Once the laminated ribs have been bent into shape, they are glued together in this moulded press.
the signature sound of my guitars has more to do with my hands and my way of crafting them than with the choice of wood or bracing configuration.
own work that he can apply a critical eye thereto and come up with a self-appraisal… it is truly amazing!
Orfeo – Do your guitars display any other unique construction features ? J.-N. R. – The entire soundboard is domed, like on guitars made by Dominique Field or Daniel Friederich, whereas guitars built in the Spanish tradition are flat or arched only under the bridge. Building my guitars with this feature is infinitely more complicated because the sides need to be fitted to a much more complex shape. I think that even Torres made some of his guitars this way, but subsequently simplified his method, so as to have a flat gluing surface throughout. While our way might be more complicated, I think that is worthwhile – from both a mechanical and an aesthetic point of view – investing in a top and back that are curved across their entire breadth and width.
Orfeo – Do you make different models ? J.-N. R. – No, only classical concert guitars, all very well made, impeccably crafted. Aesthetics is also important in this line of work, with everything that that implies: I have overhauled the dimensions of my guitars several times and have consequently had to rework my moulds and some of my tools. It’s a lot of work! Another feature is that the twelfth fret on my guitars is set slightly apart from the body, which means that I can place a full nineteenth fret under all six strings and the overall balance is more pleasing to the eye. My rosettes also have something unique about them: the tiny components in the central mosaic are glued as an ensemble onto a base which is then heat-bent and inlaid all in one step. All the veneer strips that I use are of naturally-coloured wood except for the black ones. The fretboard is slightly radiused, which not only improves player comfort, but also looks better. The most difficult thing is to achieve an aesthetically harmonious whole, a pleasing overall equilibrium. I don’t know if that is a pre-condition for producing fine instruments, but in any case it is the way that I want to work.
Orfeo – Do you keep descriptive workshop notes for each guitar? J.-N. R. – I produce about seven or eight guitars each year. I am currently up to number 75 and I do write notes for each one, but nowhere near as meticulously as Friederich does. What is truly remarkable with him is that he manages to assess his own guitars, in accordance with several criteria, and remain sufficiently objective about his