A bit "off topic", A. P. Sharpe's "Make Your Own Spanish Guitar"

I was digging thru a massive single-drawer filing cabinet (looks bomb-proof, maybe atomic bomb proof) that came with the luthier's estate I purchased some years ago. Found many banjo catalogs from the 60s and 70s...and this little book dated 1963. Anyone familiar with it?

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I've never seen or heard of it before. The premise seems optimistic. 

LOL, at 32 pages, it does seem to be a bit shy of information. I'm flipping thru it tonight.

Compare it to the seminal Cumpiano book...which runs a tad deeper at 387pp. Somehow, I think Mr. Sharpe was an IKEA precursor...

LOLOL, it has an advertising flyer tucked in the front:

"Every player of the guitar should read this important book. Welcomed all over the world and the ideal book for the enthusiast"

"The increasing interest in the Spanish Guitar - both as a solo instrument and for accompanying songs - prompted us to publish this absorbing book. Never before has such a complete story been compiled. A book every player of the Spanish Guitar will welcome."

"A complete history of the instrument together with biographies of its famous composers of the past, players and personalities."

"THIRTY-ONE FULL-PAGE HALF-TONE PLATES"

"A special art supplement gies full-page photographs of old and new guitars (front and back views) with complete details of their construction and all relevant measurements."

Price $3.00.

There is a scan of it floating around I found some time ago.  I also have a physical copy of Sharpe’s “Story of the Spanish Guitar” (or whatever it is called).  Very basic info on history then goes into bios on contemporary players.

When I first saw this one I wondered if the real motive was to discourage people from making them… rather to show how difficult it is so they should buy one from CE.

LOL, I was just writing an addendum to my last post. I discovered that the advertisement is for "The Story Of The Spanish Guitar"

The "How To" book probably ought to be categorized more properly with many of the "How To" books of the period (Learn the Saxophone in 12 easy lessons!)...not really enough information for a neophyte and just enough to give the amateur woodworker a bit of "heads up" as to how difficult it really is to actually make a guitar...well, a decent one.

Classical handmade guitars have a tradition that is centuries old. Many famous makers had very little in the way of tools, fixtures and equipment...and this book is based on that tradition. It certainly recognizes that one can't make just one guitar and have it be of concert quality (even though it is trying to lure you in).

I think I could make one based on this book, but I have experience. 50 yrs ago, the result would have looked like hammered, um, excrement. Today I know enough to probably have a good result.

Even more off-topic banjo-wise, but the other day I stumbled on early videos of Ida Presti playing classical guitar as a teenager. It's just stunning. For instance on YouTube there's 1 minute waltz cameo from the film "Le Petit Chose". Wow. And maybe not off-topic since we are playing "guitar-style" banjo. 

Trapdoor2 said:

LOL, I was just writing an addendum to my last post. I discovered that the advertisement is for "The Story Of The Spanish Guitar"

The "How To" book probably ought to be categorized more properly with many of the "How To" books of the period (Learn the Saxophone in 12 easy lessons!)...not really enough information for a neophyte and just enough to give the amateur woodworker a bit of "heads up" as to how difficult it really is to actually make a guitar...well, a decent one.

Classical handmade guitars have a tradition that is centuries old. Many famous makers had very little in the way of tools, fixtures and equipment...and this book is based on that tradition. It certainly recognizes that one can't make just one guitar and have it be of concert quality (even though it is trying to lure you in).

I think I could make one based on this book, but I have experience. 50 yrs ago, the result would have looked like hammered, um, excrement. Today I know enough to probably have a good result.

my friend Henri Dorigny , playing banjolin on this video with Pat , éric & me is Alexandre Lagoya / ida Presti ' student n°001 ..https://youtu.be/Y_0Fk-Xmzs0



Jody Stecher said:

Even more off-topic banjo-wise, but the other day I stumbled on early videos of Ida Presti playing classical guitar as a teenager. It's just stunning. For instance on YouTube there's 1 minute waltz cameo from the film "Le Petit Chose". Wow. And maybe not off-topic since we are playing "guitar-style" banjo. 

Trapdoor2 said:

LOL, I was just writing an addendum to my last post. I discovered that the advertisement is for "The Story Of The Spanish Guitar"

The "How To" book probably ought to be categorized more properly with many of the "How To" books of the period (Learn the Saxophone in 12 easy lessons!)...not really enough information for a neophyte and just enough to give the amateur woodworker a bit of "heads up" as to how difficult it really is to actually make a guitar...well, a decent one.

Classical handmade guitars have a tradition that is centuries old. Many famous makers had very little in the way of tools, fixtures and equipment...and this book is based on that tradition. It certainly recognizes that one can't make just one guitar and have it be of concert quality (even though it is trying to lure you in).

I think I could make one based on this book, but I have experience. 50 yrs ago, the result would have looked like hammered, um, excrement. Today I know enough to probably have a good result.

I imagine he was their guitar student. It's hard to imagine them teaching banjolin.  What does n°001 mean please?

Here is a link to a video (not just audio) of Ida Presti at age 14 (or 13?) playing a Tarrega Vals: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I80e59KaF60&t=3s

Even at that age her hands were amazingly powerful. 



marc dalmasso said:

my friend Henri Dorigny , playing banjolin on this video with Pat , éric & me is Alexandre Lagoya / ida Presti ' student n°001 ..https://youtu.be/Y_0Fk-Xmzs0



Jody Stecher said:

Even more off-topic banjo-wise, but the other day I stumbled on early videos of Ida Presti playing classical guitar as a teenager. It's just stunning. For instance on YouTube there's 1 minute waltz cameo from the film "Le Petit Chose". Wow. And maybe not off-topic since we are playing "guitar-style" banjo. 

Trapdoor2 said:

LOL, I was just writing an addendum to my last post. I discovered that the advertisement is for "The Story Of The Spanish Guitar"

The "How To" book probably ought to be categorized more properly with many of the "How To" books of the period (Learn the Saxophone in 12 easy lessons!)...not really enough information for a neophyte and just enough to give the amateur woodworker a bit of "heads up" as to how difficult it really is to actually make a guitar...well, a decent one.

Classical handmade guitars have a tradition that is centuries old. Many famous makers had very little in the way of tools, fixtures and equipment...and this book is based on that tradition. It certainly recognizes that one can't make just one guitar and have it be of concert quality (even though it is trying to lure you in).

I think I could make one based on this book, but I have experience. 50 yrs ago, the result would have looked like hammered, um, excrement. Today I know enough to probably have a good result.

n°001 = #1 = number one. I would interpret this as her favorite student. This is typical with famous teachers, much like J.P. Cunninghame was Joe Morley's #1 student.

"n°" appears to be the French method. Americans typically use "#". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numero_sign

Thanks, I  thought that might be the case but the zeroes perplexed me. And I wondered if number one meant the best student, or the closest student, or the first student they ever had.  T

Trapdoor2 said:

n°001 = #1 = number one. I would interpret this as her favorite student. This is typical with famous teachers, much like J.P. Cunninghame was Joe Morley's #1 student.

"n°" appears to be the French method. Americans typically use "#". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numero_sign

To be sure, I'm simply engaging in idle speculation. It's raining here and I don't feel like going out to the garage and unboxing more crap...(though I found three Cello tops and three-dozen rough ebony fingerboards yesterday).

I had at least one schoolteacher that used leading zeros, I guess out of habit. Some people feel that the number 1 (one) is easily misinterpreted if it stands alone "1" v "l", etc. Adding leading zeros "001" is sometimes used for such clarity. Modern text might drive the "#1" out of usage soon. A young person (what do they call the latest generation now, Gen Z?) might read that as "hashtag 1"...and be really confused...unless it is some kind of funny hashtag code known only to Gen Z people. =8^0

Just thinking logically and personally, I would say very few teachers might think numerically about their students. Maybe nostalgically: dreamily: "Oh, my first real student was such an idiot..."

Jody Stecher said:

Thanks, I  thought that might be the case but the zeroes perplexed me. And I wondered if number one meant the best student, or the closest student, or the first student they ever had.  T

Trapdoor2 said:

n°001 = #1 = number one. I would interpret this as her favorite student. This is typical with famous teachers, much like J.P. Cunninghame was Joe Morley's #1 student.

"n°" appears to be the French method. Americans typically use "#". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numero_sign

YES Marc , you 're right  , it 's exactly what 001 means 

The bad new is that Henri passed away 12 days ago  ,  i went to his funeral this last wednesday ; some of his students were playing some classical guitar ' pieces 

Trapdoor2 said:

n°001 = #1 = number one. I would interpret this as her favorite student. This is typical with famous teachers, much like J.P. Cunninghame was Joe Morley's #1 student.

"n°" appears to be the French method. Americans typically use "#". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numero_sign

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