The Continuum Lattice brings two worlds together. It combines the clarity and tonal separation of a traditional classical guitar with the immediacy, dynamic range and effortless projection of modern lattice construction. Within our Siccas Luthiers line it takes lattice building into concert territory. You can choose it with a cedar top or a spruce top.
This guide explains how the Continuum is built, how its two versions sound and how it plays.
How the Continuum Lattice Is Built
Under the soundboard lies a lattice bracing made entirely of wood. It gives the Continuum a resonant, substantial voice that releases its sound quickly, and it stays open and clearly articulated rather than dark or nasal. Despite its strong output the guitar is comparatively light and comfortable in the hands.
A soundport brings you into closer contact with the instrument's resonance and tonal detail while you play. The fingerboard is elevated, which makes the upper register easier to reach. The top is polished with shellac to keep it acoustically open and sensitive, while the Indian rosewood back and sides have a durable polyurethane finish for easy maintenance. The guitar has Der Jung tuners, a 650 mm scale and a 52 mm nut, and it comes with a fibreglass case. The air resonance of the body lies around G.
The Continuum Lattice Cedar
The cedar version has a round, warm tonal core with considerable weight, and an unexpected brilliance keeps the voice open and clearly defined. Notes leave the right hand readily and sustain within a broad field of overtones, which creates a spacious, almost cathedral-like resonance. Chords open generously while melodic lines stay distinct within the warmth around them.
The response is immediate and flexible, so subtle changes of articulation, colour and dynamics come through without resistance. Its unusually long sustain gives phrases time to bloom and connect, and the clear attack keeps the resonance from clouding.
The Continuum Lattice Spruce
The spruce version has a focused tonal centre and a distinct brilliance. Notes keep a full-bodied core while a rich field of overtones creates space and depth around them. Melodies carry with definition, chords open broadly, and the long sustain lets phrases develop without losing their contours.
The response feels elastic and gives you a lot of freedom to shape articulation, colour and dynamics. The registers are evenly balanced, and the first string has a touch more brilliance and presence, which helps melodies stand out above accompanying textures.
Heard in Repertoire
Yuri Santangelo, first-prize winner of the Paganini Guitar Festival in Parma, plays the first of Castelnuovo-Tedesco's Caprichos de Goya on a Continuum. Read more in our article Yuri Santangelo plays Caprichos de Goya No. 1.
You can see the first time we played the new model in our article The Siccas Luthiers Continuum Lattice, our new model first heard.
Cedar or Spruce?
Choose cedar for a warm, weighty core with an open brilliance and a cathedral-like resonance. Choose spruce for a focused centre, an elastic response and a first string that lets melodies lead. Both share the long sustain and quick release of the Continuum's lattice construction. Our article on spruce versus cedar explains the general differences, and our guide to fan-braced, double-top and lattice guitars explains lattice bracing.
Scale Length
At the moment the Continuum Lattice is available with the full 650 mm scale and a 52 mm nut. If you need a shorter scale in a lattice-braced guitar, the Origin Lattice comes in 64 cm and 63 cm versions, and the Recital Contemporary in spruce is available with 64 cm.
Who the Continuum Lattice Is For
The Continuum is a concert instrument for players who want the projection and quick response of a lattice guitar without giving up the clarity and separation of the traditional sound. Its long sustain and spacious resonance suit lyrical and polyphonic music alike. Compared with the Origin Lattice, the Continuum is the lattice model built for the stage.
Set Up in Karlsruhe
Siccas Luthiers is our own line of classical guitars, founded by the brothers Mirco and Manuel Sicca, whose late father Mario Sicca was a soloist, a professor at the Stuttgart Musikhochschule, a luthier and a collector. The models are developed in-house by a team of experienced luthiers and players. Each Siccas Luthiers guitar undergoes a careful setup and final inspection in our workshop in Karlsruhe before being shipped to our customers. You are welcome to try the guitars in our showroom in Karlsruhe.
The Other Models in the Line
Siccas Luthiers currently has eight models. Besides the Continuum Lattice these are the Origin Lattice, Recital Traditional, Recital Contemporary, Halo Traditional, Creation Doubletop, Legacy Doubletop and the Synthesis Doubletop. Our overview of Siccas Luthiers guitars explains the idea behind the line, and our guide to fan-braced, double-top and lattice guitars sets out how the three ways of building a soundboard differ.
