Carcassi mini recital - Studies Op 60 nos 3, 16 and 7 played on a Staufer guitar from c 1830

I wanted to make this video more of a recital-performance, hence the creative use of lighting and a more concert-acoustic sound. Each recording is a first take.
The guitar is an original instrument from the company J G Staufer (sometimes spelt Stauffer but its Staufer on the label inside this one) who operated in Vienna in the early 19th century. It is a Luigi Legnani model, and in common with other Staufer guitars is not dated, however it was probably made in the late 1820s or early 1830s. The fingerboard and neck have been modified at some stage, the upper fingerboard being separated and glued onto the top of the guitar.
The instrument is roughly the dimensions of a modern 3/4 size guitar, including the fingerboard and scale length. It is quite hard to play cleanly because the strings are that much closer together - that's my excuse!
In this performance I am not attempting to replicate the kind of technique that Carcassi would have employed, for instance I am using the 'a' finger all the time in the modern way. However this instrument was made and played during Carcassi's lifetime and guitar technique varied greatly throughout Europe at this time.
The strings are not gut (I tried a set once - yuk!) but the trebles are Nylgut, nylon strings formulated to imitate the sound and feel of gut. I tried Nylgut basses but they were not very good, and didn't sound very different to normal ones.
C F Martin was an apprentice and/or employee of Staufer until his emigration to the US in 1833.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Carcassi
• mini
• recital
• classical
• guitar
• Staufer
• Stauffer
• Stephen
• Kenyon

[phombuspucker]

wow. that guitar has perfect intonation. has it been refretted?

[JacarandaMusic]

@phombuspucker no it was not refretted to my knowledge, and there was no sign of such. I have the impression most Staufer type guitars have very accurate frets. However there was an issue with that guitar and the position of its bridge, which was alleviated by the luthier who fixed some cracks, though that left a problem playing over the XIIth fret; which of course this repertoire doesn't do that often.

[peterhguk]

Great set of performances, very enjoyable. I have two of these on my own channel, but not so controlled :o)

[moregreatmusic]

Nice channel.

Please check out my new performance of some de Visée music aswell.

Regards from Stockholm

[nostberg]

Thank you for the Staufer guitar sounds. My original is not playable at present. I have images of my J.G.Staufer plus x rays on my site so folks can see the internal construction to better understand the difference between these instruments and modern classical guitars. Google, Classical Guitar Construction Ostberg and scroll down to Staufer guitar. The back and sides sides of my Staufer has spruce internal lining. European spruce top,walnut back,ebonized beech neck,walnut bridge and ornament

[JonGUK]

Excellent recording. I love the sound of a "room" when recording instruments. It brings them to life. Nice playing too.

[jjobie]

I suspect the trebly effect is a combination of the instrument and the result of the recording...as for the knocking, your guitar is quite obviously haunted.

:P

[JacarandaMusic]

Oops maybe shouldn't have drawn attention to it if its not that obvious...its a faint background knocking sound, I think it was something in the recording chain rather than my neighbours' DIY.

[axedaddy1]

Sorry I dont understand what you mean. Whats this ' phantom' your referring to?

[JacarandaMusic]

Btw I'd forgotten how bad the phantom knocking was! Sorry about that, at least the phantom hasn't been back...