Favino archive updates

djangology

I added a few more guitars to the favino archive:

http://www.djangology.net/favinoarchive ... ino125.htm
http://www.djangology.net/favinoarchive ... ino153.htm
http://www.djangology.net/favinoarchive ... ino459.htm
http://www.djangology.net/favinoarchive ... ino610.htm

and 2 more archtops coming soon to the archive...

djangology

ok, i have the 2 other guitars up also:

http://www.djangology.net/favinoarchive ... inoAT1.htm
http://www.djangology.net/favinoarchive ... inoAT2.htm

Ando

I've been reading an interesting and enjoyable book about Antonio Stradivari. It seems at least some of his violins (perhaps all of them) were braced longitudinally with a carved/scalloped brace called the "bass bar." Its function was to provide rigidity, and therefore to distribute string energy in selective ways to different parts of the top. That was *it* as far as bracing was concerned. Of course the top was carved, which itself added structural benefits, as did a soundpost.

Now as I understand it, Jacques Favino is famous for changing the body dimensions of the Selmac and for altering its bracing pattern in some way. I've only played two: an excellent long scale petite bouche, and a decent but not outstanding short-scale grande bouche. My experience is positive but limited.

Can anyone provide specifics about J. Favino's structural innovations to the Selmac guitar? We all know about their tonal distinctiveness, if at second hand. But for the engineering types among us, it would be good to get the facts straight. Ted? Scot?

The reason I bring up Stradivari is that nobody seems to talk much about f-hole Selmacs. Personally, I think they're incredibly cool. I also think the f-holes provide an opportunity to experiment with a longitudinal brace. For example, would it work to have a carved longitudinal brace for about half the distance from neck block to tail block, and then have a lateral brace located where it could provide support for the bridge but also be placed or carved in a way that it exposed certain parts of the lower bouts to vibration in beneficial ways?

Maybe all this ruminating is just my trying to digest the cabbage and spatzle I had for dinner... or maybe it's my way of avoiding spending yet another half-hour thinking about displaced people in Louisiana. I don't mean to belabor anything or turn Jon's nice picture thread into some navel-gazing nonsense. But Maccaferri's innovations really leave the door open to this kind of discussion, particularly when along comes someone like Jacques and JP Favino, who continued and continue the entire tradition of innovating Selmacs while remaining deeply connected to the desires and interests of players.

Needless to say, that last sentence isn't meant to be exclusive. We're living in a golden age of Selmac luthiery.

Cheers,
Ando

PS -- The book is by Tony Faber and is called _Stradivari's Genius_. Nicely done, with B&W drawings and pictures.

Ando

I really should do some research before posting inane questions:

http://www.djangology.net/favinoarchive ... g/Bracing/

Cheers,
A

djangology

it was really really hard to come by those photos... I wish I could get a photo from **** , of the inside of a Hommage...

I just added #801:

http://www.djangology.net/favinoarchive ... ino801.htm

trumbology

djangology wrote:

it was really really hard to come by those photos... I wish I could get a photo from **** , of the inside of a Hommage...

What are you most curious about on the Hommage?

Thanks for going after the photos, and for doing the archive in the first place.

djangology

ive almost got 100 guitars up there (if you include the Busatos)...

i am just curious if the bracing of the Park favino model, the Dell Arte favino models, and the actual Favinos (jean-pierre vs. jacques) are all actually the same. at this point in time, this is unknown to me...