Classical Guitar Festival Experiences, Part 2

“Is that who I think it is?” I asked Frank as one of the vendors walked by his table.

“Yes, it is.” he replied.

“I should go over to their table and try out one of their guitars.”

“They make double tops” Frank said with some disdain. He continued to play my guitar, I kept quiet and avoided that table all week.

Frank then launched into “Muneira”, the finale of Federico Mompou’s Suite Compostelana, his playing was furious and wonderful, I had no problem hearing the guitar in the cacophony of other guitarists playing other vendor guitars in hopes of finding one that was truly great. 

When Frank finish the piece, he looked up, smiled at me and proclaimed, “I could play a full concert on this guitar tonight!”

“Well, why don’t you?”

“The powers-that-be do not seem to think I am fit enough to be on the marquee!”

Later that afternoon, Frank began to sing, his assistant accompanied him on a guitar and a hush fell over the entire space as everyone listened to his wonderful voice.

What a Concert Classical Guitarist Says About My Guitars

I have had the pleasure of playing the magnificent guitars made by the luthier Wilson Burnham. The first impression that one perceives is the beautiful and fine aesthetics of his meticulous craftsmanship, but the most important thing for a concert guitarist is to be able to reveal all the expression, dynamics and musicianship that only the fine instruments can offer us and  without a doubt that is what we find in Wilson’s guitars: balance, elegance, color, volume, dynamics and a fast response, a sound that flies, catches and embraces not only the player but also the audience. An ideal guitar for the professional soloist and also for the serious student. Highly recommended!

Alfredo Muro

Concert Guitarist

Classical Guitar Festival Experiences , Part 1

A couple years back, I was a vendor at an international guitar festival and in the first minutes of the opening day a gentleman approached my table and began looking at two western red cedar/East Indian rosewood guitar I had made. He complimented how they looked, then took one from its stand and played it. After several minutes of playing he tried the other cedar topped guitar and when he was finished with that one he asked me for prices, I told him that both were $3000. His eyes got big and asked “Really?” He returned the guitar to its stand and said, “I will be back!” Fifteen minutes later he returned with a friend and I immediately recognized his friend who was well known East coast classical guitar maker. The friend didn’t introduce himself and made no attempt to acknowledge my existence, and sat down opposite the gentleman who was already playing the first guitar he tried. 

“What do you think?”, the gentleman asked his friend.

“What is the price of the guitar?”, the friend asked.

“$3000.”

“Play the other one for me.”

The gentleman got up, got the second guitar and began to play it.

“Well, what do you think?”

“This guitar is more open sounding than the previous guitar. What is the price?”

“The same. Should I buy it?”

“No. They are too cheap.” The guitar maker immediately got up and walked away.

The gentleman sat in the chair holding the guitar randomly picking notes while looking at the floor. He rose from the chair, put the guitar back in the stand, looked at me with a shoulder shrug and walked away.