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PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 5:33 am 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Location: Argyle New York
First name: Mike/Mikey/Michael/hey you!
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Sens post about humidity got me wondering if any of you have the Romanillos book?
It's worth every penny !!!!
I build a guitar using all the demensions (for everything) and it was a sweet box!!
Got sold right away!
Now I use many of those ideas in my guitars all the time!


www.collinsguitars.com

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PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 6:26 am 
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I have the Torres book by Romanillos too.  It gives a whole new perspective to his building philosophy than what I had previously imagined.  What made me buy that book was the Courtnall book on construction.  Now I also have the "Masterpieces of Guitar Making", with the CD, and having read the Torres book, and looking at the color pictures of those guitars, and listening to them being played, is an awesome experience.  It takes me on a journey into the past, and really gets my juices, for working in the shop, going.

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PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 8:34 am 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Mike as I mentioned in my post on the other thread, everyone should have the Romanillos book. Joshua, who as many know here, I consider to be a true world class builder and the great influence on my current thinking, made me go out and buy the book.

Well I did, and again, and again! I have three copies, one in my study at home, one next to my bed (well I have been married more than 30 years) and one in my office at work. I have a need to always have it to hand.

I'm currently building FE19, with others planned.

I have long built and restored historical instruments, and the more I have, the more important the historical perspective on the instrument has become.

Colin

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PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 8:43 am 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Location: Argyle New York
First name: Mike/Mikey/Michael/hey you!
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Zip/Postal Code: 12809
Country: U.S.A. /America-yea!!
Focus: Build
Status: Professional
Nice !
You are blessed!3 COPIES!!!!!!!
There is so much to learn in that one book !
It should be required reading for all instrument makers!
Thanks for you post!

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PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 3:08 pm 
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Cocobolo
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 Mike,


 Absolutely!


I bought the first edition when it appeared in the early nineties. If you have the later edition, look up SE 151A. That is a guitar that I discovered right here in Albany in the late 1980's. I communicated the specs to Jose' way back in 1991 and he and Marian were kind enough to give me a thanks in the acknowldgements of the second edition.


I agree that this book should be in every builder's library and is the foundation for everything published on Torres since.


The Courtnall book is fine as a builders manual but the specs on the Torres instruments as well as others are quite general and inaccurate in many details. Last year I built a copy of SE 114 using Jeffrey Elliott's plan which was generated when he restored that guitar for Sheldon Urlik. It is quite detailed and I highly recommend it. I've also started a copy of the 151A guitar based on the documentation I assembled when I had it in my possession.


The most interesting wrinkle here is that Jose' recently completed a cypress classical using the Torres pattern and feels it is his best work to date and that the Torres design needs much more exploration. We had the choice of building his standard pattern or doing the Torres at the course this summer. Many chose to do the Torres, including myself, I felt that it would be a further exploration of the design and would further my understanding of it.       



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PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 3:41 pm 
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Cocobolo
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 3:42 pm 
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Cocobolo
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Above, copy of Torres SE 114 from Elliott GAL plan.


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PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 3:45 pm 
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Beautiful, Dave.  

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PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 4:04 pm 
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Rosette detail:



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PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 4:09 pm 
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Cocobolo
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Headstock:


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PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 4:15 pm 
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Cocobolo
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 4:16 pm 
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Cocobolo
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Neck Heel detail:


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PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 4:39 pm 
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Cocobolo
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Torres SE 151A: (sorry about the inverted label......)



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PostPosted: Sat Sep 29, 2007 3:25 am 
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David: Thanks for posting those pictures.

Great SE114 copy! Really a stunning guitar. Who made the machines?

A second epoch Torres is on my list of chores, for certain. I've never made an exact Torres copy or replica. Generally I try to stay as close to Torres as possible in construction and use my own aesthetics. But I've got a burn to do some exact replicas. Your SE114 is inspiring.

do you have a closeup of the SE151A rosette?

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PostPosted: Sat Sep 29, 2007 7:36 am 
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Cocobolo
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 29, 2007 7:37 am 
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Cocobolo
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Joshua, here you are.


The machines on the 114 copy are Rogers.



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PostPosted: Sat Sep 29, 2007 8:30 am 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:10 pm
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Location: Argyle New York
First name: Mike/Mikey/Michael/hey you!
Last Name: Collins
City: Argyle
State: New York
Zip/Postal Code: 12809
Country: U.S.A. /America-yea!!
Focus: Build
Status: Professional
Dave;
Nice to see & talk to ya in Saratoga today!

That 114 is beautiful!!
As was the guitar you brought today!

Is that the original bridge on 151A ?

Let's get together more often my friend!
let us all know what you think of the fish glue !

Mike   


www.collinsguitars.com

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PostPosted: Sat Sep 29, 2007 2:59 pm 
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Cocobolo
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Good to see you too Mike!


The bridge does appear to be the original (on kinda crooked....)


SE 151 A was made in the last year of Torres' life (1892) and some think he was not wholly responsible for it (handwriting on the label appears to be someone elses).


Thanks again for the fish glue!



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