Link to the photo gallery: https://www.siccasguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/04/Jose-Luis-Romanillos.pdf
Why this photo gallery of JLR guitars?
The photos presented here show a small excerpt of the JLR instruments that have crossed my paths until t0 the new millennium, and, in the same way, they are documents of a life – long friendship.
It all started in 1978 when I had given my small Torres guitar (Nr. 117, 1888) to José. He made for me “Madrigal (1978) and “Constantia” (1980 – his first “classical” guitar in cypress). The following years brought many meetings – in his home or in my place here- and during these “tertulias” we had spent a lot of time on our main interest: The development of the “Spanish Guitar”, from Antonio de Torres to the end of the 20th century.
Today, one year after he had left our planet, there will remain for me the memory of a “guitarrero de corazón”, a sensitive poet, a most profound and serious researcher – and an excellent, true, and wonderful “companero”.
He might be terribly missed by all of us lovers of the Spanish Guitar – but, on the other hand, with his impression in our memories, and his “written and constructed” heritage, he will survive most of us! For him and his beloved wife, Marian Harris Winspear – without her help José`s work would not have been possible! – I`ve compiled this documentation!
In never–ending gratitude to Marian and José!
Hogi
March 2023
P.S.: A little help understanding the numbers in JLR guitars!
José numbered his guitars according to the shape of the instrument he had taken as a model.
Nr. 1: The model was the “1949 Hauser 1” guitar from Irving Sloane`s book “Classic Guitar Construction” (E.P. Dutton, NY, 1966). José had enlarged the small photo to copy the dimensions. The 101 from 1970 was Julian Bream´s “Romanillos”, which he used until 1973.
Nr. 2. The 200 series were built after a “1936 Hauser 1” guitar owned by J. Bream.
Nr. 3. This design José had taken from an original “Antonio de Torres” guitar.
Nr. 4: Built after a “1950 Hauser 1” instrument belonging to the late Viennese guitarist Karl Scheit.
Nr. 5: Again a Hauser guitar, this time the “1930 Hauser 1” in the possession of the Brazilian guitarist Sergio Abreu. From then on JLR continued his numbering, although there had always been small modifications in the construction.
For the basic information, I am grateful to my old friend, the English luthier Kevin Aram!
March 2023 Siegfried “Hogi” Hogenmüller
Link to the photo gallery: https://www.siccasguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/04/Jose-Luis-Romanillos.pdf
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