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For anyone who hasn't seen it, Gourmet Guitars has a video of Wulfin Lieske playing La Leona. The first guitar I know of to have a tornavoz and a guitar Torres never offered for sale.



La Leona

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Instagram: @jfrenchluthier
Web: https://www.jfrenchguitars.com/

Thanks for posting that Joshua, a lovely instument and so early in his career, but already the major elements are there. Interesting to me of course because it uses a lute type bridge with no saddle.

And, it's in your favourite wood, cypress.

It's good to read about the great guitars and to see pictures of them but much better to actually hear them played, gives you something to aim at.

Definitely a hint of Issa there, don't you think?

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Great link Joshua, Thanks!

John

Colin - yeah, don't I wish!!

I was thinking that there must be a more effective way to make a similar bridge with 3 holes per string, so one doesn't need to tie a knot in the string. But even still... adjusting the action means pulling the frets and planing the fingerboard down.

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Instagram: @jfrenchluthier
Web: https://www.jfrenchguitars.com/

[QUOTE=jfrench] Colin - yeah, don't I wish!!

I was thinking that there must be a more effective way to make a similar bridge with 3 holes per string, so one doesn't need to tie a knot in the string. But even still... adjusting the action means pulling the frets and planing the fingerboard down.

[/QUOTE]

Yes, getting the action right is the hard thing with a saddleless bridge. But adjusting the intonation is a breeze, you just slide the knot of the string back and forward to where you want it. But I have found that making saddleless bridges is really a matter of knowing the geometry of the instrument and measuring VERY carefully. On initial setup it would be sensible to finish, glue the bridge on, make the nut and string it up with out frets, plane the fingerboard to get the action then fret.

If you had three holes per string it would make adjusting the intonation difficult.

Still I expect Torres knew all about it!

Colin

_________________
I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Very interesting! It's difficult to be sure with computer speakers, but the wound strings seem to have a wonderfully rich, clear and even sound over the whole fretboard. Good sustain, too. Do you think it's the result of the tornavoz, or other Torres magic? The treble strings seem to loose out a bit in richness and volume, but that continues to be a nylon string problem even today. Hearing this guitar makes me wonder why rosewood became the default wood for concert instruments. Just goes to show, it's the builder, not the wood that makes the difference.

BTW, what can you tell me about La Leona?

[QUOTE=CarltonM] Very interesting! It's difficult to be sure with computer speakers, but the wound strings seem to have a wonderfully rich, clear and even sound over the whole fretboard. Good sustain, too. Do you think it's the result of the tornavoz, or other Torres magic? The treble strings seem to loose out a bit in richness and volume, but that continues to be a nylon string problem even today. Hearing this guitar makes me wonder why rosewood became the default wood for concert instruments. Just goes to show, it's the builder, not the wood that makes the difference.

BTW, what can you tell me about La Leona?[/QUOTE]

Carlton, to me the guitar really shines in the mids and trebles. There is a hollow throaty quality that gives them a mysterious tone. If you notice later on in the piece the trebles become very bright and loud - he's covering quite a bit of the tonal palatte there, and intentionally manipulating their volume and timber.

Give it a few listens and give some thought to the volume and responsiveness of the slurs on the treble strings. When someone sends me an mp3 or I watch a video like this, I listen with headphones and its very helpful.

Jose Romanillos devoted an entire chapter in his Torres biography to La Leona.

You're right that its the maker and not the wood - but the combination of Cypress with a Tornavoz is my all time favorite.

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Instagram: @jfrenchluthier
Web: https://www.jfrenchguitars.com/

Thanks, Joshua. Yeah, it must be the crummy speakers here. I'd love to get the Romanillos book, but I just can't afford it.

Do you know if anyone has done a commercial recording with "La Leona"? Someone should.

Carlton you, and every other luthier should get the Romanillos book, Joshua made me get it and I haven't regretted it once. In fact I had to buy a second copy to keep in my office at work! It is available in paperback for about ?38, less than the price of a tank of petrol, and will last much longer!

La Leona (FE04) was made in 1856 it has a non-bookmatched 2-piece top, back and sides are cypress with the back in three pieces. UB 263mm, waist 229mm, LB 343mm, BL 464mm, with a 649mm scale. It is fitted with a tornavoz. The bridge is lute type with no saddle. Originally fitted with pegs it has had machine heads added.

Put the Romanillos book on you Christmas list! That goes for all of you.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Finally got it to play on my computer. So that's the "Spanish" sound, very nice. The lower notes have a distinct sound that I don't know how to describe, but I like the sound.