http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLpEHg1wShk
This rather plainly adorned but beautifully proportioned instrument made by Antonio Torres has some interesting features. The Lute style bridge lends itself to a greater 'action' and intonation adjustment than first appearances suggest. By virtue of the way in which the strings are tied a height adjustment of 3 mm's or more can be achieved. That transfers to an action change of at least 1.5 mm's at fret 12. Going from say a low 2.5 mm's on the high 'E' to a very high 4 mm's can be achieved simply by releasing a little string tension and adjusting the position of the string on the Bridge. Again Intonation adjustment is quickly altered by moving the loop of the string further away from the Bridge tie block.
In some ways the Torres Guitar has some similarities to the Vihuela. Not only in the type of Bridge but in the lack of any form of bracing past the lower harmonic bar. The absence of any bracing seems rather odd to see on a 19 th century Guitar where the use of ladder and fan bracing was well established. It also seems incredible that such a soundboard can withstand the string tension. With it's 11 strings the combined string tension found on the Vihuela can easily exceed 30 K, not that dissimilar to the probable tension placed on the soundboard of the Torres Guitar. The Vihuela resists the string tension quite adequately and there is no reason to think that the Torres Guitar will behave any different, especially considering it's low soundboard aggregate.
Despite the Torres instrument being made of modest materials, a Spartan approach in terms of ornamentation and prompt methods in construction there is no doubt that such an instrument can sound as fine as lavishly adorned Guitars. Although Richard Brune is playing Flamenco on the small Torres there is no reason to believe that Flamenco was the intended style of music for this Guitar. It can easily be considered to have a firm footing in the Romantic Guitar style of a slightly earlier period. Indeed String length and the actual soundboard aggregate is very similar to that found on French Romantic Guitars.
This rather plainly adorned but beautifully proportioned instrument made by Antonio Torres has some interesting features. The Lute style bridge lends itself to a greater 'action' and intonation adjustment than first appearances suggest. By virtue of the way in which the strings are tied a height adjustment of 3 mm's or more can be achieved. That transfers to an action change of at least 1.5 mm's at fret 12. Going from say a low 2.5 mm's on the high 'E' to a very high 4 mm's can be achieved simply by releasing a little string tension and adjusting the position of the string on the Bridge. Again Intonation adjustment is quickly altered by moving the loop of the string further away from the Bridge tie block.
In some ways the Torres Guitar has some similarities to the Vihuela. Not only in the type of Bridge but in the lack of any form of bracing past the lower harmonic bar. The absence of any bracing seems rather odd to see on a 19 th century Guitar where the use of ladder and fan bracing was well established. It also seems incredible that such a soundboard can withstand the string tension. With it's 11 strings the combined string tension found on the Vihuela can easily exceed 30 K, not that dissimilar to the probable tension placed on the soundboard of the Torres Guitar. The Vihuela resists the string tension quite adequately and there is no reason to think that the Torres Guitar will behave any different, especially considering it's low soundboard aggregate.
Despite the Torres instrument being made of modest materials, a Spartan approach in terms of ornamentation and prompt methods in construction there is no doubt that such an instrument can sound as fine as lavishly adorned Guitars. Although Richard Brune is playing Flamenco on the small Torres there is no reason to believe that Flamenco was the intended style of music for this Guitar. It can easily be considered to have a firm footing in the Romantic Guitar style of a slightly earlier period. Indeed String length and the actual soundboard aggregate is very similar to that found on French Romantic Guitars.