Posted on August 7, 2026August 7, 2026 by Dale Phillips Reviews: Stauffer and Co. The Viennese Guitar of the 19th Century by Erik Pierre Hoffman,Pascal Mougin, and Stefan Hackl Reviews: Stauffer and Co. The Viennese Guitar of the 19th Century by Erik Pierre Hoffman, Pascal Mougin, and Stefan Hackl by Pierre Audinet Originally published in American Lutherie #112, 2012 Stauffer & Co. The Viennese Guitar of the 19th Century Erik Pierre Hofmann, Pascal Mougin, and Stefan Hackl ISBN 978-2-9538868-0-1 Hardcover, 320 pp., 2012 Available from Elderly Instruments, $295 This book is a remarkable journey in time, emphasizing those few decades of the 19th century in the city of Vienna which literally laid the foundations for many of the ways contemporary guitar builders, classical and steel string alike, approach guitar making. Like many others, I preordered the book before it was printed. I thought the authors deserved support for undertaking years of research on an under-documented topic, with limited expectations of return on their investment. Now that I read it, I’m glad my support helped to produce a book that is sure to remain an authoritative reference for years to come. 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 June 3, 2026June 4, 2026 by Dale Phillips Reviews: Making a Spanish Guitar by José L. Romanillos Reviews: Making a Spanish Guitar by José L. Romanillos by Pierre Audinet Originally published in American Lutherie #118, 2014 Making a Spanish Guitar José Luis Romanillos Edited by Marian Harris Winspear ISBN 13008619-001 RH Publications, 200 pp., 2013 www.romanillosguitarbooks.com, €70 (Euros) One of the much awaited for books on guitar making is now up for order! The book is disarmingly simple, and this may frustrate some, but it is in my view a must-have for any guitar maker with a genuine interest in classical nylon string guitars for two reasons. First, and this is probably what most readers seek, the book presents the technical specifications evolved by José Romanillos for the design of his instruments over the span of his career of fifty-plus years. But in a way, this is almost secondary to the other reason why this book is a must. This book is a testimony on the design of the Spanish guitar as a specific instrument standard within the broad family of nylon string guitars — for lack of a better word, since “nylon” appears a bit as an anachronism here! 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.
