The small size and simplicity of this instrument made its use and popularity immediately widespread in the 17th Century. There are a few essential things that create a very different instrument from the modern day Spanish Classical Guitar.
The construction and sound of the instrument centers around the string selection and technology of the day. The pairs of strings or “courses” are used to create a stronger sound when soft gut strings are used. This guitar was made at the beginning of metal wound gut string technology, and centuries before nylon string technology. Building an instrument that is to be strung with gut requires low string tension, and in order to compensate for the lack of potential energy and volume in gut strings, the body of the guitar is built very lightly.
I completed this Baroque guitar in spring of 2017. European spruce top, birdseye maple back and sides. I made this instrument from the measurements of the existing Stradivari instruments. Most of the detail is from the Sabionari model.
