Item 03
Price: $275,000
Appraised Value 2016: $250,000
Appraised Value 2021: $300,000
SOLD
Antonio de Torres (1817-1892) is the seminal guitar maker whose work and concepts in the mid-nineteenth century ushered in the modern era of Spanish guitar building. This 1867 guitar, numbered FE24, was once owned by Roberto Ramaugé of Buenos Aires who was taught by the famous guitarists Llobet and Segovia. It is a wonderful instrument with sublime sound, constructed with a level of artistry and craftsmanship that Torres reserved for his very best and most expensive works.
The soundboard is made from two unmatched pieces of spruce joined under the third string. The grain is straight and highly defined with a uniform spacing of 18 per inch except near the edge of the lower bass bout where it increases to 25 per inch. The complicated and exquisitely crafted rosette could be considered the epitome of beautiful Spanish guitar rosettes. A metal tornavoz is attached to the underside of the soundboard around the soundhole. The tornavoz, together with the larger-than-average volume of the body, indicates that Torres intended this instrument to have more musical impact than most contemporary guitars. The bridge is made of rosewood and has, in each wing, a decorative checkerboard square matching those in the rosette. Back and sides are bird’s-eye maple, with black fillet strips in the seams of the four-piece back. Neck and head are made from Cuban cedar. The face of the head is veneered with African ebony inlaid with a central band of “meander” decoration.
The guitar showed some abuse and poor prior repair work when acquired for the collection, which commissioned extensive repairs by luthier Alan Pearlman, because of the intrinsic historic importance of preserving historic instruments, especially a rare and exquisitely beautiful Torres. It is now a restored functional instrument that inspires all who see and play it.
The sound of this guitar is still sublime. Its tones are highly concentrated with great purity, clarity, and a mature Spanish character.
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Guitar Dimension Key
