Sebastiano Fracasso – 2024

Sebastiano Fracasso is an Italian guitar maker who graduated from the Civica Scuola di Liuteria di Milano, where he studied the construction of traditional plucked instruments. He now works in his workshop in Chiampo (Vicenza, Italy). Sebastiano had the opportunity to work directly with masters Roberto de Miranda in Milan and Ennio Giovanetti in his Gropparello (Piacenza) workshop, focusing on the construction and restoration of classical guitars. This experience provided him with a deep immersion in the traditions and knowledge of classical guitar making. Additionally, he collaborated with steel string guitar maker Emanuele Faggion in his Trissino workshop, where he worked on repairs and gained experience with other types of guitars.

This exquisite guitar, crafted by a young and talented Italian luthier, features a top made from Italian alpine spruce sourced from the renowned Fiemme Valley, a region celebrated for its exceptional violin and guitar-making. The back, sides, bridge, head veneer, and bindings are all beautifully constructed from Indian rosewood, complementing the ebony fretboard and Spanish cedar neck. Equipped with Schaller Grand Tune machine heads and a 650mm scale, this guitar is designed for both resonance and comfort. The aim of this model is to deliver substantial projection and deep sound quality using traditional methods and materials. The top is light yet robust, reinforced by a five-strut variation of Robert Bouchet's design, enhancing the instrument's sustain, clarity of attack, and timbral variation. The C-shaped neck has been meticulously crafted to ensure maximum comfort for the player, making this guitar not only a testament to traditional craftsmanship but also a pleasure to play.

Here are a few words about this special guitar by Sebastiano:

A particular aspect I really like is to also give aesthetic attention to the inside of the instruments, especially by cleaning and taking care of the soundboard. During this process, I usually get inspired by poetry and love to give each instrument its personal poem based on the impression I have at that moment about its future or what is happening around me.

Inside this Caparbia, there is a part of Ghazal n527 by the mystic Persian poet Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī (Rumi). I discovered it from the record “Euphoria- Three Oud Ensemble,” where the Oud player Shahram Gholami sings the ancient words of Rumi's Ghazal n 527 in the song “Frenzy of Love.” Listening to this deeply emotional performance and hearing the pronunciation of the ancient Iranian poet's words made me curious and devoted, even if my understanding is not complete due to the language gap.

This made me write inside the soundboard what Gholami is singing:

If the lover's soul speaks up
The universe will be on fire

And this baseless world will blow up as dust

The smoke will rise from the horizon
No human will remain, no angels.

Abruptly, the fire will rise up from the smoke, and it will conquer the empyrean ( the ninth sky, heaven)