My New Guitar! Interview With The Luthier
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- Опубліковано 31 тра 2024
- Who should I interview next?
Brian Itzkin contact:
@itzkin_guitars on Instagram
Brianitzkinguitars@gmail.com
Itzkinguitars.com
Full performance on my new guitar: • Breaking the Myth: Tre...
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Timestamps:
0:00 My New Guitar
0:45 Antonio De Torres
3:14 Brian’s Torres Tattoo
3:45 What Wood Was Used?
5:33 The Rosette
6:32 Building Guitars in Spain
7:53 My Online Guitar Course
8:16 Customizing Guitars for Clients
9:35 Guitar Action
12:29 Dynamics
13:45 Neck Shape
14:22 Thumb Position
16:01 My Headphones
16:32 The Sound
20:24 Should Guitars Be Loud?
22:22 Gut VS Synthetic Strings
24:28 Building For Low Tension
25:15 Low Tension Strings
27:45 Performance Example
28:49 Guitar Strap
31:52 Brian’s Future Plans
32:35 Contact Brian
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I am Brandon Acker. I create guitar tips, classical music covers, educational videos about rare plucked instruments, tutorials, and more! Consider checking out my new online guitar course: classicalguitar-pro.com and supporting me on my Patreon / brandonacker
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#guitar #classicalguitar #interview
I love this: the interview, the artistry, the craftmanship, the history, the joy, the humor.
💯🎯🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Overjoyed to see this! Brian is an extremely gifted luthier and he has taught me so much when in Spain. I owe all my chiselling and planing techniques, and much, much more, to him!
One more thing: the tremolo without nails is pristine. It really sounds like two instruments are being played because the accompaniment with a thumb is a little stronger than the tremolo; It sounds wonderful. It just sounds like two guitars. The guy playing the melody can be heard very clearly but he’s sort of sitting a little bit back for whatever reason. Mean while, the accompaniment is a little louder I love it.
13:16 "... You teach the audience what loud means, the second you make sound. " Seems like good advice to remember - a couple of seconds before making sound.
Thanks. It has helped me a lot
I don't know if it belongs here Mr. Itzkin, but I followed the journey of this guitar's building process, as I had one made for myself during that time, and saw your post about the passing away of your father, explaining how it affected your work. I just wanted to say that I really respect, that you carried on with building that guitar and sharing the information with us now later on, coming back on track. May your father rest in peace, I wish you best of luck and joy on your way.
I have long believed there is the right guitar for the right player and the right player for the right guitar. This was an incredible match.
I much admire Brian's skill and taste in the somewhat stark aesthetics. Very classy. I, too, am a fan of maple guitars.
Thanks so much, inspiring player, luthier and video.
This was fascinating! It’s also really inspiring to see your passion for using these instruments in their natural habitat and not fighting the ‘concert’ battle. Thank you
This was great Brendan. I love the tone of the guitar. The sweetness and your touch, especially without nails has been inspiring. I never liked classical guitar but you have converted me.
Need to sign up to your course now.
These insights to gear and technique are fantastic, thank you.
Beautiful guitar from Brian too.
Thank you for your kind comment!
I'm glad you are signing up for my course. I think you'll enjoy it! I also have a supplementary course about no-nail playing coming out soon :)
Best,
Brandon
As always, an excellent video. This one was special for me because you clarified a buzzing question that I’ve had for years.
I listened to some unsound advice about guitar buzzing. I was told that the first 5 thousand dollars spent on an instrument,p was for the audience, and the next five thousand for the player; the inference being that to get a guitar that didn’t buzz would require a considerable investment. I was not willing to remove that much money from the family budget.
Your comment that you could make any guitar buzz was a watershed moment for me! Thank you!
What a great response and explanation! Thank you for jumping in, and your explanation makes perfect sense. It’s pretty much as I expected, but my sister (- a guitar and piano teacher) voiced my very same thoughts. I suspect others have wondered the same.
I’ve played classical guitar now for over sixty years, and guitar performing has woven itself into my life since I was young. -Even provided income while in college, and later allowed me to court my wife, then lull our children to sleep.
I have three guitars, and each represent one of those periods in my life. I can’t imagine selling any of them. It would be like selling one of my children. Brandon passing on one of his “children” to help a complete stranger is, in my opinion, the pinnacle of generosity. I SO respect him for that.
28:24 If you missed it, turn on _closed captions_ here and you can see he's fooled the AI into thinking the guitar was a human who said _"thank you."_
Now that's how you make a guitar "speak."
I just tried that... and I cannot stop laughing! 😆😂
I agree with you completely on the credibility on the older school of building. The one aspect is that the contemporary players should also realize that a Le cote style guitar can cut through and be herd over most of your lattice or even some of the double top guitars.
I would have been interested in hearing the luthier's beliefs about intonation techniques, both at saddle and the nut.
Watching this a bit delayed but would like to mention- the wood selections for your new guitar would seem to cause it’s tone to lean toward the bright. Some years ago, I collected mandolins. I was never a very accomplished player but post OBWAT (O Brother Where Art Thou), there was a sales boom in mandolins and banjos-I liked mandolins and saw a market opportunity. I bought about 15 to 20 and since sold them off when the market peaked. My investment activities aside, in learning what made a mandolin great, I found a thing called Mando Tasting. These where recordings of various mandolins made back-to-back in the same studio so that the unique tonal qualities of each instrument could be compared and contrasted. There was a focus particularly on luthiers and their art, and it was a wonderful way for a laymen such as myself to learn about the art of luthiers and related arcana such as tone woods. So, all that said, I wonder-Brandon, were you looking for classical guitar with a bright tone, perhaps due to recording preferences, or was your selection based on aesthetic considerations, or some other criteria I’ve not focused on?
BTW: the tuners are spectacular! Just looked at Chis Barrett’s site and at the details of the tuners- incredible work!
Hi Matt, thanks for your comment!
Yes, I like spruce tops. For all lutes, violins, violas, cellos, etc... and most guitars through history, spruce is the normal choice. The spruce sound is clear and beautiful. Cedar is a more modern alternative for a darker timbre.
So the wood choices are less about preferring brightness and more about preferring clarity. Clarity is what I'm after and I think that is likely the reason it is the most popular wood for all other instruments. At the end of the day, its taste :)
Clarity-yes, I hear it! Good choice on tone woods.@@brandonacker
Awesome! I am working on a lyre right now as my first instrument.
To me, building an instrument is like this process of putting yourself into it. Thinking about the physics, but then also the tones and overtones, how everything fits together. I think damping constant and stiffness to weight are the biggest factor in good tonewoods.
I'm only most of the way through this lyre I'm building, but so far it's turned out a lot better than I thought it would. Cedar top, Spanish Ceder bracing and frame, mahogany back and sides.
Not sure what to build next - too many options. I have so many ideas. I want to make a lute, a theorbo, a viola da gamba. Guitar will probably be down the list since I already have an okay classical guitar.
One thing on the list, once I find some Norway Spruce and get another build or two under my belt is to design an interpretation of Dwalin and Balin's Viols from The Hobbit - an overlooked detail from the book in the movies.
I don't think 'envy' is the right word. The guitar became downright marginalized because it was so quiet. You probably know this, but it pretty much disappeared from classical music circles everywhere but in Spain, and it wasn't the players who didn't take it seriously, but the audiences, the composers and the critics. Torres himself seemed to have been attempting to make somewhat louder instruments than those smaller early 19th century guitars, which probably enabled Tarrega to achieve a bit more success and opened the way to people like Segovia. Also, people had to make a living, and playing in concert halls comes with prestige, which the guitar was in dire need of if it wanted to survive in the classical world of the time. I do think theres a place for quieter instruments now though, with the whole early music revival thing, and that is a beautiful sounding guitar!
completely agree! With the help of Julian Arcas and later Tarrega (who heard Arcas performing on a Torres guitar while a teenager) the modern spanish classical guitar began to take hold as a concert instrument. It wasn’t until Segovia (who’s house here in La Herradura called Los Olivos is an architectural master piece) in the 1920’s that the the guitar became a proper concert instrument.
Nice presentation, gentlemen. Thank you.
Both Brian and Brandon are wise beyond their years
❤ sounds and looks great. Thank you for the interview!
Your comment about the setting guitars were meant to be played in was very insightful. Never thought of it that way but I think you're very much correct. Thank you for sharing.
Brilliant discussion and beautiful instrument and playing. Thank you!
Great interview! Thanks guys!
Beautiful guitar! Congratulations on your new baby! 👍👍❤❤
This channel really has sparked my deeper interest in classical guitar, it's hard not to vicariously feel the genuine love and passion for the history, craftsmanship and music you show surrounding these guitars, it's kind of intoxicating hahahah, this interview rocks too super insightful!
Also, can anyone recommend me some must-listens for classical guitarists? I've scraped the surface myself but I'd love to get a more specialist curated list for some hard hitters that I should be getting into.
Have you discovered Julian Bream? Although a longtime classical and baroque music listener, I am new to classical guitar and i am enthralled with Bream’s playing.
always a pleasure to see your passion for any guitar or string instrument that you're putting your hands on and of course you positivity. this is sooo contagious!
Two very talented people . Really enjoyable video 👏👏
Excellent interview! Thank you both for sharing your valuable time, knowledge, experiences, and insights on that particular style acoustic guitar. Take care. 🤗🤗🎼🎵🎶🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Very nice and informative video. Congratz on Brian for making such a beautiful instrument and for keeping the Torres tradition (without making a 1:1 copy) alive.
This interview has been so insightful and eye opening as a beginner level player. I always appreciate seeing your passion and love for guitar and music as a whole. Thank you for always being so willing to share, learn, and grow with us!
im currently playing on a torres replica made by Kevin Aram. This has made me want to try gut strings
Hey! Thank you for the great instructional videos. Your videos have been really helpful to me. It would be amazing if you could create a video recommending the best guitar pieces to learn, ones that are both instructive and beautiful. Providing a few examples for each difficulty level would be immensely helpful, as it's often challenging to decide which pieces to learn. Thank you for considering this idea!
@brandonacker, i think you should make something together with rob mackillop @RobMacKillop1 . he is another classical no-nails player i am aware of and i feel like you two have similar energy.
We are already planning on it :) Thanks
@@brandonacker cannot wait.
Tuning down the whole guitar by a half step never occurred to me. I just tried it and the difference in playability is immediately noticable (and the lower pitch also makes for such a warm sound).
Thanks for this awesome interview, very insightful. And of course: that new guitar sounds divine!
Brandon, great interview, very very interesting! Thanks a lot for this!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I was trying to decide what I think about this guitar and the tuning . . . until you played Recuerdos. 👏👏👊🏻
Great video!
You are probably already aware of this but, in case you're not, there seems to be a bit of latency in your video/audio. Your video is a little behind your audio signal. Not in Brian's feed, just in yours. It was a little distracting, but I really enjoyed the interview all the same, so thank you. Lovely-sounding guitar!😁
493K! Looking forward to getting your old guitar! Lol. Great video! Your new fiddle looks awesome. After playing a Cordoba C12, Im starting to do research into good hand made luthier guitars. As long as its something I can afford, which is the biggest obstacle. Love the guitar! Enjoy!!!!
Fascinating!
Someone above mentioned you doing something with Rob MacKillop. I think that’s a great idea. Might I also suggest Virgina Luque? Wonderful video, btw. I want your guitar 😉
Thats one hell of a guitar!
On the subject of straps, I've been having good luck with a D'Addario classical guitar strap which does not require the guitar to have a strap peg. It has a loop that hangs around your neck and a tail that you run under the guitar and up the front, with a hook on the end that hooks into the sound hole. You can adjust how much of the total length is in the loop and how much is in the tail.
It doesn't really work well when standing since it it only supporting the guitar in one area, but when seated so that the guitar can also be supported on the right leg it is pretty good.
You have to go to Paracho, Michoacán, Mexico. Abel García is a legend there, Salvador Castillo, like his work and his personality. Castillo plays his guitars 6 hours a day. And Mexico City too and meeting Marco Núñez Luthier, my teacher. He makes guitars for Paco de Lucía's nephew.
This guitar is beautiful
What must it be like to hear an instrument made by your own hands being played like this? This was majorly fun to watch and listen to. Thanks guys. It makes this beginner guitarist and woodworker want to attend luthier school!
I recently heard that the high action preference has to to with playing with an orchestra, and having to play very hard at finales/endings. Makes sense to me. FWIW.
استازي العزيز انا من سوريا انت شخص يستحق الاحترام انت رائع هل بامكانك التحدث عن مقطوعت ارانخويثو وعزفها لنا شكرآ لك جدآ
That tremelo sounds surprisingly good with no nails. Brandon have you tried savarez 520 series strings? I play no nails and have D'Darrios on now but have thought about going back to the Savarez which I used to use, I liked the texture and grit on them. I tried Aquilla nylgut a while back and found them too thin for my liking on the treble strings...
Thanks! No I haven't tried them. A bit of texture is good for no nails. I generally stick with nylgut or gut personally.
@@brandonacker thanks for the encouragement to play no nails, I had given up for a while but have found renewed interest and am glad to see I am not alone.
Lovely stuff, what a gorgeous guitar! I still need to work up the courage to cut my nails 😅
Perhaps my new no nail guitar course will help! Subscribe and stay tuned for the announcement about its release 😊
I found it very interesting what you said about low tension strings. Do you have any recommendation on which low tension strings to try?
I know you say gut strings but they'd be a bit hard to get where I live.
The brand doesn't matter. The material and tension is what matters. If you want to try low tension, just tune your guitar down a half step or whole step. It's the same.
If you want to buy low tension strings, I use Aquila Alabastro low tension trebles and normal tension basses.
If money was no issue and I wanted the best possible strings what would I buy? Gut? Cristal? Brand? Gauges? Tension? Tone? Lifespan? Frictrion? There are so many options I have just basically stayed with the same D’Addario hard tension strings for years only trying a few things like different tensions and I once bought a couple Savarez strings that I wasn't really impressed by.
Great video, very insightful! Just out of curiosity, do you not like Barrios for some reason? You clearly love Tarrega and have recorded many of his pieces, but as far as I can tell have only ever recorded one piece by Barrios and hardly ever mention him. Is there a reason for this or have you just not yet delved into Barrios to the extent of others such as Tarrega?
Thanks! I love Barrios and quoted his pieces in a few of my videos about different priced guitars. I played La Catedral for years but don't have a full public recording out.
Hi Brandon,
This is off topic but I'm just wondering do you have any tips on making my thumbed notes quieter when playing tremolo?
Because there's naturally more power in my thumb than my tremolo fingers, I find the rhythmic notes I'm playing with my thumb are almost drowning out whatever melodic tremolo line I'm playing with my fingers.
I'd like to reverse that so my tremolo is the dominant part with the thumbed notes accompanying in the background.
I'd be grateful for any advice.
(Incidentally, I don't have long fingernails as I've always felt I'm more connected to a guitar when playing with my fingers as opposed to fingernails so I use my fingertips for tremolo which possibly isn't ideal if I'm looking for more volume!)
Thanks!
Was wondering how much the thickness of the string affects the sound?
In the Pujol escuela razonada de la guitarra he wrote that for modern guitar (according to the Pirastro calibrator) the strings are:
Diameter in tenth of a millimeter:
First, from 12.5 to 13.5
Second, from 16 to 17.5
Third, from 20 to 21.5
Fourth, from 15 to 16
Sixth, from 23 to 24
You could see they almost twice as thick as modern strings (By the way, they can also be considered quite modern, it's 1930).
In all modern strings the lowest E string is almost around 1.1mm and highest less then mm ~0.7.
Thinner strings have a thinner sound. and require less tension. This is why the lower pitched strings need to be thicker, and vice versa. But it's the combination of guitar, strings, and player that matters most. The material matters too. He's using gut strings that give a warmer sound, whereas the maple sides and back more than make up for the lack of brightness of the gut strings.
Pujol is referring to gut strings and those strings are thicker than modern carbon and nylon. The gauge determines the tension. The thicker the string, the more taut it will be. The more taught, the louder the sound and vice versa. This is what I was referring to with low tension strings.
Congrats on the new guitar Brandon, what is the action height the luthier was able to achieve?
Thank you! I haven't actually measured but it is something like 2.5mm at the 12th fret on the 1st string.
2.1mm high E and 2.6mm low E if I recall correctly
Wow I knew it was low but I didn't realize it was THAT low. Thanks, @brianitzkin
Hi Brandon…enjoy your videos, music, and quiet charm.
I’ve watched many videos of you and Marshall. At the risk of asking a potentially uncomfortable question, I am curious as to why Marshall didn’t build your guitar?
Thank you!
That's okay. Brian offered to build me this guitar in exchange for feedback about the instrument. I like Marshall's instruments a lot but he has not made a similar proposition.
Have you ever thought about trying a shamisen instrument?
i know this is off topic but have you tried poly gel extensions in guitar performances? do they hold on? or growing out nails is the solution? i do martial arts and i can't grow my nails long.
I have not tried this but using real nails is the best solution. Another equally good solution is to play without nails.
I'm about to release a course on that topic. So subscribe and stay tuned!
@@brandonacker thank you!!!! if you could also try playing on polygel that would be great!
Can I give you a Martin D 28 .I don't play it much,and if you could use it in your arsenal of guitars let me me know .I would be proud to give up one my babies to a musician such as you,..let me know Iam serious....it is terrible to let the acoustic guitar just set there.and a person such as yourself could play it ..Thx for your playing..You are definitely a master of guitar....
2:30 nice
I’m curious, and would like to address the Elephant in the Closet (-but only in a positive way).
You have several videos that include the luthier M. Brune. It looked like you had developed an excellent relationship with him, and his guitar knowledge and skills became apparent, yet when the time came to upgrade to a better instrument, you chose someone else. I’m sure others have wondered the same thing. Can you detail the buying steps that you considered, and what ultimately led to your final decision? I’m sure it could help the rest of us who fumble around in guitar shops, trying to make the best decision.
Hey I don’t want to speak for Brandon but it was as simple as having some mutual friends/colleagues and me asking Brandon if he’d be interested in a guitar in exchange for feedback from a player I respect considerably. I didn’t expect Brandon to promote me or my work but that’s just been a bonus. I’m in awe of the Brune shop (both Richard and Marshall) and don’t think Brandon playing my guitar says anything negative about Marshall’s work, just an opportunity to collaborate with me
Cannot help thinking that your backround in heavy metal would play some role in the direction towards the lowest possible action.
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Hi Brandon, like you I have a light touch and play more for tone than volume - what are your action settings?
Thanks! Each instrument has its own limit of action depending on how it was built. So you make the action as low as the instrument will allow with your touch.
Usually people recommend 3mm at the 12th fret of the 1st string at 4mm on the 6th string. If you can go lower, it is good. This guitar is very low at around 2.2mm at the first fret
@@brandonacker Thanks for the reply. I'm adjusting a new guitar I just bought so was curious. Normally I try to set it at about 2.8mm for the low E and 2.3 for the high E. Also, I was interested in the discussion of modern guitars possibly sounding a bit dull with gut or the Aquila Nylgut. I've used Aquila Ambra 2000 with success on a more modern guitar and will try with this new one as well... we'll see. Thanks again!
Thats great that you can get such a low action.
About new guitars, some work very well with low tension nylgut and gut. Others are built for such high tension that the guitar doesn't seem to respond as well. So I'm not generalizing about all new guitars.
What a fantastic, enjoyable video. Super cool, Go Brandon!
hey niceguitar6144, not Brandon obviously but I greatly enjoy your comments on the siccas guitar of the week videos and remember a comment about one of my guitars from early 2023 on the Siccas channel that you had some favorable thoughts on. Glad you’ve found this video!
@@Brianitzkin hi, I'm glad you wrote. Can you remind me what guitar that was? I feel bad when I dog peoples guitars at times but I try to be constructive. Anyway, tell me, I'm curious what guitar was it that I liked? Nice day
@@niceguitar6144 it was the #50 guitar of the week meeting from about 6 months ago. You had commented something along the line of “very little in New York makes sense now so it’s nice to hear a guitar that does” haha
@@Brianitzkin fascinating, do you have a website where I can look up your guitars? i'm guessing that you make traditional guitars. It is rare that I like double Tops, and even more rare lattice braced guitars. It does happen occasionally:)
@@niceguitar6144 my website is down for a total revamp now but I will let you know when it’s back up! I only make traditional style guitars inspired by Torres, Bouchet, and the Granada based makers whom I’ve apprenticed and studied under. While I have a Torres tattoo on my forearm (as seen in this video) I’d say the contemporary french makers (Bouchet, Friederich, and Field) are my biggest influences
Hi Brandon, hope all is well. What are you planning to do with your Saers guitar? I am looking for a new guitar to purchase.
Hi, thanks and I'm giving it away on UA-cam once I hit 500k subscribers:)
@@brandonacker ok. thanks. I have developed an illness in my hands and it has become a bit painful to play. Therefore I would appreciate it very much if you could tell me what low tension gut strings you use. I have tried the sugar low tension by Aquila but it did not work for my guitar.
@@brandonacker Also, I would like to ask a luthier to build a guitar for me that works well with low tension strings and is easy to play. Do you get strong sounds even for the G, B and E treble strings with your new guitar? sometimes the bases are sticking out and you can't hear the trebles. it is very important for me that the trebles are strong, warm and have long sustain and easy projection. The trebles of some guitars sound very tinny and thin and we have to play very hard to project the sound. can you please share a video of the sound of your guitar without any reverb and other effects? cheers
Low tension for me is more important than the material. So just using those should help with your illness since it requires less force. If you go too low tension, it will feel like the guitar doesn't make a full sound but you don't do that with any strings on the market, only if you go custom Guage.
Contact Bostoncatlines.com and talk to Chris. He can set you up with a custom set perfect for your guitar
@@ClaudioPallone also, yes you can get a full and warm sound with low tension but it requires a different touch. With high tension, you move less and get more sound. The lower the tension, the more you are responsible for the movement of the string. Personally, I equate it with driving a manual vs automatic car. Sure it's easier with automatic but you have much more control and sensitivity with low tension.
You seem to be really embracing the no nails playing, and you even have a course coming out specifically for no nails classical guitar. Is this a permanent change for yourself do you think, and is it partly because it allows you to play other string instruments with no nails?
I'm very interested in the technique for several reasons. 1. Its unknown by the mainstream. 2. Its widely misunderstood and considered inferior due to ignorance. 3. Its a beautiful sound with many advantages over nail playing.
For me, I see pros and cons with both techniques and have been alternating between them for several years now. I dont want to fully commit to either. Rather, I like changing from time to time because it teaches me a lot about the touch of the instrument, how a string wants to be moved, and how to produce a good tone.
And yes, I'm very excited to release my no nails course!
@@brandonacker ok, that's very interesting. I appreciate your videos and that you challenge old ideas. I've learned a lot so far and especially enjoy the history aspect you bring in discussing these amazing instruments. Thanks for the reply, Brandon.
I'm suprised low action isn't more popular. No matter your skill, high action will slow down your playing on high notes
Possibly it is just habit. I believe it was the luthier Marshall Brune who, in another video on this channel, stated, that most guitars are sold with too high an action to avoid buzzing in the shop. So hobbyists tend to buy guitars with too high an action and do not know enough to have it reduced.
@@markus-hermannkoch1740 That makes sense. Someone plucks a string and it buzzes so they thing it's not well made
Any links for the tuners/machine heads?
bump!
👍👍👍👍👍👍
FYI: Brian’s website URL doesn’t work?
Where did you find the green veneer and end pin?
veneer is from a supplier in Italy
Apologies Brian; the guitar is very nice, though it's extremely hard to know through MP3 audio formats how it would really sound to a player, or an audience in a real environment, but I have a few observations about the video:
Well, a huge over simplification regarding the development of 'modern' guitars being all about 'volume', lack of intimacy, etc. I'm assuming this includes the magnificent strides in modern guitar making like lattice, double tops, hybrids and so on. You can still play these guitars intimately and softly as required, but have the added advantage, especially in the case of Smallmans, of incredible sustain: the peak point of volume occurs after the initial attack, so you are not fighting with the relatively quick decay of fan braced models. This quality is incredibly musical and an aid to the player, and thank God that modern luthiers (primarily Australian) have found ways to evolve from the past! They are still responsive to intimacy and touch, but on a more refined level. Guitar making has, and is evolving in these directions, and should be embraced. Just try a Smallman: believe me, you won't look back. I speak from experience.
I appreciate your perspective. Ive played 3 or 4 Smallmans, a handful of double tops by Matthias Dammann, and many other modern style guitars. While I appreciate them and greatly enjoy listening to John Williams play a Smallman or David Russell play a Dammann they simply don’t appeal to me in the same way the traditional Spanish style does. Personally I don’t much care for Smallmans, I find them a bit nasal sounding often and the volume can become a bit of a burden if one isn’t a concert player. I like the German double top guitar a bit more but still don’t think that’s the direction I’d like to go toward, there’s a lack a of warmth of tone in those guitars often (unless coaxed out by a great player like Russell or Barrueco) and they seem inaccessible tonally unless one is a virtuoso. Don’t get me wrong, they’re both excellent, innovative guitars but they don’t appeal to me personally and are not what I aspire to as a maker. I’ve found my niche as one might say
@@Brianitzkin Hi Brian. Thanks so much for this extremely well considered and intelligent reply. I know where you're coming from, believe me, because I've had the same reservations regarding the lattice/double tops. I even sold my Smallman, Sheridan (for different reasons) and Lissarague guitars because of the banjoey/'nasal' aspects in the sound. I couldn't live with them anymore despite the incredible power and volume.
Personally, I too have always gravitated to the more 'traditional' Spanish sound, because I grew up always trying to model my sound on the more Bream tone world.
Having owned all of the above, and performed concerts with all of them, I think Smallman (and Sheridan with his more successful output) is the only one who has successfully 'compensated' for this 'nasal' problem; and I think it's his secret, although still there to some extent. There's this beautiful shimmering, singing quality on the trebles that I've never experienced elsewhere (particularly on the first string).
But, I still love the more 'traditional' sound too. I think it's wonderful and a very healthy venture for you to find your own 'voice' as a maker, and I strongly urge you to continue on your path, weighing up all the possible options and resources now available!! Your guitar sounds great on the clip, but like all guitars, tried in person, not only once in one environment, but in several, over a reasonable amount of time. It's like a relationship!!
But thanks again for your reply, and I understand everything regarding your comments regarding the guitars and players!
Cheers, and best wishes!!
And I’m stuck with my 20 year old Alhambra…. Still it’s a great instrument for my skills.
Instruments are tools. If yours is working for you, then it's good!
@@brandonacker indeed! Thanks for all the great videos. Always a pleasure to watch. Cheers.
Where can I get one
Brian's contact is in the video description. He's accepting orders.
I wish and Wish....
1:18 anyone know the name of this piece?
Now I realized it... its the Adelita in the wrong key!
Anybody contemplating, do it. Buy a concert level classical. It’s worth it.
Should not be using endangered wood species, like the Rosewood from Madagascar. The challenge to luthiers and indeed all instrument makers is to use only sustainable and preferably locally sourced woods.
Sorry but buzzing that easily would be a big issue for me
You have to use what works for you. Everyone is different. And that's a great thing!😊
I thought the same thing until I tried. Don't assume in advance. Try out different tensions and see what the pros and cons are. After you have tried everything, go with what you loved best
first
BRANDON if it's possible please collab with brazilian guitarist yamandu costa. you guys are both masters in vastly different styles!
Brian ITZBIN….
what?
There is nothing BROKE about that guitar, but it is a beautiful baroque ( ba-rock ) instrument.