What I would Love to have Seen and Heard

In the recent Play/demo offered by my young friend RUPERT BOYD at the Metropolitan Museum of a couple of Museum Rare Instruments, I wish he would have been given permission to play SEGOVIA'S Ramirez and Hauser. As inspected the two instruments through the glass case, they looked ready to dance! When we have an opportunity to aurally taste great instruments, we should be given full rein to make music live on any instrument fit to play.Before posting my review of the event, I just want to thank Rupert for playing so magnificently that afternoon. I has the best seat in the house-right in front of Rupert so  I really got an "EAR FULL" of the sound of each instrument. I felt that the RENE LACOTE ( 1853 ) could have used Gut Strings. About 35 years or so ago, I played a period instrument with gut strings and it was a revelation to be taken into the past sound world that day with the scratchy but sweet sound of those strings. I may be wrong but the Lacote didn't seem to have gut strings but I didn't inspect it closely as the curaters were close by and I didn't want any problems.

What I would have Loved to see and heard were all instruments in "PERIOD GARB" with the contemporary
string tension and of course period music! I would have say played the Sor Variations on the Lacote 1st and then the Ramirez,Hauser and finally the Smallman and Sons. By the way, when GREG SMALLMAN first appeared on the scene, I tried it at BEVERLY MAHERS Guitar Salon here in New York and it had the nastiest Nasal sound! Tremendously loud compared to any guitar but the sound was extremely acrid to my ears. Of course there was no shortage of folks lining up to buy one thanks to the great JOHN WILLIAMS. I was so happy that there were modifications made when Smallman had his sons interact with him because they became true "Dream Guitars". I have tried a few Smallman and Sons over the last several years and they are DREAMS!!!

I would love to be able to play the same composition on "Guitars Through the Ages" and also be able to look and compare the construction,touch and playability of each on a video. Check out what is being done by Guitar Salon International on their website as they present various historical instruments for our pleasure. I have tried great instruments over the decades including some of the greatest Luthiers and I never get tired of making each instrument sound the best it can! With today's extreme range of building techniques, we are in a great world of hard decisions when it comes to selecting a concert worthy instrument. Good luck to those of you who are in the search.

This post is just the beginning of several having to do with selecting a guitar for concert use and I hope that I can shed some light on the process. Check the web for pertinent info and keep that GUITAR LOVE alive!

Gotta have dinner or my wife will spank me!

Don