La Chitarra di Liuteria, Masterpieces of Guitar Making by Stefano Grondona and Luca Waldner
Classical guitarist Stefano Grondona and luthier Luca Waldner have brought together here a magnificent photographic retrospective and textual analysis of the history of the classical guitar from the late eighteenth to the mid twentieth century. This book covers more than fifty of the most representative instruments by the greatest makers of this period (from Antonio de Torres to David Rubio). Many of these guitars belonged to the most important virtuosi of the time (from Tarrega and Llobet to Segovia). In many cases Grondona and Waldner include biographical information and photos of these performers. The accompanying CD of twenty-eight tracks by maestro Grondona features guitars by Torres (FE 08 built in 1858 which won the 1858 Seville exposition, 1859 ex collection Miguel Llobet, 1862 back & sides of paper mache, 1885, 1887), as well as guitars by Garcia (1906), Simplicio (1929), Santos Hernandez (1918), Domingo Esteso (1926), Hermann Hauser I (1947), and Robert Bouchet (1969). The book itself includes many more guitars than are featured on this beautifully recorded single CD.
The Spanish Guitar by the Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York
This is the catalogue of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's special exhibition of fine Spanish guitars. The catalogue contains information and beautiful color pictures of guitars from the 16th century to the 1940s as well as a table of the instrument's dimensions and simple schematic diagrams of the their bracing patterns. The text is in English and Spanish.
Antonio de Torres Guitar Maker: His Life & Work by Jose Romanillos
This comprehensive work on the great 19th century master luthier Antonio de Torres, father of the modern classical guitar, was lovingly researched over many years by one of the twentieth century's greatest classical guitar makers, Jose Romanillos. It contains over 300 photographs as well as scale drawings for the construction of Torres style guitars. Jose Romanillos traveled worldwide searching out Torres' guitars and has cataloged eight-five instruments, listing their dimensions and their owners. The great English classical guitarist Julian Bream writes in his forward to this book, "The fastidious research, disciplined scholarship as well as the intuitive speculation of Jose Romanillos will stimulate both players and luthiers into a deep understanding of the instrument as well as invoke a timely reevaluation of a remarkable man."
Vihuela de Mano and The Spanish Guitar by Jose Romanillos and Marian Winspear
This first Dictionary about Spanish guitar makers includes more than fifteen hundred entries and covers over five centuries of Spanish musical instrument making. It is a rich resource covering among other things: several dynasties of instrument makers, the places and streets where they lived and worked and the social conditions of the times. The twenty-eight appendices (the original version in Spanish is also included), contain information about the Ordinances of the Guilds of instrument makers; details about the construction of vihuelas de mano and guitars; names of the masters and apprentices and their personal appearance; working conditions; indentures and certificates of examination; inventories of workshops, lists of the tools and implements of their craft, woods and prices of materials and instruments. This work also contains an extensive bibliography and documented references for readers interested in further research. In the Prologue to his book, master classical guitar maker, Jose Romanillos, shares his insight into the development of the vihuela de mano and the Spanish guitar. This is an indispensable reference book for instrument makers, historians, musicologists, museums, musical instrument collectors, auction houses, dealers and guitar enthusiasts. 585 pages. More than 1500 entries.
A Collection of Fine Spanish Guitars from Torres to the Present by Sheldon Urlik
This coffee table size book explores the author's extensive collection of fine classical and flamenco guitars from the 1850s to modern day. The extensive color photos depict one of the world's most important and complete collections. Over sixty-five guitars are presented with documentation, technical information and insights into their unique qualities and significance. Urlik's book offers the reader both a valuable overview and comparative study on the subject. Nearly all of the great makers are represented here, including: Antonio Torres, Francisco Gonzalez, Vicente Arias, the Ramirez dynasty, Santos Hernandez, Domingo Esteso, Antonio Viudes, Modesto Borreguero, 3 generations of Hausers, Enrique Garcia, Francisco Simplicio, Ignacio Fleta, the Rodriguez dynasty, Marcelo Barbero, Robert Bouchet, Marcelino Lopez, Hernandez & Aguado, Arcangel Fernandez, Daniel Friederich, Jose Romanillos, Paulino Bernabe, Manuel Reyes, David Rubio, Greg Smallman and many others.
The Classical Guitar - Tony Bacon, editor
This book is a collaboration of several guitar aficionados and includes most of the significant classical guitar makers from Torres to the present. As with Sheldon Urlik's book discussed above, this coffee table size book offers the reader both a valuable pictorial overview and comparative study of fine classical and flamenco guitars. In this case, the authors feature instruments drawn primarily from the Russell Cleveland collection.
The Century that Shaped the Guitar by James Westbtook
From the birth of the six-string guitar to the death of Tarrega, this book explores the history of the 19th century guitar through nine special instruments from the author's collection.
The Development of the Modern Guitar by John Huber
This book presents information about the great schools of guitar design together with discussions of the problems of practicing and making a career as a classical guitarist. The author presents information on the design and construction of many fine guitars as well as useful thumbnail over views of great luthiers and marketing trends of the last 150 years. This is not a scholarrly work per se, but a well-informed discussion by a leading contemporary guitar connoisseur on his experiences with the instrument and its recent history.
Guitars From the Renaissance to Rock by Tom and Mary Anne Evans
This valuable reference work discusses classical, flamenco, steel-string acoustic and electric guitars from their earliest ancestors to the most sophisticated instruments of the late 1970s. Of particular interest to those interested in classical guitar making, this work features a twenty-five page chapter on classical guitar construction (much of which focuses on the then young Jose Romanillos' building methods). Beautifully illustrated with over 600 black and white photographs.
Luthiers & Guitares d'en France - published by Editions Chandelle
This beautiful coffee-table book features some of the preeminent guitar makers of France. The photos are magnificent. The text is in French, This work Includes acoustic, electric, classical, hollow-body, semi-hollow body, and bass guitars, as well as unique creations such as a reversible guitar, an electric resonator with sympathetic strings. Many close-up photos show details including headstocks and rosettes. There are special sections on Mario Maccaferri and Robert Bouchet. Other makers included in this book are: Gerard Audirac, Victor Bedikian, Gerad Beuzon, Patrice Blanc, Marc Boluda, Simon Bour, Roger Buro, Richard Caro, Jacques, Castelluccia, Franck Cheval, DNG, Dominique Delarue, Bruno Doussaint, Philippe Dubreuille, Maurice Dupont, Olivier Fanton d'Andon, Jean-Pierre Favino, Dominique Field, Fine Resophonic, Jean-Marie Fouilleul, Claude Fouquet, Daniel Friederich, Francois Guidon, La famille Jacobacci, Jean-Luc Joie, Kopo, LAG, Joel Laplane, Christophe Leduc, Xavier Lefol, Daniel Lesueur, Christian Magdeleine, Martine Montassier, Thierry Monteil, Christian Noguera, Antoine Pappalardo, Bruno Perrin, Renaud Personnier, Alain Queguiner, Pascal Quinson, Alain Raifort, Michel Scamps, Christopher Schuetz, James Trussart, Patrice Vigier, and Michel Benedetti.
La Guitare: Book I, Paris 1650-1950 by Daniel Sinier and Françoise de Ridder
This lovely volume focuses on the Parisian luthiers from 1650 to 1950, from Voboam to Bouchet by way of 19th century masters Pons, Lacôte and Laprévotte. In all about fifty magnificent instruments are discussed and pictured; this is the first time nearly all these specific guitars have been documented. The authors examine these masters' innovations, transformations, and acoustic theories as they contributed to the evolution of the guitar, the pupils and followers of these masters, and their influence on other schools of guitar making. The authors share thirty-five years of experience in observing and restoring fine guitars. French, English and Italian texts, more than four hundred photos and drawings.
The Classical Guitar: Its Evolution, Players and Personalities Since 1800 by Maurice J. Summerfield
This work presents the reader with an overview of the classical guitar's development over the last two hundred years. It Includes: hundreds of photos; sections on composers, scholars, flamenco guitarists, and guitar makers; an extensive listing of important classical guitar recordings; and an informational directory. Guitar makers represented here include: Staufer, Lacote, Panormo, Torres, Hernandez, Hauser, Miguel Rodriguez, Ramirez, Esteso Conde, Fleta, Bouchet, Kohno, Rubio, Bernabe, Contreras, Bolin, Friederich, Manuel Rodriguez, Romanillos, Hopf, Gilbert, Fischer, Richard Schneider, Sakurai, Smallman, Ruck, Humphrey, Fanton d'Andon, Dammann, Southwell, and Irving Sloane.
The Guitar of Andrés Segovia - Hermann Hauser 1937: Its History, Sound and Photographs by Richard E. Bruné
This is an homage not only to the artistry of Segovia but also to that of Hermann Hauser I, the violin maker who, in 1937, built this extraordinary instrument. The high resolution photos are courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Texts and technical drawings are by Richard E. Bruné. The guitar of Andrés Segovia is now property of the Metropolitan Museum of New York, which has collaborated with DYNAMIC to make this tribute to the art of the great Spanish guitarist who died in 1987. The box contains: 1 CD with Segovia playing Bach, Handel, Gluck, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Brahms, De Falla, Moreno Torroba; a color book; a full-size color poster of the guitar; a full-size poster of the front's technical drawings; a full-size poster of the back;s technical drawings; a full-size poster of the details' technical drawings.
Musical Instruments of the Western World by Emanuel Winternitz, photographs by Lilly Stunzi
This beautiful coffee table size book documents in a series of superb color photographs more than one hundred musical instruments of all types created by the very best artist-craftsmen over the centuries: The earliest instrument dates from the sixth century B.C. and the latest from the mid-nineteenth century. Along with splendidly simple instruments made from the usual sorts of wood and metal whose shapes correspond closely to their musical functions, there are some instruments with fanciful or grotesque shapes unrelated to any musical function, built to cater to the imaginative whims of ambitious builders, noble patrons, or fastidious performers.
