Who's still in business and who is not. 2018

 

I recently visited Granada and in particular the Realejo district
where several guitar builders are situated. For example Rafael
Moreno Rodriguez who is 65 now and still is in business. And
together with him was Jose Lopez Bellido among others. He
stopped making guitars,  not really enthousiast about making them
anymore. I've asked how Juan Roman Padilla was doing. Well, they
said, it is really an old man now, stumbling behind a rollator. It
was a good thing from John Ray to add him to the still living luthiers.
Quite the opposite is Antonio Marin Montero who still is going
strong and still in business as he is still building guitars with Jose 

Marin Plazuelo. Allmost a miracle as he must be about 85 years
old now (he was born in 1933) Mr. Montero shares his workshop
with his son in law, Mr. Plazuelo. They both are concentrating 

on building guitars as the dust on the windows must have seen
the beginning and end of the second world war.

As John Ray's shop is quite close I paid him a visit as well. He
allways shares a lot of knowledge in his articles concerning what is
going on in Granada and in particular what interests him about all

kind of old school guitar builders besides of course the newer ones.
I showed him the odd modelled Juan Gomez Ramirez from 1917
I have in my posession.

At the end of 2018 the news came to us that Juan Roman Padilla has
passed away. Granada is a big city but the guitar builders alll know each
other and everyone will remember this modest luthier in his or her
own way....

The corner where Antonio Marin Montero is situated.

He was closed and you can try to have a look through the 

windows but it won't make you any wiser.... Gil de Avalle

is not far from there and he holds some interesting guitars

in his collection, including old Jose Ramirez instruments.

And of course the small shop from Casa Ferrer situated

at the Cuesta de Gomerez. I'm wondering how often they

have to hang another guitar outside the shop in 1 year...

On the corner with the Calle Animas Guitarreria Bitar

is situated. Good guitars allready for a reasonable price

built by hand through various workers. But the

the handbuilt ones built by the master luthier 

Ayman Bitar remains another story.

Chitara ( 2000 / 4000 years B.C.) Mesopotamie - Africa

A lot of Guitar related books start with a story about

the instrument and its' history. As a young guy, more 

interested in electric guitars I tend to overlook those

chapters but in fact they are interesting as well in the 

development of the guitar as it is to these days.

The "soundbox" consists of a turtle shell that has been

covered with what most likely was a goat skin. The neck

already was a "neck thru body" construction as it holds 

the 3 strings as well. In this case the strings are nylon

ones but in history they must have been made out of gut.

The strings can be tuned but weren't ment to be fingered

on a neck like this but acted as a drone.

And the tuning machine heads!

The carvings as have been done on this neck have a mere 

ornamental function and were probably different each time 

and in correspondance of a certain tribe that made them.

• The bridge construction consist of a simple wooden bow that
• has been been carved for the support of the three strings.
• 
  
• 

In the Forderer collection an identical example can be found 

on youtube however the "soundholes" made here are not present 

on that instrument. Probably a new invention later in time? 

As the Oud is a more well known predecessor of the guitar, 

I figured this simple instrument deserves a place here.