CUSTOM BUILT CLASSICAL GUITARS
Understanding the needs of the musician is the key to creating an instrument that responds to the most sensitive of touches and allows them to express themselves easily and to the best of their abilities.
But what are the decisions and challenges that this special ‘understanding’ will help the Luthier to address…….
- Physical attributes of the player. i.e. hand size and shape; physical size of the person; finger strength etc.
- Tonal qualities sought
- The environment in which it will be played
- The desire for responsiveness, loudness, sustain, projection
- Durability of the finish
- Tonal qualities sought
- Character and quality of the sound……bass/treble response and balance; dynamic range; colour and warmth; power
- Aesthetics and ornamentation……a work of beauty or a functional ‘tool of the trade’
- Value and price
- Willingness to depart from tradition and embrace contemporary solutions
- Player comfort
- Access to upper frets
- String tension and scale length
- String spacing, fingerboard width and fret sizes
- Action, set-up, playability and intonation
These are some of the issues that will need to be considered when custom building a classical guitar.
