Baroque Guitar

[Patrick DeGreve]

My younger brother Marty is a classical guitar player, so when I started building guitars a few years ago, one of my first thoughts was to build a baroque guitar for him. After a year of research I decided to give it a try. I started with the GAL plan #27, and the article in the Big Red Book #2 (http://www.luth.org). I used the GAL plan for dimensions, bracing, and scale length, but I used the Jan Vermeer painting for my decoration. This proved to be a very rewarding project. I had to make some very interesting decisions on whare to draw the line in regard to historical accuracy vs playability (more on that later), but first a few pictures.

[Patrick DeGreve]

This a picture of the Jan Vermeer painting. I changed the rope binding from maple/rosewood to maple/bloodwood at the neck body joint, to add a little color to the body.

[Patrick DeGreve]

Here is a photo from the front view.

[Patrick DeGreve]

The soundboard is bearclaw sitka spruce, the sides are mahogany with rosewood binding. The back of the GAL plan has a very arched back. I decided to build more of a flat back. I used 3/4 inch strips of maple and mahogany glued on a 15 ft. radius disk. I added 1/2 inch of depth to the sides to "make up" for the loss in volume due to not using such an arch on the back.

[Patrick DeGreve]

One of the changes made for playability was to add a saddle to the bridge. I made the bridge from three pieces of rosewood. The center of the bridge I pinned with maple dowel. The mustache are 1/8 inch rosewood hand carved, and glued to the soundboard.

[Patrick DeGreve]

In the Vermeer painting you can't tell what the rosette really is. I made a celtic rose design and had one of my scenic artists cut it on our CNC router as a training exercise. It is made from 1/8 inch cherry, and gold leaf. One of the other changes I made was to use fret wire in place of tied gut frets. I am still not sure about this one, but my brother and I thought it was the best idea for a working guitar. I also added a K&K style pad transducer pickup under the bridge so Marty can plug this into his amp when performing.

[Patrick DeGreve]

I bought some banjo pegs, but decided not to use them. I used ebony friction pegs, and they are working out fine.The neck is maple, rosewood, and mahogany, with rosewood/maple rope binding.

[Patrick DeGreve]

I gave the Baroque guitar to my brother last weekend, and he said he was very happy with it. He played one of my favorite pieces on it for me ( Gaspar Sanz "Canarios") and it has a very nice tone. However, even though the tone is very nice, the string tension seems too "loose" to me. I put medium tension nygut strings on it, but I think it needs high tension strings. Marty said he would try the high tension strings, but was still very happy with it. This was a very good project. I still have all the molds, and jigs, so I will probably build another one at some time (maybe with gut frets).

[Steve Senseney]

Very nice!

Looks very close to the picture.

What is the scale length?

[Barry Guest]

There's a lot of love, patience and and fine measure of expertise in there. Love it!

[Charlie Schultz]

Very nice Patrick! I've got that plan (it's the one by Brune', right?) and it's on my to-do list. From what I understand (which isn't much), the baroque guitar takes a little different technique and somewhat "floppy" strings are natural. This might be helpful: http://www.classicalguitardelcamp.com/v ... 821f052fd6

[Dave Stewart]

Beautiful interpretation from a great masterpiece by a true master!

[Ron Belanger]

Very nice!

[Waddy Thomson]

Excellent job. Looks great.

[Patrick DeGreve]

Thanks for the kind comments everybody! This was a fun project. Steve the scale length is 68.8 cm. Yes Charlie this was the R.E.Brune' plans. Thanks Charlie for the link to the string tension. I will have my brother read it. I bought him a set of high tension nygut strings to try, and a set of Roosebeck baroque strings as well. He will get used to it I am sure. I liked the tone of it, it just seemed loose to play.

[Bryan Bear]

Nice job!

[Gilbert Fredrickson]

Beautiful guitar. I've been drawing up a guitar based on the Rawlings Stradivarius. Your rosette is very, very nice.

[Louie Atienza]

Beautiful guitar Patrick, it really catches the feel of the original in the painting....

[Matthew Lau]

Nice!

Lucky brother

[Dennis Duross]

Patrick:
I would be interested if you happened to have a photo essay on the rope binding process just lying around that you wouldn't mind sharing.