orfeo 12
N°
m a g a z i n e Belgium Special
The lutherie school of Puurs Leonardo project Walter Verreydt Karel Dedain Mark Peirelinck Le Mans University Acoustics Laboratory
N° 12 - Autumn 2018 English edition
New releases! 3 books devoted to the classical guitar Click on the image to order your copy
34 Classical Guitars in Life Size 34 exceptional classical guitars built by the greatest luthiers, from Antonio de Torres to Daniel Friederich, printed in life size (French/English).
A unique book ! Book size : 44 x 28 x 5 cm (colour). Fold-out page size : 102 cm x 42 cm. Price : 190 €
“Orfeo 1-5”
“Orfeo 6-10”
Orfeo Magazine, compilation. Issues 1 to 5 352 colour pages Size: 24 x 30 cm Price: € 90
Founder and Publisher: Alberto Martinez Art Director: Hervé Ollitraut-Bernard Publishing assistant: Clémentine Jouffroy French-English translation: Meegan Davis French-Spanish translation: Maria Smith-Parmegiani Site internet: www.orfeomagazine.fr Contact: orfeo@orfeomagazine.fr
Orfeo Magazine, compilation. Issues 6 to 10 352 colour pages Size: 24 x 30 cm Price: € 90
o
orfeo From the Editor
12
N°
m a g a z i n e Unlike Spain, Italy, Germany or France, Belgium does not have a tradition of guitar lutherie. Interest in the classical guitar only truly began some thirty years ago in the School for Musical Instrument Building (CMB: Centrum voor Muziekinstrumenten Bouw) in Puurs. The two big names from that time are Mark Peirelinck and Walter Verreydt. It was these two luthiers who studied and collated information regarding the techniques, woods and equipment needed for crafting classical guitars. Karel Dedain, a pupil under Walter Verreydt, in turn became a luthier and teacher, completing the trio that we have interviewed for this issue dedicated to guitar making in Belgium. There is a spirit of openness and environmental awareness that permeates the CMB, kindling its interest in helping resolve the tropical wood supply conundrum, in the form of the Leonardo project: building guitars out of non tropical woods. Enjoy. Alberto Martinez
The lutherie center of P
Students and teachers work in the glow of Segovia’s 1937 Hauser guitar.
Puurs The CMB (Centre for Musical Instrument Building), founded in 1978, is a professional training and documentation centre for trades related to lutherie. It is located in the Flemish municipality of Puurs (Belgium), between Brussels and Antwerp. The quality of its courses is undoubtedly among the highest in Europe.
The CMB in Puurs is housed in a former police building.
The CMB has a specialised library of construction plans.
Classes are held six days a week, in the various sections: classical guitar, acoustic guitar, lute, violin, viol, historical keyboard instruments and restoration techniques. The teaching follows a hands-on approach: all instruments are built from start to finish entirely by hand, with great emphasis placed on the quality of the woods, the bonding techniques, playability and finishing. The guitars of the old master luthiers are held in high regard by the centre’s teaching staff, who have made detailed construction plans of some such instruments. By the end of their training, therefore, students generally come away having already built two or three replicas of vintage guitars. The most copied models are those of Torres, García and Bouchet The CMB has a specialised library and construction plan library, a professional tool store and a substantial stockpile of tonewood. A word from the director Who better than the school’s director, Martina Gozzini, to describe the institution: “It’s a school with a unique atmosphere. People of all ages, backgrounds and walks of life work together in a spirit of cooperation, openness and curiosity. Absolute beginners
and confident students all work on their respective instruments side by side. This diversity intrigues me, as does the transmission of knowledge, made possible through direct experience, via observation and touch. It awakens a sensitivity that is difficult to put into words. The construction of an instrument is an extraordinary voyage, complex and mysterious, with its share of frustration as well as moments of great satisfaction. It entails learning the value of time, of precision, of beauty, of listening to the materials we work with and the search for excellence that restores us to a state of perfect harmony. And what’s more, it never escapes anyone’s notice, from the moment they enter the workshops, how truly delightful the scent of wood really is…” Environmental conscience In 2011, the CMB embarked on the Leonardo project, subsidised by the European Union, which explores the possibilities for using non-tropical woods in the construction of acoustic and classical guitars.
Martina Gozzini, Head of the CMB.
The classical guitar workshop. The lute workshop.
Central American tropical rainforest.
Leonardo Guitar Research Project The Leonardo Guitar Research project, launched in 2011 and subsidised by the European Union, explores the possibilities for using non-tropical woods in the construction of acoustic and classical guitars. Ultimately, this project aims to encourage the use of more sustainable and environmentally friendly raw materials.
“The programme involves building identical guitars using tropical and non-tropical woods so as to compare the sound.”
After seven years of testing, the results are surprising: the “blind” tests prove that non-tropical woods can offer equivalent acoustic qualities to those of their tropical counterparts; the “non-blind” tests reveal that the dark colour of exotic woods (rosewoods, ebony, mahogany) strongly influence participant judgement. Economic situation Many tropical woods are protected nowadays and trading in these woods is restricted under CITES. For luthiers, this means that the woods traditionally used for guitar-making are becoming rarer and more expensive. A shift to local and sustainable tonewood supplies could greatly
Cherry
Walnut
Walnut
“This work was undertaken by an international team comprising three european schools of lutherie : CMB, Newark College and Ikata.” benefit the environment by reducing demand for tropical woods and shortening transport requirements. The need to explore alternatives The Leonardo programme involves building guitars of tropical and non-tropical woods and then assessing their acoustic qualities using a series of comparative tests. This work was undertaken by an international team comprising three schools of lutherie: CMB (Belgium), Newark College (UK) and Ikata (Finland). “Blind” and “non-blind” tests The findings from the tests,
Laburnum
Maple
Plane
“When the guitars being played were visible, the dark colours of the tropical woods greatly influenced the voters’ assessment.” conducted as of 2014: the scores indicating preference during the “blind” tests were around 50%, showing that both categories were equally appreciated. The sound quality of the Leonardo project guitars, made with non-tropical woods, received just as many votes as those made of tropical woods. When the guitars being played were visible, however, the dark colours of the tropical woods greatly influenced the voters’ assessment of the sound quality, and this bias meant that preference for tropical wood guitars rose to 70%, while votes for nontropical wood guitars dropped to 30%.
Robinia
Cypress
Oak
As of January 2017, all rosewoods are listed in Appendix II of CITES
CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in the wild animals and plants listed in its Appendices does
not threaten their survival. As of January 2017, all species of the rosewood family (Dalbergia) are included in CITES Appendix II. This means that a permit is necessary to export or import instruments made of these woods.
The guitar model chosen for the Leonardo project took its inspiration from Robert Bouchet.
Pearwood
Acoustics Laboratory, Le
A “PAFI box” sits next to a “viola caipira” (popular Brazilian double-strung guitar).
Mans University We spoke with François Gautier, a lecturer at France’s LAUM acoustics research centre (Laboratoire d’Acoustique de l’Université du Mans), so as to better understand how a guitar works and gain a scientific perspective on the Leonardo project’s hypotheses.
Images indicating different vibratory modes.
“If we know the vibratory speed in a given zone and the load required to generate it, we can then determine its vibratory capacity.”
Can you tell us what it is that the laboratory is studying? François Gautier – We are trying to grasp the physics of the guitar. To understand its ability to vibrate under stress, to come up with a “map” of the instrument’s vibrations and identify any areas displaying abnormally high or low mobility. From there, it is up to the luthier to work with that mobility: adding or removing mass in specific places, making the bracing more rigid or less stiff, etc. It is very challenging, since a modification to any one element will have knock-on effects elsewhere. This is why we perform digital simulations; they can predict in a virtual manner the repercussions of making tweaks here or there. How do you measure these vibrations? F. G. – We measure the vibratory response at
Frédéric Ablitzer conducting a test on a guitar by French luthier Jean-Marie Fouilleul.
different points on the instrument. To do this, we “knock” on it with a small hammer, fitted with a load sensor, on the saddle, which is the starting point for vibrations in the instrument. This “knock” is measured by a laser vibrometer. If we know the vibratory speed in a given zone and the load required to generate it, we can then determine its vibratory capacity. If the soundboard’s mobility is high, it means that the string will quite easily set it in motion and that the sound it produces will be powerful but short-lived. If, at the same frequency, the soundboard’s mobility is lower, the string-to-soundboard energy transfer will not be so easy and the sound will be fainter but longer. To give you an example, the former scenario would describe a rather more percussive guitar, suited to more rhythmic playing, such as flamenco.
Can you also detect anomalies in the mechanics of the guitar? F. G. – Yes, our measurements can also be used to identify certain problems; for example, “wolf notes,” which occur when a certain frequency in the string causes vibrations in a highly mobile part of the soundboard, which then immediately absorbs the string’s energy and stifles the sound. What differences do you hear in guitars? F. G. – Each note bears the “signature” of the guitar; this is what enables us to hear differences between guitars. Each guitar has a volume of air on the inside and a ‘plug’ of air at the sound hole. If we blow air or sing a note in front of the sound hole we will cause that ‘plug’ of air to move, which will always resonate at around 100 Hz. and which is known as the first mode or the Helmholtz mode.
“It is the string that essentially produces the sound; the guitar’s body is there to amplify the sound.”
Which element would you say is crucial in the guitar’s mechanics? F. G. – The string. It is the string that essentially produces the sound; the guitar’s body is there to amplify the sound. The sound as we perceive it is the sum total of the string and the guitar body. The sound of the body depends on each guitar; the minute you alter its shape, its volume, or any other factor, you are actually changing its vibratory mode. When we make our measurements we damp the strings with felt so as to eliminate their activity, to effectively silence the guitar. Since guitar makers don’t produce strings, we are aiming to help them comprehend everything other than the strings. If the body’s role is so minor, does this mean that different varieties of wood – thinking of the Leonardo project here – are interchangeable? F. G. – What Antonio de Torres meant when he said that the soundboard was the guitar body’s most important part was that everything else is marginal. In the Leonardo experiments, different woods are used for the back, the sides, the saddle and the fingerboard. Apart from the saddle, none of the other elements have a significant acoustic function. Our measurements show few differences between the mobility of tropical-wood and nontropical guitars built by the same luthier. It’s true that there is a difference, but only a very small one. The real differences stem from the way in which it is put together, the care taken in the
gluing processes, controlling humidity, eliminating any free play between parts; the kinds of things that a luthier learns to perfect over time. But... when we listen, we use more than just our ears: we tend to perceive the instrument as a whole! What help can you offer to luthiers? F. G. – We wanted to come up with an accurate, apposite tool that would be user-friendly enough for luthiers to use and so we created the “PAFI box.”* It includes a signal acquisition device and sensors (microphone and accelerometer) for measuring vibration and sound. Benefits for luthiers: they can keep a record of their guitars’ acoustic characteristics. If they subsequently want to reproduce a particularly satisfying guitar, they will have a benchmark from which to work. Alternatively, they may wish to make a modal replica, something that occurs widely among violin makers: the idea is to copy the sound of the great Italian violins and not merely their dimensions and appearance. This tool cannot tell the luthier how to craft the instrument. It isn’t going to provide the solution in terms of precise actions to take, but it can guide the luthier’s approach. When you have a blood test and it shows that your cholesterol is high, the test result isn’t going to tell you what to do; it’s up to the doctor to interpret that information! * PAFI is an acronym in French for Plateforme d’Aide à la Facture Instrumentale (Instrument-making Aid Platform).
A laser vibrometer gauges the “knock” on the guitar’s saddle.
Crelicam Project: producing
Cameroon is a major exporter of ebony.
Ever since the introduction of the new CITES regulations, the guitar world has been looking for alternatives. Interview with Vidal de Teresa, Director of Madinter (Spain).
Laboratory for cloning.
Using local woods? Chemically darkening the wood? Hardening it using mechanical processes? Or opting for tropical woods, but in a responsible manner? It was this fourth solution that was adopted by Madinter, a Spanish firm established in 1985, specialising in the sale of tonewoods and accessories for making guitars. Is it better to use local woods or to replant responsibly? Vidal de Teresa – Both are good solutions. Leonardo seems like a fine idea to me. As does our own solution, which is to sell only certified tropical woods from responsible sources. It is perfectly sensible to verify the harvest and trade of rosewoods and ebony; what seems less sensible with CITES is to control not only the wood, but also the finished instrument. It should be sufficient to regulate the wood im-
ebony responsibly
Ebony nursery.
porters; there is no need to go and doublecheck the instrument once it is built. That is causing needless complications for luthiers. What is the Crelicam project? V. T. – In 2011, Madinter bought Crelicam, an ebony producer in Cameroon, in association with the Californian company, Taylor Guitars. African ebony (Diospyros crassiflora) is widely used in guitar fretboards, violins, piano keys and other instruments. Our pooled experience in the trade of tonewood meant that we could produce Cameroonian ebony in a way that was legal and socially responsible. Is the aim to replant ebony? V. T. – Yes, the idea is to satisfy current demand without compromising the needs of future generations, as has been done by instrument bowmakers for Pernambuco wood (IPCI).
At Crelicam, our replanting methods are designed to help regenerate the ebony forests where we work. We have also created an ebony nursery so as to replant swathes of forest. We try to identify the trees yielding high quality wood and we have learned how to clone and grow them. From there, you have to wait about sixty years before the wood can be harvested. Would it not be better to try to reduce transport footprints and CO2 emissions? V. T. – The music industry constitutes only a minute proportion of global trade in tropical wood and is being penalised because of the major players who sell it for other purposes. It makes no sense to allow the sale of bottled water from the Alps in Shanghai or the manufacture of aluminium coffee capsules while halting trade in wood, the only commodity that stores CO2 instead of contributing to emissions!
Walter finishes gluing the back of the guitar by applying heat.
Walter Verreydt Walter Verreydt was trained as a cabinetmaker and wood sculptor before discovering lutherie. An indefatigable researcher, he has been experimenting throughout his thirty years of guitar making so as to better understand the mechanics of the instrument. It is thanks to him that there has been a renaissance of guitar lutherie in Belgium.
“In Belgium we didn’t really have a guitar lutherie tradition.”
Walter likes varying his rosette designs. Below: a guitar inspired by a 1917 García.
Is there a guitar making tradition in Belgium? Walter Verreydt – In Belgium we didn’t really have a guitar lutherie tradition before the 1960s. We have long had harpsichord makers and very good luthiers producing violins, but not really any guitar luthiers; only a few amateurs. It was Segovia, Bream and Presti who sparked interest in the classical guitar and it was not until 1965 that the Royal Conservatory of Brussels started teaching it. The CMB opened its doors in 1978 but the level wasn’t so great back then. I enrolled to learn guitar lutherie in September 1985 and by Christmas my teacher announced that he had taught me everything that he knew about building guitars! Luckily, I was already qualified in carpentry, cabinetmaking and wood sculpture, which proved a most helpful base from which I continued as a – practically self-taught – guitar maker. I played a bit of guitar at the time and from the moment I started lutherie I knew that I had found my true vocation. In 1988 I became a teacher at the CMB, along with other young luthiers who were specialised in archtop acoustic guitars, lutes and viols. At the same time there was a new generation of guitarists in Belgium – triggering demand for high-end instruments – and they started to play on my guitars. It is always the guitarist-luthier tandem that moves things forward. I was also lucky enough to meet Wim Brioen, a good Belgian guitarist who used to play with
This year’s experiment: four otherwise identical guitars but for the convexity of their tops.
“A Bouchet guitar left its mark on me and has
Walter putting the back on a maple Rondine model.
been my benchmark.”
The Rondine model, with its soundboard of spruce and lattice bracing.
a Robert Bouchet guitar; it was one of the last ones, in Brazilian rosewood and sporting the Bouchet bar. I was thoroughly impressed by it and I was able to study it at length in my workshop. That guitar really left its mark on me and has been my benchmark ever since. I also like Enrique García’s guitars and I have made several replicas of them. And how did you arrive at your lattice bracing? W. V. – In my time as a luthier, I have examined many guitars. Every year, in parallel to my own models, I experiment. That is how I made copies of guitars by García, Lacote, Arias and Torres. Every year I take the time to make something that differs from my usual model. I am currently working on four guitars that are identical except for the curvature of the soundboards, which have varying degrees of arch to them. But to come back the lattice construction… Obviously guitars like the Small-
man and their ilk share something that traditional guitars lack: they’re powerful, rapid and direct. They have a punch to them that you don’t always find in other guitars but the sound is less colourful; it’s always the same. I have attempted to gain better control over the at-times-excessive punchiness and the lattice-induced colourlessness by making the top thicker, with no carbon or nomex and no
balsa in the bracing. It’s a very traditional form of construction, in cedar or spruce, using hot glue. The result is a guitar with some features, such as power, that you would expect from a “lattice”, but which sounds like a Walter Verreydt. And the Rondine model? W. V. – My guitars are continuously evolving but
Replica of an 1884 Torres.
Specific tools for working on the bridge and its ornamentation.
with the Rondine (created with Martina Gozzini) we were aiming for a stable model. We wanted to come up with something different within an immediately identifiable style, both aesthetically and in terms of sound. A modern, almost minimalist guitar, sleek, elegant, well-functioning and which is versatile, pleasant and easy to play. Like for many luthiers, the time came when I wanted to make a special model, one which brings together various ideas, accumulated with experience. The idea is to use European spruce and light, non-tropical woods. What do you focus on in your teaching at CMB? W. V. – Every single detail in the construction of a guitar is important, but I really do emphasise how critical it is to work the wood by hand, without the aid of machines. A machined soundboard cannot hold a candle to one that has been planed by hand. Working manually offers incomparable grace and results. I use wooden planes; they slide better and the finish
is even more beautiful. I teach guitar making at CMB but one thing I cannot pass on to the students is my sound; the sound is the culmination of each luthier’s work. There is a unique sound to every luthier and to each guitarist as well. That’s the way it should be; a good guitar ought to reflect the luthier’s personality. Why the paper guitar? W. V. – That was when we were working on the Leonardo project. We initially made about ten guitars using European woods (mine was of robinia wood), all modelled on the Torres FE19. Then we came under fire because our chosen model was rather small in stature and therefore difficult to compare to a contemporary guitar. So we then made a second series of guitars, this time using the dimensions of a Robert Bouchet model but with traditional bracing. Each student was to make two identical guitars with a spruce top: one using tropical Rondine guitars are made by Walter Verreydt and Martina Gozzini.
The Rondine model, a sleek, modern guitar, made of non-tropical woods.
The back and sides comprise 40 layers of newspaper.
“So I decided to make a paper guitar, to push the experiment to its logical extreme and illustrate the importance of the soundboard.” woods (mahogany, rosewood, etc.) and the other with European woods. The results from the blind tests were always constant, both among the listeners and the guitarists: 50% - 50% preferences when not viewing the guitar and 70% - 30% when participants could view the instrument. So I decided to make a paper guitar, to push the experiment to its logical extreme and illustrate the importance of the soundboard, showing that we can use substitute woods without significantly altering the sound. I wasn’t aiming to copy Torres’ papier mâché guitar, which I had never seen. I glued 40 sheets of newspaper (+- 0.05 mm thick each) using a polyurethane glue spread out very thinly with a roller, to obtain a final thickness of 2 mm. The motifs on the outside were typically Belgian
The Walter Verreydt model with soundboard of red cedar and lattice bracing.
Walter’s work in all its perfection
He crafts about 10 guitars per year and has more than 250 under his belt in total.
(Tintin!). The rest was put together like a normal, hot-glued guitar. What was your conclusion? W. V. – Using non-tropical woods is a good solution but it is important to bear in mind that the tests were conducted using specific conditions. Only time will tell how these guitars hold up, how they behave in different settings, how well they travel and how they age. It’s one thing to testdrive a car for ten minutes, and quite another to drive it year in, year out; our opinion of the vehicle may change over time... There are also some nuances that are hard to measure: what appeals to us in Brazilian rosewood or in cypress is quite unique... these are woods with plenty of character. Of all the woods that we have tried, I tend to prefer robinier (false acacia); it’s very similar to rosewood, stunning to look at and just as workable, too.
Head of Brazilian rosewood and Scheller tuners.
The exquisitely crafted rosette, in which the white strips measure a mere 0.15 mm!
The guildhalls of Antwerp’s Grote Markt.
Karel Dedain It was his love of flamenco that led him to build guitars and it was Walter Verreydt who trained him and showed him the great master luthiers. Since 2006 he has been in Ghent, and he teaches at the CMB in Puurs.
The topmost of these templates is for an 1889 Arias.
Karel often varies his rosette models.
“At the age of twenty, since I had been playing flamenco for quite some time, I got the idea of building my own guitar.” How did you come to lutherie? Karel Dedain – I have always enjoyed working with my hands. I started studying graphic art but, at the age of twenty, since I had been playing flamenco for quite some time, I got the idea of building my own guitar and I enrolled at the CMB in Puurs. My first effort was a copy of a friend’s Santos Hernández. I learned practically everything I know in Walter Verreydt’s classes at the CMB. I have been an independent luthier since 2006, turning out seven or eight guitars per year and I also teach twice a week at the CMB alongside Walter. What sound do you like? K. D. – I am still looking. I don’t have a particular sound in my head and I don’t intend to invent
anything new. I have been looking for a sound in contemporary guitars for about fifteen years now, but without success. In Belgium we don’t have a tradition of guitar making so we tend to look to the grand old guitars of Europe’s yesteryear. I have made replicas of Torres, Arias, García, Santos, Esteso and Hauser. As far as I am concerned, the sound of the guitar was invented over a hundred years ago and that is the sound that I like best. My preference would be for guitars with character and deep basses. I like guitars that vibrate throughout, even though I know that some energy is lost that way; guitars which play with the guitarist, Guitar built for the Leonardo project with neck of ash and body of boxwood.
Replica of a Vicente Arias made of cypress.
“When making copies, what I am really seeking, over and above the construction and the sound, is the intuition guiding the person who created them. For that to happen, it is absolutely vital to get hold of the original.� Here, a copy of an Esteso.
“The sound of the guitar was invented over a hundred years ago.”
which invite us to play things that we didn’t think we could play. How many models do you make? K. D. – I don’t have one specific model. That’s just not in my nature; I like change. Out of the eight guitars that I make in any given year, four or five will be different models. I realise that this might not be the best commercial strategy, but that’s just how I am. If I get the urge to make an Arias, I go ahead and make it, with or without an order for one. Recently I felt like building some Esteso guitars and so I made two: they sound great and I found buyers immediately. So far this year I have already made two Estesos, a little Arias and two lattice guitars. They may all sound different but each one bears something of me in it. A guitar isn’t just the sum of its wood and assembly; it always carries something of the luthier with it. Replica of a 1923 Esteso, with body of Madagascar rosewood (Dalbergia baronii).
And your lattice guitars? K. D. – There is a demand for these guitars and I must have built ten or so. Currently guitarists are keen on lattice: It’s reassuring; they prefer an instrument with a big sound. I’ve made them with
“Currently guitarists are keen on lattice: it’s reassuring.” bracing of balsa and carbon or with just red cedar. At the moment, I’m bracing them with Spanish cedar (Cedrela odorata); I have great faith in the stability of this wood. But the tops are always spruce and not too thin; I maintain the same thicknesses as for traditional guitars. What are your favourite woods? K. D. – I prefer spruce for the soundboard but there is a wide range of choice for the back and sides: acacia, walnut, cherry, maple, cypress... Woods from fruit trees generally do a fine job. Obviously, they have to be worked to different thicknesses than rosewood. Are your flamenco guitars very different to your classical ones? K. D. – The flamenco guitar is more percussive. The fingerboard is thiner, which makes for a lighter instrument; the bridge sits less proud and the string action is lower; but other than that, it isn’t very different from a classical. Above all, I try to build as lightly as possible. The woods are also different, but the greatest difference really is in the way that it is played: the way the strings are struck, the right hand position. The flamenco guitar is one of my great passions and constitutes about half of the orders I receive. When you’re passionate about something you keep striving for more. After fifteen years or so as a luthier, I can say that I’m familiar with my craft and that I’m just starting to understand this mysterious instrument. But I am quite sure that I’ll still be saying the exact same thing twenty years from now!
Karel’s lattice model with a red cedar top and body of cocobolo (Dalbergia retusa).
View of the city of Ghent from Saint Michael’s Bridge.
Mark Peirelinck, guitars and horses
He trained in London, has taken courses with JosĂŠ Romanillos and taught classical and acoustic guitar making at the CMB in Puurs. Interview with a luthier who is passionate about music and horses.
“I have enough tonewood set aside to make another two hundred guitars at least.”
“I prefer having the entire body participate and having everything contribute to the warmth and character of the sound.”
Tell us how you learned your craft. Mark Peirelinck – I studied lutherie at the London College of Furniture in the Modern Fretted Instruments section (1984-1985) and then took up work in an instrument repair workshop, while making a few guitars on the side. In 1988 I attended a workshop run by Romanillos in Aalst, in Belgium, and that’s where I discovered José’s work as well as that of the other luthiers taking part in the course. I realised that I still had a lot to learn. I subsequently took three other courses under Romanillos (1989-19921993). It was fantastic; spending ten days completely immersed in guitar construction, discussing all manner of details from dawn to dusk and sharing our working methods. And the level was marvellously high; there were young luthiers like Tobias Braun, Edmond Blöchinger and Gerhard Oldiges, among others, who went on to become
“I always aim to build as light as possible.”
renowned guitar makers. I learned ever so much from those courses... After that, from 2000 to 2010, I was a classical and acoustic guitar lutherie teacher at the CMB in Puurs. What type of guitar do you build these days? M. P. – I like it when the whole soundboard moves. Not just a little bit here and a little bit there: no, the whole top! Some luthiers believe that a guitar needs a really solid back and sides so as to avoid losing energy; personally, I prefer having the entire body participate and having everything contribute to the warmth and character of the sound. I love vibrant guitars, ones that resonate against your body. I find that my guitars have sufficient volume; I’m not out to build guitars that boom like drums – it’s just not necessary. In good
concert halls, guitarists don’t need anything extra; and if they’re playing with an orchestra, they can always be amplified. For me, the guitar is an instrument best suited to chamber music. I’m focussed more on seeking a sound that’s longer, with more colours... A few years back, at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, they held a series of concerts in honour of Segovia and the guitars were played just the way Segovia used to play – it was superb. We tend to forget that sound; it’s totally unlike the sounds coming out of today’s competitions... There are few teachers today focussing on the beauty of sound, the way that Roberto Aussel does in Cologne, for example. I also used to make jazz, archtop-styled guitars for a while. I really like these guitars; they’re magnificent. I must have built a dozen or so, but nowadays I only make classicals.
Two noteworthy details in his construction: the way that the sides meet at the heel and tail block.
“I like a stiff, sturdy and light spruce.”
One of his guitars from 2004 that has come back for servicing.
“My models take their inspiration from the guitars of Torres and Santos Hernández.” With what bracing? M. P. – My bracing is quite traditional, styled on Torres, in a seven-strut fan with two small transverse bars underneath. I’ve experimented with various bracing patterns: seven-strut fan, unadorned five-strut fan, five-strut with a “Bouchet bar”... My models take their inspiration from the guitars of Torres and Santos Hernández; I don’t like oversized guitars. Over the last four years the overall size is getting closer to that of Torres. Obviously I tweak things to enhance the sound from time to time – albeit only ever one element at a time – but always retaining what I consider important... Any other details? M. P. – The neck angle is quite deep and the soundboard, which I deem the most important el-
ement of all, is domed. I prefer to spread the strings’ energy across the entire surface of the top, adjusting the thicknesses until I feel the right balance. I sometimes take measurements and make notes, but they can’t tell me anything that my fingers don’t already know. I see the bridge as part of the bracing and my preference is for a twelve-hole bridge so that all the strings are set at precisely the same height. The strings rest on a straight-cut saddle, all at a uniform height, and I work the fretboard in such a way as to leave more space under the bass strings. I feel that this offers greater balance to the sound. The tail block isn’t in contact with The signature shape of his guitars’ headstock. Tuners by Alessi.
A beautiful maple guitar that has just been finished.
“I see the bridge as part of the bracing and my preference is for a twelve-hole bridge so that all the strings are set at precisely the same height.”
“My goal is to build a guitar with balanced volume and with a sound that the musician can modulate.”
the top or the back; its only role is to strengthen the joint where the ribs meet. This means that my linings can be fitted all around, uninterrupted, which gives me the impression that the top and back are freer. Moreover, the guitar is lighter and better balanced overall. I always aim to build as light as possible but that is not as straightforward as it might seem: for example some guitarists these days use guitar supports which stick onto the ribs with a suction cup, which can break the ribs if they are too thin. I use Alessi tuning machines because they are light and add very little weight. The fingerboard is slightly radiused, not as much as for an archtop but enough to facilitate playing. I use animal glue throughout and all my guitars are French polished.
Animal glue is used throughout and all of the guitars are French polished. What wood do you use? M. P. – I have a good stock of Indian rosewood, enough to build another two hundred guitars. I also have some flamed maple. My soundboards are always made of spruce. I like a stiff, sturdy and light spruce. I buy it in Austria, near the Czech border, in Mittenwald and in Italy. What sound do you like? M. P. – I love the Arias sound; they are small, well-balanced guitars with a magnificent sound and breathtaking wood-
work. One day I was with some friends and we took a close look at the rosette and purflings around the top of an Arias and none of us could see how he managed to make it! My goal is to build a guitar with balanced volume and with a sound that the musician can modulate.
Mark’s workshop, overlooking the countryside and his horses.
Paris, October 2018 Website: www.orfeomagazine.fr Contact: orfeo@orfeomagazine.fr