The label mentions the year 1862 but that was the year
this guitarreros won a gold medal at the Malaga exhibition.
However the adress and other features are pointing towards
an instrument made between 1862 - 1882. This instrument
has most likely been provided with a new soundboard and
the old fretwork caused fret slots that were too broad. The
further restaurations possibly could have been done by
Pablo Requena who lives in London and Amsterdam.
The back of this guitar has developed some inevitable
cracks during its' lifetime. But still beautiful woods
have been used for this guitar as can be seen here below.
A cedar neck but surprisingly no inner Spanish heel
Unmistakenly Brasilian rosewood but the
more darker variant and not the orangy one.
Wether if this is the original rosette we do not know for sure as
most likely the soundboard has been replaced during an extensive
restauration. The sides and back are typical late 19th century
Brasilian rosewood ones. A five piece fan bracing with two
closing ribs has been placed on the top. And this narrow
but tasteful rosette completes this instrument.
Brasilian rosewood, rather narrow bridge this luthier
provided his guitars with. Most likely original.
Still some repairs on sides and back have to be done but
absolutely worth the trouble.
This head seems to have been shortened a bit but in
fact was a close copy of the Antonio Lorca heads who was
his teacher for a while and Molina probably honoured Lorca
in this manner. A lot of Malaga based builders used this
typical headform that often were provided with peg tuners.
After visiting the Flamenco Museum in Malaga we were
able to compare this instrument with other Malaga made
guitars that were exposed there.
The label Eladio Molina only must have used after 1862.
This instrument has originally been provided with tuning
pegs as can be seen at the outer ends of the two sleeves.
The tuners on this instrument we have seen on a Juan
Estruch guitar from about 1920 so the tuners must be
quite old themselves.
Some beautiful pictures of the woods used. Extra ordinary
detail is that the outer heel and neck are made from one
(same) piece of wood. And probably the head shared this
process but the repair makes it difficult to conclude.
This guitar has a romantic and vibrant sound with lots
of colours in it. Still a delight to listen to and play!
Instruments from this luthier prove to be quite scarce!
Juan da Montagne
This is most likely ment as a flamenco guitar regarding the cypress
back and sides. Though for a flamenco guitar quite heavy, I'm always
triggered in how such a guitar sounds for the classical guitar pieces
of Spanish composers. It has to be repaired at first as the head is
showing a crack. This looks more severe to non-luthiers as even a
broken head can be fixed satisfactory. This guitar has been built
with a traditional 7 fan Torres bracing and no closing ribs.
Ebony fingerboard and bridge. The scale is 650 mm.
Nice pieces of figured cypress have been used for the back
and also a lot of attention was dedicated to the bindings.
Typical for a real flamenco model the soundbox is less deep
than compared to a classical model. Jan van den Heuvel
was able to buy his woods in Germany as the Egmond
(Alpha) company had good contacts there. Scale 65 cm.
On this picture you are able to see the bindings better and
also the "reinforcement" layer in the neck.
In fact derived from a Torres head as well. Juan da Montagne
(or in Dutch: Jan van den Heuvel) often visited Spain in order
to learn from the famous guitarreros there. In the head itself
the French lily has been engraved also known as the "Fleur de
Lis". The tuners are most likely from the German factory
KOLB. Anyway good working and hand engraved and
they work very well and smooth.
The tuners with, very strange, plastic knobs. But those knobs
made it possible to conclude these tuners to be from Kolbe. As
mostly is the case with cheap plastic buttons: They are showing
a seam. These knobs are an exception, so no seam here!
A very tasteful rosette and an ebony bridge are making
this guitar a very nice instrument. Another feature is the doomed
top what makes it possible to construct with a thinner top
Question remains wether if this instrument has been built for
the Egmond company for which van den Heuvel was an advisor
or in his own workshop in Geldrop (The Netherlands).
His son claims this to be from his fathers own workshop.
A close up from the rosette. Regarding the traditional 7 fan bracing of
the top chances are big that Jan van den Heuvel was closely involved
in the design of the Alpha classical guitars that had a serie of 6 models.
These guitars were a big success on the Dutch market but being too
expensive to produce in a workshop with disabled people the selling
price had to be lower than costs for producing these guitars and that
ment the end for the Alpha guitars and the former Egmond company.
The label says: Juan Reinier da Montagne: Modelo 23F.
Besides that the addition of a number: 701125 and most
likely a signature can be studied in the lower right corner
by clicking on this picture. The first two digits could mean
the year of production: 1970 but I'm not sure yet. All
these features have been added to the label in ink so it
could be as well that this was the 23th instrument van
den Heuvel has produced already moved from Australia
to the Netherlands back again with wife and kids.
The prefix "F" mos likely stands for "Flamenco".
Jan van den Heuvel died 15 years ago (around 2000)
The damage to the headstock has been repaired here and
in order to make things like new I've refinished the whole
neck. The outer ends of the frets were treated with a file
that damaged the fretboard. Things are now the way they
should be again. This guitar produces a very even sound
thorough the different frequency registers. Maybe not
the absolute top for which it misses a bit of character but
very well and neatly built and now again ready to serve
a player for probably a lifetime! This example definitely
is better suited for classical music as the sustain resembles
that of a classical guitar and the higher notes are sounding
very "rounded". And not the attack and immediate response
a genuine flamenco model mostly produces.
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