Stephen Hill Spruce CSA Rosewood 640mm scale

Stephen began building classical guitars in 1985 and has been influenced in his work by luthiers such as Manuel Reyes, and Antonio Marin Montero.   His guitars then reflect very strongly the Spanish tradition, though he has refined the sound over time as his experience has grown, such that he now enjoys an international reputation.  Although he has now moved to Spain, he is still thought of as being one of the UK's leading luthiers.

The guitar is one of Stephen's 1A designs, No 74, which was made in 1999 as a special commission with a 640mm scale length for a professional lady player who owned the guitar from new.  It has a Spruce top, CSA Rosewood back and sides, an Ebony fretboard and Schaller Grand Tune tuning machines.  The guitar shows signs of wear having been played over its lifetime, though this adds to its character as a fine well-loved instrument.  It has a fan-braced structure with Stephen's own variation.  There is a small repaired and cleated crack adjacent to the edge of the lower bout which, because of its marginal position, does not affect the sound of the the guitar, which is of concert quality with very good projection, fine trebles and a rounded mature bass.  Overall the guitar has a depth and maturity of sound which one would expect from a Spruce guitar which has been fully played in, and is an excellent example of Stephen's skills as a luthier of international repute.

Price £2,750