What Is A Fine Guitar?

In writing the outline for a book called Making a Fine Guitar, the question has been plaguing me, just what in the hell is a fine guitar?

There is no definitive answer but the quest has led me on many walks up the canyon with my dog.  It’s called a gulch and in its bottom are stones of all colors, patterns, and feel.  Some I pick up put in my pocket to look at later, other get a quick glance and a toss.

So it is with instruments.  I’ve spent my life with guitars, repairing, restoring and building them.  Guitars are just tools to play music.  Fine guitars go hand in hand with fine players and it’s very difficult to examine one without the other.  My mentor, Yuris Zeltins, likened them to fine cars.  He’d say what do you want a Maserati for?  You don’t have the skill to drive it!

I took up surfing again in 1969 when I returned from Southeast Asia.  A friend lent me a board to use till I could have one made.  I discovered that the board couldn’t do things I asked of it.  I wanted to turn fast, it couldn’t do it.  I wanted to speed up, Nope.  I was actually a better surfer than the board, hard to believe!

So when Yuris talked in this manner about fine instruments I made the connection and began to observe our customers with more attention to their needs.

Over the years we continued to refine our skills and broaden our awareness to meet the challenges that players demanded.  Our knowledge deepened.  Our confidence grew and we began to feel as if we had a sound foundation under us.

Then one day our old friend and customer, Pepe Romero, came into the shop carrying a beat up case.

     “Is Yuris here?” he asked.

     “No, Pepe, he’ll be back in about an hour.” I said.

     “Well, look what I’ve got” he replied with a tinge of excitement.

We opened the case and in it was a Herman Hauser guitar from the 30’s.  Hauser was the patriarch of now 3 generations of fine German classical guitar makers.

Pepe pulled the guitar out of the case and presented it to me as if it were a fine jewel. I looked it over and it was beat.  It looked as if it had spent its life in a pub.  

     “Where did you find it? I gulped.

     “In East Germany, I was there to do a concert in Berlin and went over to the East to look for instruments.  Isn’t it wonderful?”

     “Yes” I lied, “but it does need some work”

     “Oh, I know.  I’m returning to Germany in two weeks to play a concert in honor of the Hauser family and I want to use this instrument.  Will Yuris be able to do the work by then?”

     “Well, he’ll be able to get it to play the way you like but he won’t have time to do all the rest” I said.  “It needs a lot of tender work to get it back into shape.”

Pepe said that was fine and left.

I sat down with the guitar and played it a bit. It was a dog, a total disappointment.

So when Yuris came in, I gave him the rundown of the conversation with Pepe.  He opened the case took out the guitar, looked it over, sat down at his bench and began to play. 

I waited.

Then he looked at me and says,

    “He wants to play this in a concert?”

    “Yep, not only that, he thinks it’s wonderful.”

Yuris shook his head in dismay.  He had such admiration for Pepe I could see the distress in his face. 

     “It’s a real pile” I said.

     “It sure is” He replied.

During the next week he got the guitar set up the way Pepe needed for concert play and when he finally put on a new set of strings I went over to his bench.

     “Well?” I said

     Yuris scowled, “There’s no way he can play this in a concert…there’s just no way!”

The next day Pepe came in.  Yuris said to him

    "The guitar plays fine but I've got some bad news".

    "Yes?" Pepe said with a smile.

    "The guitar sounds terrible, I can't see how you can play this in the concert," 

Yuris said with genuine concern.

    "Well, let's see" Pepe replied as he opened his case. 

He sat down, tuned the guitar a bit and began to play. What came out was the sweetest, most angelic, unbelievably charming sound that I had ever heard.  My chest heaved and tears welled up in my eyes.  I looked at Yuris and he too was moved to tears.

Pepe continued to play a few more minutes and when he stopped and looked at both of us he said, “Its beautiful isn’t it.”

    “I don’t know anything about guitars.” Yuris said.  

This, coming from one of the world’s greatest luthiers.

Stephen Neal-Saqui lives in the mountains of Idaho where he builds fine acoustic and archtop guitars.  After nearly 40 years as a luthier he has begun to write about his unique experiences throughout the years.  His new website www.salmonriverguitars.com is up but not quite completed.  Interested parties are encouraged to contact him here at Gather or: salmonriverguitars@yahoo.com