Posted on April 23, 2025April 24, 2025 by Dale Phillips What is the Flamenco Guitar? What is the Flamenco Guitar? by Richard Bruné, Eugene Clark, and John Park, with moderator and organizer Jeffrey Elliott from their 2006 GAL Convention panel discussion Originally published in American Lutherie #97, 2009 Jeffrey Elliott: Our panelists are all esteemed flamenco guitar makers and accomplished flamenco players. I’ll begin by asking each of them to answer a single big question: What is the flamenco guitar? Richard Bruné: Here’s a little quiz. These pictures (below) show three guitars by Domingo Esteso, illuminated from the inside so we can see the bracing pattern. Would anybody venture a guess, according to conventional wisdom, which is the flamenco guitar? The one on the left is a 1932 with rosewood sides and back. In the middle is a 1936; it’s part of my collection. And the one on the right (also far right) is the flamenco guitar, La Maravilla, which was made for Ramón Montoya. It actually has very high action, almost like a classical guitar. 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 November 27, 2024December 19, 2024 by Dale Phillips Letter: Thanks to J.R. Beall Letters and more from our readers Originally published in American Lutherie #153, 2024 Hi Tim, I was delighted to see J.R.’s letter in AL#152. His seminal relation to the GAL is very overlooked by younger makers who weren’t around during those halcyon days of the early trajectory of GAL history. I can confirm J.R. is every bit […] This post is only available to members.
Posted on July 7, 2024July 9, 2024 by Dale Phillips Questions: Douglas Fir Stradivari Questions: Douglas Fir Stradivari by R.E. Bruné Originally published in American Lutherie #102, 2010 James Condino of Ashville, North Carolina asks: I used to have an article from a guitar magazine in the ’80s about one of the Stradivari guitars. The article claimed that the top was made of Douglas fir. How likely is that? R.E. Bruné of Evanston, Illinois answers: In reference to Stradivari using Douglas fir, this is a virtual impossibility. The wood is not native to Europe, and was not in commercial circulation in Europe in Stradivari’s day. Perhaps the confusion arises from the nomenclature of wood in which Americans tend to call most conifer soundboards of European origin “spruce” and the British use “pine” to refer to the same materials. In actuality, most are of the genus Abies or true fir, of which there are many varieties native to Europe such as Abies pectinata and Abies alba. (Google these and other species for more information.) Douglas fir is not a true fir, being of the genus Pseudotsuga. Picea is the Latin name for true spruces which are also used for instrument soundboards, of which there are also many varieties. All of these are difficult to positively identify once they are on a completed instrument, especially one that has aged for several centuries. ◆
Posted on July 1, 2024July 9, 2024 by Dale Phillips Questions: Instrument Plan #33 Questions: Instrument Plan #33 by R.E. Bruné Originally published in American Lutherie #101, 2010 Joe Franklin of Whitesburg, Tennessee asks: Regarding GAL Instrument Plan #33 (1937 Hauser by R.E. Bruné): Are the depth dimensions as annotated on the back view the inside or outside dimensions? Plan author R.E. Bruné of Evanston, Illinois answers: The side measurements given around the circumference of the instrument are the measurements I took of the total outside dimensions at those points, so one would have to subtract the specific top and back thicknesses at those points to arrive at the actual side dimensions prior to cutting the purfling/banding channels. For those making replicas, getting this correct within ±1MM would suffice in my opinion, but I know the favorite pastime of luthiers is splitting hairs and arguing over which is the bigger half. Actually, I suspect the original dimensions may have been slightly bigger by about .25MM to .5MM but have retracted due to shrinkage. There is nothing in the side assembly that would prevent the sides from shrinking from dryness, and they are just about crack-free because of this. It seemed to me that the instrument was originally built under fairly high humidity conditions, or at least part of it. The back has no arch left in it, probably because of shrinkage; this is also a question I have been frequently asked. I drew the instrument as is, where is, with no attempt to “correct” what I thought might have been the original state. I leave this to other scholars.
Posted on June 6, 2024January 16, 2025 by Dale Phillips Letter: Facts Regarding Juan Serrano Letter: Facts Regarding Juan Serrano by David Macias Originally published in American Lutherie #86, 2006 Hi Tim, I enjoyed the R.E. Bruné piece on Manuel Reyes, and Cordoba in general in American Luthierie #84. My reason for writing is that there is a bit of misinformation on Juan Serrano. Maestro Juan Serrano’s father, Antonio Serrano, was known as Antonio Del Lunar. El Habichuela was and is someone else. Also the falseta recording played on the town clock is a Solea, and not a Siguiriyas, as stated. I asked Juan a few days ago, just to have my facts straight. He assured me that I was right. Maestro Serrano and I have been close friends for some twenty-six years. He has told me many stories about his life, his family, and his career. I am also very proud to say that Maestro Serrano was my flamenco guitar teacher for many years, and prouder yet that he has been playing his concerts on guitars that I constructed for him. R.E. Bruné responds: I appreciate David Macias’ additional corrections and information in response to my article. The quote about El Habichuela being Juan Serrano’s father and the teacher of Manuel Reyes came directly from the interview of Manuel Reyes in Flamenco International Magazine (July–September 1998, p. 19), and at the time I read it, it didn’t ring true to me either, as I know the large Habichuela Gypsy clan to be from the Sacromonte of Granada, not Cordoba. However, as there have been several unrelated artists over the centuries using the “Habichuela” name, I figured the anonymous interviewer’s direct quote would trump my own vague memory. Wrong! Mr. Macias is quite correct. I remember first meeting Juan Serrano around 1966, and he did mention his father was known as Antonio del Lunar (Antonio, he of the mole). I should have remembered this, as he is not to be confused with Perico el del Lunar who played for many years at La Zambra in Madrid and was the accompanist on the first anthology of Cante Flamenco issued by Westminster records in 1955. Likewise, my memory of the Cordoba clock tower music dates to my first visit to Spain in 1967, nearly forty years ago, and obviously is not as precise as I would prefer. This is the reason why for many decades now I have been photographing and making notes of all the great instruments that pass through my hands, as I knew it was only a matter of time when my sharp memory and dull tools would begin to change place. Thanks also and best wishes to Maestro Serrano, who is without doubt one of the great flamenco figuras of the 20th century. ◆
