bill@gourlayguitars.comJan 17, 20192 minBuilding my 1852 Torres replica - the finished product"La Principia". That is the name I gave to my replica. It translates in English as "The Beginning". While it appears that Torres may...
bill@gourlayguitars.comJan 10, 20196 minBuilding my 1852 Torres replica - making a custom wooden "coffin" caseI knew I needed a special case for my Torres replica, one that not only fit, but was befitting of the instrument itself. Due to it's...
bill@gourlayguitars.comJan 2, 20196 minBuilding my 1852 Torres replica - the headstock, neck, and bridgeThe scroll headstock. The moustache bridge. Those are the two elements that really grabbed my attention. Yes, the rosette was also...
bill@gourlayguitars.comDec 25, 20183 minBuilding my 1852 Torres replica - top bracing and inside the boxWorking strictly from photographs of the outside of the 1852 Torres, I had no idea as to what it looked like inside. In fact, I became...
bill@gourlayguitars.comDec 21, 20183 minBuilding my 1852 Torres replica - the back and sidesThe back of the 1852 Torres is comprised of five sections of Brazilian rosewood separated by 1.5mm wide strips of maple that are angled...
bill@gourlayguitars.comDec 18, 20182 minBuilding my 1852 Torres replica - creating the rosetteThe rosette has a central motif of a Greek key with alternating bands of Brazilian rosewood and maple and the herringbone motif on either...
bill@gourlayguitars.comDec 16, 20183 minBuilding my 1852 Torres replica - using the right materials As a builder of classical guitars, I had most of the materials I would need for this project - Spanish cedar, Honduras mahogany, European...
bill@gourlayguitars.comDec 13, 20182 minBuilding my 1852 Torres replica - getting started The activities I describe in these posts took place between June and September of 2018. A follow-on project to build a custom wooden...
bill@gourlayguitars.comDec 12, 20182 minBuilding a replica of a very early Torres Alberto Martinez, in his wonderful online magazine Orfeo, which is devoted to the classical guitar, published an edition in the Spring of...