position, Sor joined the exodus of 1813 and moved to Paris.

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Violin Q & A: Cost of Opening a Violin Shop

Violin Q & A: Cost of Opening a Violin Shop

by George Manno

Originally published in American Lutherie #10, 1987 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume One, 2000



My wife and I are thoroughly fascinated with the violin; we both play professionally in the local orchestra. We have enjoyed all of your repair articles and look forward to meeting you. We have often considered opening our own violin shop but have no idea how costly and, furthermore, how profitable such a venture could be. We wouldn’t want to offer the most expensive instruments, but would like to have a better-than-ordinary inventory. Can you give us a rough estimate of what it might cost us?

Portland, Oregon, needs another violin shop like Hawaii needs another volcano! It seems the Northwest has become an attractive setting for violin shops, and, although competition can help stimulate business, oversaturation of any market can cause all participants to suffer. Your best bet is to find a location where there are no violin shops at all, but where there are people who are interested in playing the violin.

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This article is part of our premium web content offered to Guild members. To view this and other web articles, join the Guild of American Luthiers. Members also receive 4 annual issues of American Lutherie and get discounts on products. For details, visit the membership page.

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Violin Q & A: Violin by John Ericson

Violin Q & A: Violin by John Ericson

by George Manno

Originally published in American Lutherie #10, 1987 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume One, 2000

 

We have an old violin that just came into our shop. It is handmade and has a label that states it was made by John Ericson, Hammond, Indiana, in 1929. We cannot find this maker’s name listed in any of our reference books. We have Henley’s & Woodcock’s. Since you live in the Midwest, do you know of such a maker?

Thomas Wenberg’s book, entitled The Violin Makers of the United States, lists the aforementioned maker on page 93. He was born in 1893 in Sweden, and trained with Walter Goss in Boston. Over 400 instruments bear his label. A dealer in New York told me that he recently sold a viola made by Mr. Ericson for $9,500. He died in 1975. Also, I knew Mr. Ericson personally. The instrument should be branded “ERICSON” on the back of the scroll.

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Violin Q & A: Limits of Regraduation

Violin Q & A: Limits of Regraduation

by George Manno

Originally published in American Lutherie #10, 1987 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume One, 2000

 

I recently regraduated the top, back, and sides of a violin. I took the top down to 2.5MM in the center, the upper and lower bouts down to 2.2MM, and the ribs down to .9MM. I refit a new bassbar and put the instrument back together. The instrument sounds so much better after this tonal adjustment, but I have to keep fitting a new soundpost every month or so. I have noticed a slight bulge in the soundpost area of the top. My question to you is, should I remove the top and put in a soundpost patch, or treat the underside of the table with potassium silicate to stiffen up the wood?

What you did to the violin in question is not considered by most makers and repairpersons to be a “tonal adjustment.” What you have done is to prepare the instrument for an early grave. Nothing you do now is going to save it. Forgive me for coming down so hard on you, but regraduating an instrument to such radical proportions leaves the instrument, in my opinion, unplayable, unrepairable, and worthless. I hope that the violin we are speaking of does not belong to a customer of yours. I suggest to anyone reading this to remember that, when repairing an instrument, keep in mind the factor of irreversability in your work. Wood does not grow back once it is carved away!

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Violin Q & A: Color of Potassium Silicate

Violin Q & A: Color of Potassium Silicate

by George Manno

Originally published in American Lutherie #9, 1987 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume One, 2000

 

On my first three violins, I used a gamboge solution to seal the instruments before I varnished them. This left a warm yellowish ground for me to work with. On my latest instrument, I used potassium silicate, like Sacconi mentions in his book, The “Secrets” of Stradivari. The back and ribs turned a beautiful cinnamon brown, but the top has a tinge of green in it. What, if anything, can I do to avoid this in the future?

I experienced this green tinge once myself. Now before I mix my potassium silicate with water, I put a tea bag in warm water and let it sit for a few minutes. Then I remove the tea bag and combine the two liquids, mixing well and applying it to the instrument while the solution is still warm. Try this the next time.