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Finding a certain definitive sound has played a very important role in my career as a guitar builder. It has taken me years of study, searching for the elusive quality that I call "The Antigua Sound." This quality is found in Spanish guitars made by some of the Old Masters. These gifted craftsmen had developed intuitive skills, with innate sensibilities of the guitar's birthing process.....They understood how to bring forth tonal qualities so awesomely beautiful that musicians were motivated to never part with them..... I realize that this art form is a treasure that must be passed on for the benefit of others, so I have begun to teach my understanding of it to some of my fellow builders. ..As I began to research the Miguel Rodriguez design in 1975, it was difficult for me to realize it's fullest potential, so I modified the plan before allowing it time to prove itself. Not being completely satisfied with the results, I returned to the original design and built it for a period of time. This gave me the opportunity to acquire enough intuitive skills to realize its strength. I found that the design was ahead of its time...... I'd like to say at this point that there is a tendency for young guitar builders to make unnecessary adjustments instead of waiting to gain the skill required to make their instruments work like the old masters. We can get impatient and change something that doesn't necessarily need to be changed. Sometimes this impatience can lead us down a blind alley and cause a lot of wasted time by our having to turn around and re-do the modification. This is one of the reasons I stress the importance of working with a great guitar design. It will inevitably lead us toward a fine instrument if we practice patience. The volume, projection, and sustain are very powerful, without sacrificing its subtleties. This is one reason that I chose to work with this pattern. The volume doesn't wash out the character.....yet the characteristic aspect of its tone doesn't overpower the performer. I'm convinced that every detail that went into this design was carefully thought out. Much of the bracing inside is constructed with an interlocking system, which allows for the instrument to be made lighter and with greater stability and balance........ Precise fan brace placement combined with top graduation technique, will cause the guitar to vibrate like a living organism. I have since found that the timbre and tonal characteristics of the top can be adjusted to the builder's choice, adding more or less to the character of sound without interfering with clarity. This is where the varied top thickness comes into play. It can be adjusted from several different angles for different tonal qualities. The actual strut placement doesn't need to be changed for this technique. Philosophically, I view the instrument as a whole. I build the guitar with the Spanish Foot as an integral unit and not disconnected like some of the modern factory methods that attach the neck after the box is finished. The Rodriguez guitars appeal to me because when I was first introduced to a Miguel Sr., I experienced something with the sound that to my knowledge no other guitar possessed. It made an indelible impression on me, and since then I have played many of his family's works of art. When I went back to building full time in '74, I yearned to know why these guitars had such an identifiable sound.......... For 30 years I have been growing and maturing in this style, developing my sensibilities to this unique process. From this experience, I have learned a great lesson...... indeed, Miguel Rodriguez was a genius....... Along the way I have experimented with new designs, but not without taking the opportunity to stand on the shoulders of a giant. In this particular case, it is a work of art that has been proven, and one that works exceedingly well. |
Tom Blackshear "On
building Rodriguez Style Guitars":