Adrien Savary-Freestone – 2020 Arias

Description

Adrien Savary-Freestone studied cabinet making in Paris before specializing in instrument making in Newark, England, for three years. He then decided to further specialize in Classical Guitar and Lute making with the Flemish makers Walter Verreydt and Dirk de Hertogh at CMB in Puurs, Belgium. Fascinated by historical instruments, he has worked for the lute maker Wolfgang Früh in Paris. In his own workshop in Vincennes, Adrien Savary-Freestone creates instruments based on legendary makers such as Torres, Arias, Bouchet, and Lacôte.

“At CMB, Puurs, I met a lot of students who were building copies of Vicente Arias guitars. I was intrigued, as these guitars are smaller than the traditional one, and extremely thinly built, and yet, every time I played one of them, the sound was always astonishing. I wanted to make one to try to discover the secret behind Arias’s guitars. This guitar is based on a 1889 Arias, and the rosette design was inspired by a 1910 Arias. As an extra challenge, I decided to match the purflings and the rosette. “
This small-bodied, great-hearted guitar is one of the most rewarding and playful instruments we’ve had in the shop for a while. Lightweight and super responsive, it just plays and plays effortlessly. Overall, a very addictive and lovely-looking guitar.