Guitars

What a variety of guitars and guitar type instruments exist today; steel strung, nylon strung, electric, hollow body electric, classical, and archtop.  Then there are the relatives such as lutes and  vihuelas.  Perhaps it is the variety which creates a variety of guitar music or perhaps the music has dictated the types of guitars.  Now, many people own guitars, many people play them, and very few play with great skill as it is a difficult instrument to play well. Pictured on the left are a variety of fretted instruments including a mandolin, ukelele, balilika, and guitar.

Classical style guitars have hollow or acoustic bodies and are strung with nylon and wire wound nylon strings.   The length of the strings is generally around 650 milimeters.  Sharon Isbin, an excellent guitarist, uses a length of 660 mm.  The top of the classical guitar may be either spruce or cedar.  Less expensive models may have tops made of veneer.   Earlier guitars generally had spruce tops.  Cedar is considered to produce a warmer tone and spruce has greater clarity.

One of the guitasr I own and play (modestly) is a classical style guitar built by Stephen Kakos in Minnesota.  It was created as a unique guitar or perhaps a break from boredom for the builder.  Instead of   rosewood back and sides this guitar uses walnut.  Instead of a mahogany neck this guitar has a hickory neck.  He started to build it as a guitar made just from domestic woods but he ran amuck with the fretboard and had to resort to ebony for it. The other is a guitar which I built. It was a very satisfying experience to build and then play the guitar. The guitar has been played by a few professionals and they have given me nice compliments. Interestingly, it is similar to have people say nice things about your children. Some of the qualities of the guitar arrive from the products used, some from the care in construction, and some from good fortune. The outcome becomes something that is loved and for which you hope the best.

Building a Classical Guitar

There was an on-line class offered by David Schramm and, as a fairly able woodworker, I had always considered building a guitar. This afforded an opportunity which was very exciting, challenging, interesting, a new way to learn, new learning, interesting and interested classmates and a long project. I see some small flaws here and there, I promise that one day I will correct them, and I enjoy playing it.

To see pictures of some of the construction and commentary about this project, go to Building the Guitar or click on the gargoyle.

Listed below are just a few of the many sites discussing classical guitar:

Fred Noad's Web Page:  Mr. Noad has put together some great anthologies of music

Just Classical Guitar Archive:  A collection of considerable information about classical guitars

The Classical Guitar Homepage:  Some midi files and information about classical guitar

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