Posted on April 20, 2026May 1, 2026 by Dale Phillips Jeffrey R. Elliott Open Harmonic Bar Classical Guitar Jeffrey R. Elliott Open Harmonic Bar Classical Guitar by Jeffrey R. Elliott Originally published in American Lutherie #127, 2016 The earliest example I know of a guitar with an open harmonic bar was made by Antonio de Torres in 1856 (“La Leona,” FE 04). Originally as a design element used in conjunction with a tornavoz (seldom used today, it has faded into obscurity), the open harmonic bar has survived separately as an essential feature in some top-bracing designs, and many of history’s most noted makers have tried their version of it, although infrequently. The most successful example, in my opinion, was Julian Bream’s 1973 José Romanillos guitar, which inspired me to try it. However, the historic design has a serious inherent structural risk, and if underbuilt, the guitar can also be so overly responsive that the fundamental becomes clouded. For many years I wondered if I could adapt the design so that it avoided both the structural and sonic risks yet still produced the sound I was after, and in early 1990 I produced this design. I believe the design allows the surfaces of the waist and upper bout to work in concert with the lower bout, so that the entire top responds more fully, and all at once. Based on a symmetrical layout, I redefined the design and made the following changes: 1) created apertures in all three harmonic bars and extended them to 1CM from the periphery and left them solid for their central 10CM of length; 2) dropped the cutoff bars altogether, and extended the fans to 15MM from the periphery; 3) installed a soundhole reinforcement ring and extended the outer two fans on both sides into it; 4) used only one upper bout strut on each side, and at an angle to the top’s grain; 5) widened the bridge patch 3MM both in front and behind; 6) made both the soundhole and fingerboard supports .5MM thicker; 7) graded the fan bracing as per the plan specifications, concentrating stiffness and mass in the center, and gradually loosening toward the periphery in a symmetrical pattern; 8) scalloped the surface of the end block that meets the top so that it continued the same spatial contact of the corner blocks; and 9) while I believe these changes have both expanded and refined the design, the most crucial addition was the .5MM-thick relief pads just under the harmonic-bar openings, let in 2MM on their ends. In over twenty-six years, none of my guitars have cracked under those openings, which has been the main structural risk with earlier open-bar designs; nor do they inhibit the purpose of opening the harmonic bars in the first place. Become A Member to Continue Reading This Article This article is part of the Articles Online featured on our website for Guild members. To view this and other web articles, join the Guild of American Luthiers. For details, visit the membership page. MEMBERS: login for access or contact us to setup your account.
Posted on April 17, 2026April 17, 2026 by Dale Phillips Restoring Tárrega’s 1888 Torres Restoring Tárrega’s 1888 Torres by Jeffrey R. Elliott from his 2004 GAL Convention lecture Originally published in American Lutherie #83, 2005 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Seven, 2015 It was a privilege and an honor to restore this 1888 Antonio de Torres classical guitar, which is the centerpiece of a wonderful collection owned by Sheldon Urlik of Los Angeles, California. Identified as SE 114 in Antonio de Torres Guitar Maker — His Life and Work by José Romanillos, this guitar has great historical significance, not only because it was made by Antonio de Torres, but because it was owned by the great guitarist, composer, and pedagogue Francisco Tárrega. Before I began any work, I consulted with luthier and historian José L. Romanillos of Guijosa, Spain, for his expertise on Torres guitars and also reread his comprehensive book, which is the primary source of the historical information that follows. In addition, I consulted with luthier John F. Mello of Berkeley, California, for his restoration experience on Torres guitars and both previous owner Elias Barreiro of New Orleans, Louisiana, and the present owner Sheldon Urlik for their knowledge of the history of this guitar. Become A Member to Continue Reading This Article This article is part of the Articles Online featured on our website for Guild members. To view this and other web articles, join the Guild of American Luthiers. For details, visit the membership page. MEMBERS: login for access or contact us to setup your account.
Posted on March 25, 2026March 25, 2026 by Dale Phillips 1930 Santos Hernández Guitar with Segovia’s Autograph 1930 Santos Hernández Guitar with Segovia’s Autograph by Jeffrey R. Elliott Originally published in American Lutherie #115, 2013 A few years ago, after I had all but ceased accepting repairs in order to concentrate on my own commissions, I was asked to do a repair that I just couldn’t turn down. The owner had inherited a 1930 Santos Hernández classical guitar, which hadn’t been played in decades, and wanted to put it on the market. Universally recognized as one of the most revered of Spanish makers (so much so that he is simply referred to as “Santos”), Santos Hernández has long been one of my heroes of lutherie, and as I was confident that I could do what it needed, I gladly accepted. Santos Rodríguez Hernández (1874–1943) began building guitars in 1890, apprenticed to Valentín Viudes, and in 1895 joined the workshop of Manuel Ramírez where he refined his craft alongside Manuel for twenty-one years, and eventually became foreman. When Manuel died in 1916, Santos ran the workshop for Manuel’s widow for another five years. Become A Member to Continue Reading This Article This article is part of the Articles Online featured on our website for Guild members. To view this and other web articles, join the Guild of American Luthiers. For details, visit the membership page. MEMBERS: login for access or contact us to setup your account.
Posted on February 20, 2026February 20, 2026 by Dale Phillips Torres Guitar Restoration Torres Guitar Restoration by R.E. Bruné Originally published in American Lutherie #33, 1993 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie, Volume Three, 2004 In March of 1986 I received in my workshop an 11-string guitar by Antonio Torres made in Almeria in 1884, and numbered #71. This instrument being perhaps unique in the world today for Torres’ work, it was imperative that it be adequately documented and ideally, restored as close as possible to original playing condition. The owner was quite anxious to pursue this course also, with the ultimate goal of selling it on the open market. Surviving guitars by Torres are quite rare, being limited to fewer than seventy known instruments, and this example is perhaps the only 11-string example remaining, although Prat alludes to two others in his Diccionario under the listing for Torres. It is not clear whether he is referring to the same instrument owned by several different people or different instruments owned by different people. Although Torres numbered his instruments made from 1880 until he died in 1892, apparently there is no surviving record of the details of each instrument nor who the original owners were. (Editor’s Note: After this article was written, José Romanillos published his excellent book, Antonio de Torres, Guitar Maker — His Life and Work. In it he presents photos, drawings, and descriptions of another surviving Torres 11-string, #83. Author Bruné urges all to acquire and study this book.) Become A Member to Continue Reading This Article 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. If you are already a member, login for access or contact us to setup your account.
Posted on January 15, 2026January 15, 2026 by Dale Phillips Chalk-fitting Guitar Braces Chalk-fitting Guitar Braces by Stephen Marchione from his 2017 GAL Convention workshop Originally published in American Lutherie #140, 2020 First, have a plan. Know what you’re making. It seems like an obvious thing, but sometimes people start a guitar without a good idea of what the brace layout will be. When I design a new model, I’ll often get a piece of aluminum flashing and lay out a bracing template. If you’re building an historical model, you can transfer the blueprint to a template of aluminum or plexiglas. This gives you a clear idea of what your braces are supposed to be doing, and it lets you be sure that the braces end up where they were designed to go. Photo 1 is a closeup of one of my bracing templates. I use the little holes to make pencil marks on the soundboard. On a classical guitar, a lot of builders push the big harmonic bars down into the solera, or dished workboard. But that can cause distortion of the top. Even on a Spanish guitar, I take the time to chalk-fit the brace. That gives a better structure with less stress. I highly recommend it. Become A Member to Continue Reading This Article This article is part of the Articles Online featured on our website for Guild members. To view this and other web articles, join the Guild of American Luthiers. For details, visit the membership page. MEMBERS: login for access or contact us to setup your account.
