|
|
|
I have just finished reading a delicious little book by the great Spanish luthier, Jose Ramirez III entitled simply, "Things About the Guitar". The book is a collection of articles and essays he has written over the years which illuminate many varied aspects not only of the rich Ramirez family tradition of guitar building, but of the guitar in general. Though published in the early 1990's, many of the articles date from decades earlier. The articles deal with his thoughts and ideas on things such as: the variety of woods in use in the luthiers shop, the tradition of the artisan workshop as it relates to the guitar, the Ramirez family dynasty, the flamenco guitar, and how to choose a guitar. He also addresses various guitar related problems such as buzzing, humidity and dryness, frets and tuning, guitar string length, adjustment of the action, bars and struts, varnishes, and machine heads. I was fascinated to learn that the woods used for the backs and sides of a classical guitar have very little to do with the quality of the sound. Traditionally, luthiers have used Brazilian or Indian Rosewood. Ramirez says, "I am convinced that the influence that the woods that make up a guitar body (sides and back) have on the sonority thereof, is practically nil. In order to affirm this (in the event that my authority were not sufficient), I must refer to the experiment carried out by the legendary Antonio Torres to demonstrate that the sound of a guitar was almost totally based on the soundboard and its structure. To prove this, he built a guitar with a spruce belly and cardboard sides and back which played magnificently well." In "Things About the guitar", Ramirez includes anecdotes on his relationship with his most famous client, Andres Segovia. He begins by relating the story of the day in 1913 when a twenty year old Segovia struts into Manuel Ramirez' shop to rent a guitar and struts out later with his first Ramirez guitar, given to him by Manuel, (brother of Jose Ramirez I). He characterizes his relationship with Segovia by describing him as his "greatest teacher" and he further clarifies the relationship between Andres Segovia and the Ramirez family. Segovia was such a powerful force in bringing the classical guitar to its position of prominence in today's world of western classical music. Through his recordings (which date back as far as the 1920's and 30's), his tireless worldwide concert tours, and his teaching through private lessons and master classes, he brought the magic and charm of the classical guitar to the world and captured the imagination of many generations of music lovers. Segovia's influence on the classical guitar scene was felt throughout most of the 20th century and, through the work of his students and the students of his students, it continues to be a factor today. A central aspect of this influence has been the long standing, working relationship between Segovia and the Ramirez family dynasty of guitar builders. For those of you who have an interest in knowing more about the Ramirez mystique or have an interest in the kind of careful thought and attention to detail that goes into the design and construction of a concert classical guitar, or perhaps are looking for information on how to better care for your own instrument, this book will have a good deal to offer. My copy was loaned to me so I'm not sure how easy it would be to locate a copy. You might try ordering it through your local bookstore or perhaps Guitar Solo in San Francisco could steer you in the right direction. Here is the relevant information:
"Things About the Guitar"
by Jose Ramirez III Publisher: Soneto |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
