Description
Gerhard Oldiges started to build guitars in the late seventies while studying and after graduating he completed a two-year apprenticeship as a guitar maker. After that, he first worked in a guitar repair workshop and took part in a guitar-making course given by José Romanillos in 1988, with whom he is still friends today and whose courses he has regularly attended since 1996. Gerhard Oldiges is intensively engaged in the history of the Spanish guitar building. Thus, a special focus of his work is the replication of old Spanish master instruments by Antonio de Torres, Vicente Arias, Manuel Ramírez, and others.
This beautiful guitar is a replica of Francisco Tarrega’s first Antonio de Torres guitar. The original 1864 instrument, designated FE17 in the catalog of J. L. Romanillos, is richly decorated and features most of the decorative motifs used by A. de Torres during his career. One can, for example, identify the meander (a Greek orthogonal ornament), delicate green and white herringbones, the chessboard pattern, and the lozenge. This 1997 Gerhard Oldiges instrument is in excellent condition with no cracks nor repairs and almost no traces of playing on the shellac.
This guitar has an incredibly dense and focussed sound, with steady sustain and abundant overtones. These features are truly surprising on a maple guitar of this size and featuring a tornavoz, but one must say this instrument is an exploit! It plays flawlessly and develops a charming, elegant tone. Chapeau!
Luthier: | Gerhard Oldiges |
Construction year: | 1997 |
Top: | Spruce |
Back and sides: | Maple |
Scale: | 650 mm |
Nut: | 51,5 mm |
Weight: | 1415 grams |
Air resonance frequency: | E |
Tuners: | Rubner |
Case: | Bam case |
Condition: | Excellent |