Classical Guitar & Classical Guitar Kit

[more about the Classical Guitar]

Classical Guitar

Es: Guitarra clásica, Fr: Guitare, De: Guitarre, Gitarre, It: Ghiterra, Chitarra, Ar: Kaitara, Qatar, Cs: Kytara, Da: Guitar, Eo: Gitaro, Eu: Gitarra, La: Cithara Hispanica, Hu: Gitár, Nl: Gitaar, No: Gitar, Pl: Gitara, Pt: Guitarra, Fi: Kitara, Sv: Giarr, Tr: Gitar



	Early romantic guitar by Jean-Nicolas_Grobert, Paris around 1830, in the Musée de la musique, Paris

The shape, construction, and material of classical guitars vary, but typically they have a modern classical guitar shape, or historic classical guitar shape (early guitars).

Today's classical guitar is also called 'Spanish guitar' because was established by the late designs of the 19th century Spanish luthier Antonio Torres Jurado. This type of guitar doesn't correspond to Early Music but it is a direct descendant of very old instruments that survived (with their natural but small evolution) until today.

The ancestries of the modern guitar, like numerous other chordophones, track back through many instruments and thousands of years to ancient central Asia.

During the Middle Ages, instruments called "guitars" with three and four strings were in use but their construction and tuning was different from the modern guitars. In the 13rd century, two types of guitars were known in Spain: The Guitarra Latina had curved sides, flat plates and a single hole and is the forerunner of the modern guitar. The Guitarra Morisca o Sarracena, which was brought to Spain by the Moors or at least was heavily influenced by Moorish instruments, similar to the lute, had a rounded back, an oval soundbox and many sound holes on its soundboard.

The written history of the classical guitar can be traced back to the early 15th century with the development of the 'vihuela de mano' in Spain. While the lute was then becoming popular in other parts of Europe, the Spaniards developed a four course double-string instrument, that had tuning like the later modern guitar except on one string and similar construction. From Spain it spread to Italy. By the 16th century, a fifth double-string had been added. In its most developed form, the vihuela was a guitar-like instrument with six double strings made of gut, tuned like a modern classical guitar with the exception of the third string, which was tuned half a step lower. It has a high sound and is rather large to hold.

From the vihuela to the modern guitar, we can distinguish the renaissance guitar and the baroque guitar. Then, the early guitars of the classical and romantic period (early romantic guitars) which already have single strings but which design and voicing are still such that they have their tonal energy more in the overtones than in the fundamental, giving a bright intimate tone.

Later in Spain a style of music emerged -Francisco Tárrega (1854-1909)-, that favoured a much more thick heavy sound, with far more tonal energy found in the fundamental, and the fan bracing system was approached.

In the mid-19th century, the Spanish luthier Antonio Torres Jurado created a design bigger bodied (similar to those of Scherzer, Guadagnini, etc.), with light materials supported by fan bracing consisting of wooden strips glued inside the body to provide support and particular deep resonance. Torres used a string scale-length of 650 mm, which is usually the standard length for today's modern classical guitars. The Spanish guitar had born.

RWC Classical Guitar


	Guitar by Antonio de Torres, 1890.

The parts for our modern classical guitar kit are made especially for us by one of Spain's leading guitar manufacturers.

We produce two versions called deluxe and standard.

The Deluxe Classical Guitar has rosewood laminated ribs and back, solid cedar soundboard with inset wooden rose, mahogany neck with truss rod, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, and gold plated machine heads.

The Standard Classical Guitar has laminated mahogany ribs and back, laminated cedar soundboard with rose decal, mahogany neck, padouk fingerboard and bridge and chrome plated machine heads.

Each instrument is entirely hand built by 'in-house' experienced craftsmen to special order in our own workshops in Toledo (Spain) to the highest standard of craftsmanship. They come with 12 months warranty and 12 months free access to our 'helpline' for advice on setting up, playing and maintenance.

Classical Guitar Kit


	Finished and Kit RWC Classical Guitar

The same instruments are offered in kit form for home assembly.

The price includes the license to build one instrument for private use and 12 months free access to our 'helpline' for advice on construction, setting up, playing and maintenance.

To ensure success, even for the first time builder, each kit includes:
A fully dimensioned life-size drawing and working template,
A manual with clear and concise step-by-step full assembly instructions.
A set of photographs illustrating further each stage.

The Deluxe Classical Guitar Kit provides the builder with a set of ribs bent to shape.

The wooden rose is already glue onto the soundboard.

A fully shaped neck with truss rod, a fretted fingerboard, a shaped bridge, the gold plated machine heads, a set of nylon strings, wood glue and all the necessary linings and braces complete the kit.

The Standard Classical Guitar Kit provides the builder with a set of ribs bent to shape

A fully shaped neck, a fretted fingerboard, a shaped bridge, the chrome plated machine heads, a set of nylon strings, wood glue and all the necessary linings and braces complete the kit.

Classical Guitar Technical Plan


	Finished and Kit RWC Classical Guitar

You can make the same Classical Guitar from scratch, following detailed step-by-step instructions through the construction process in a clear and concise manner.

A fully dimensioned life-size drawing with templates and a set of photographs illustrate each stage.

The price includes the license to build one instrument for private use and 12 months free access to our 'helpline' for advice on construction, setting up, playing and maintenance.

This icon indicates that you can choose between the hard copy of the documents sent by postal mail, or the downloadable electronic files, in pdf format to your computer. In order to view and print the pdf files, you need the free 'Acrobat Reader' program installed in your computer. Life-size drawings require large printers. Electronic documents have a reduced price, don't have shipping costs, but are non-refundable.

Classical Guitar Accessories and Spare Parts

Classical Guitar Availability and delivery time

Not all of the items listed on our site are available immediately. Products without a reference nor a price are rarely available for quick dispatch. If you are interested in them, please contact us.

We publish standard availability, which means that this product usually ships in that time since it has been ordered. But at the specific time of your order, that interval can be longer or smaller depending on many production factors. In addition, you still will have to wait for your product to arrive (delivery time). [More info about availability & delivery dates]

	Finished Instrument		Three months
	Kit		Three weeks
	Drawing		Three days