Manuel Rodriguez e Hijos Model FC (early one)

   

Presented here is an early model FC by the Manuel Rodriguez 

company. This is NOT the same guitar as the Magistral series

FC model. It was when launched simply a more expensive guitar. 

You can already determine this by taking a look at the tuners.

On this model the axe holders are clinched on the plate and 

not bowed out of the plate as is the case with cheaper tuners.

Furthermore I would advise people to check the site of

"Reverb" for prices and further description.

This is also what makes them set apart from each other.

Presented here is the Magistral series FC model.

The label in this guitar that shows a picture of Manuel 

Rodriguez himself. Apart from this early number.

     

The body front and back can be studied here. All woods are solid.

  

And the head of this guitar that is undamaged. Together

with the superior tuners this guitar falls into another category.

The same tuners can be found on the Prudencio Saez and 

Cordoba higher end priced guitars (above 1000 Euro's)

A beautiful rosette and by studying the edges of the sound hole

the differences between the FC models can be detected as well.

Furthermore still the same executed bindings around the string

tie block. No playing damage on this particular spot.

As can be seen here, no wear on the frets at all.

This guitar comes in a sturdy polyester guitar case.

All for the same price: € 700,- In fact as new.

 

Alastair McNeill "Hauser" model guitar nr. 204 from 1997

 

 

This special "Hauser / Torres" model Alastair McNeill 

made multiple times as he was already in an early stage 

interested in what the Spanish luthiers did regarding

guitar building. Provided with the genuine Torres 

head, a timeless design in itself, this guitar has been 

provided with a fan bracing of course. Moreover

however it is well known that Hauser stayed close

to the original Torres designs. Segovia played Hauser

guitars for a long time after he proposed Hermann 

Hauser I to follow the Spanish way of building

guitars. Those guitars remain iconic.

Nice attention to details like the rosette pictured here. This 

guitar has been French polished which is a sign of utmost

care on an instrument like this. Do not expect hughe

volumes coming out of this guitar but a perfect balance 

and beautiful rounded higher notes supported by a great

bass response as well. Funnily enough number 203 in

the Alastair McNeill serie is offered for sale on Reverb.

That is also a Hauser model. Same as this guitar equipped

with a 7 fan soundboard bracing but that is not different

from what Antonio de Torres did. Remarkable however

are the extra braces on the back in the lower bout that

are forming a cross and that's are pointing towards

the Hauser method of building.

Also the inlay work is there on both back and front.

Quite typical are the braces that make a cross in the 

lower bout. That makes me think this guitar to be a 

Hauser copy. The brace that runs through this cross 

is scallopped in this guitar and more tiny executed 

than the other transverse bars on the back.

The knobs are clinched to their axes and though 

not executed in "gold" these tuners work very well.

But being apparently Lansdorfer / Reischl tuners it 

is another confirmation of the guitar being ment as

a Hauser model as that dynasty of builders almost 

exclusively used these Lansdorfer tuners.

A special word can be said about the tuners used as they

are genuine Lansdorfer / Reischl tuners, among the worlds 

best and they were also used by Jose Romanillos,  Robert Ruck 

and Edmund Blochinger among others. They can be had in all 

kinds of varieties, plastic or pearloid buttons but it all  starts 

at about 350 Euro a pair! 

The back has been provided with a straight grained piece 

of indian rosewood which isn't a bad thing so to say. 

Moreover, these straight figured pieces of wood are less 

prone to cracks in the future. Same thing counts for the 

sides as well.

The guitar makes a somewhat smaller impression and 

regarding dimensions that is indeed the case. Moreover

this guitar has been provided with a 640 mm scale.

The purfling around the edges can be studied here

by clicking on this picture.

The Torres shaped head. Simplicity at its' utmost.

The topnut measures 50 mm in width.

The signed label by mr. McNeill living in Wiltshire.

The outer heel has been decorated with taste as well.

This picture has been added to be able to study the sides.

As can be seen: No fretwear what guarantees years

of playing pleasure as this guitar has a beautiful

voice apart from a perfect balance and good volume. 

And another plus is its' playability.

Even the rosette on the Alastair McNeill guitar is close 

to the original where in the inner and outer ring inlays 

seem to "move" in the opposite way, Take a look here 

beyond where an original 1960 Hauser is presented.

Melchor Rodriguez guitar (Estudio)

  

A guitar that surprised me a lot sound wise. It is in fact 

a bit of a Jose Ramirez 1A concert guitar clone: The

soundboard has been equipped with a 7 fan bracing

and the small individual hardwood glue blocks simply

do resemble the Ramirez construction a lot. The great

concert guitar player and composer Jose Luis Merlin

also plays a Melchor Rodriguez "Merlin" model and 

the two even became friends. Melchor Rodriguez has 

retired now though the two still have regular contact.

 Being a quality instrument, the addition "Estudio" on the

label surprised me as this guitar can compete with other

high level instruments. 

Therefore I also made this picture where you can observe 

the beautiful rounded inner heel. Also the way it has been 

done in the Jose Ramirez clase 1A guitars. In fact every

detail of the inner work shows a high standard!

The body has its' traces of normal use but being almost 

50 years old that is understandable. The sides have been

strengthened with extra braces the way Jose Ramirez

did in his 1A models as well. The damage on the lower

bout on the right in fact was only lacquer loss but the

former owner kept on using the guitar without protecting

the bare wood. As a result that became dirty. I cleaned

that spot and colored it matching with the rest of the

soundboard. I used a water based stain for it: CLOU

You can get it in all sorts of colors in powder.

The back is still in a remarkable shape although I might

give it an extra layer of varnish to make it like new.

A much fresher look and it gives more cosmetical value to

this guitar. Rosewood can be lacquered and polished quite 

easily. The problem is there most of the time when you are

varnishing the bare wood as it contains often oil residues 

that are slowing down the hardening of the lacquer.

As with a lot of other Spanish makers the luthiers sometimes 

stick to the use of the same model name or number while

changing several things regarding the components. Here the

gold coloured tuners can be seen while on other Estudio

models they appear to be silver coloured. I've seen about

the same tuners on the Melchor Rodriguez Grand Concerto

guitars, a bit surprising as the axe holders were also bowed 

out of the base plate on those tuners. Another Madrid based

luthier, Vicente Perez Camacho is using exactly the same

tuners on a guitar I have in my collection.

Good fretwork and a very nicely executed rosette,

And a bridge where the string tie block has been

provided with harder edges to prevent damages.

Sadao Yairi gitaar model 800 (1976)

   

Hier een mooie gitaar uit de ateliers van Sadao Yairi. Ik ga
er niet van uit dat hij de gitaren allemaal zelf bouwde en dat 
geldt dan ook voor de hoger geclassificeerde gitaren. De S. 
Yairi gitaren werden eigenlijk maar in beperkte mate met
palissander voor zij- en achterkant uitgevoerd, iets wat je
bij de duurdere series toch zeker zou verwachten, zeker in 
de zeventiger jaren. Dat de Jose Ramirez Clase 1A gitaren 
model hebben gestaan voor deze modellen is evident. 

Deze gitaar is in prima staat behoudens wat kleine gebruiks-
sporen en wellicht wat deukjes op de hals van capo gebruik. 
Wordt verkocht in zijn originele snake skin koffer en de prijs 
houd ik aan de ondergrens voor wat ze momenteel doen. 
Speelt lekker licht en de gitaar is helemaal afgesteld voor 
optimaal spelplezier. Prijs: 700 Euro.

De gitaar is voorzien van een prachtige rozet en ook het binnenwerk 

is keurig verzorgd bij deze gitaar. Het bovenblad is voorzien van

het traditionele 7 delige waaier patroon. Voor het bovenblad is 

massief fichten (sparrenhout) gebruikt. Fijngenerfd. E.e.a. zorgt

voor een mooie balans qua geluidssterkte tussen de lage en de

hoge snaren. Een mooie ronde en volle toon mag bij dit instrument 

verwacht worden. Dat is er dan ook en de ebben toets geeft een

extra luxe uitstraling aan deze gitaar. Scale is 655 mm. Breedte 

van de topkam is 53 mm. Eigen frequentie van de klankkast is 

110 Herz. Niet prominent aanwezig.

Door op de afbeelding te klikken krijg je de rozet foto nog

eens extra vergroot. Op deze foto moeten de frets nog even 

opgefrist worden maar dat zal ik voor verkoop zeker nog 

doen. Het klassieke label siert de gitaar nog eens extra.

Geen speelsporen waar ze vaak wel te zien zijn. Octaaf

zuiverheid is prima.

En hier alle informatie: Bouwjaar en type nummer.

De signatuur wordt zeer waarschijnlijk gewoon mee-

gedrukt met de rest van het label.

Luxe kam welke nog eens mooi verstevigd is aan de 

randen van het snarenblok. Zit ook prima vast nog.

Hier kunt U een evt. beschadiging nader bekijken. Geen

hindernis bij het spelen wat mij betreft maar laat e.e.a. maar

duidelijk zijn: Midden foto links op de hals.

Mooie achterkant met hoegenaamd geen krassen. Mooi

is natuurlijk de centrale strip als extra ornament.

Ook de achterkant van de kop vertoont geen ruwe

beschadigingen tengevolge van het tegen de muur 

zetten van de gitaar.

Tot aan de onderkant wordt de extra versiering op deze gitaar

doorgevoerd maar gelukkig ook weer niet al te overdadig.

De frets zijn nog in prima staat. Wel een paar kuiltjes in 

het toetshout vanwege het spelen met te lange nagels.

Een wat dieper putje in het bovenblad dat netjes opgevuld

is. Beschadigingen kunnen lelijke sporen achterlaten als

er vuil in komt.

De inmiddels weer netjes opgefriste frets.

De originele snake skin koffer die er bij geleverd kon

worden indien gewenst. Zit nu bij de koop inbegrepen.

\

Toch nog een gaaf plaatje na bijna 50 jaar!

Apart is dan weer wel de toepassing van verschillende mechanieken 

die je op hetzelfde model van S. Yairi aantreft. Vaak ook niet goud-

kleurig. Ze werken overigens uitstekend. De goudkleurige zitten op

deze gitaar en zijn uiteraard weer goed gesmeerd.