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Been scraping the bottom of the internet trying to find some pics or drawings of Santos bracing patterns with no luck.
I know the Ramirez 1912 was done by Santos, and the Courtnall is a Flamenco.

According to the "La Chitarra Di Liuteria"
"The Style of this guitar maker remained almost unchanged throughout out the 1920's" p.117

"Later, the Strutting system of these instrument was developed: the point of convergence of the fan, traditionally calculated at about the fifteenth fret was extended to a point almost beyond the instrument itself, resulting in an almost parallel structure. p.118

So what I'm trying to figure out is what Santos sounded like before the late 1920's and what he sounded like after the early 1930's. And did that change in sound have anything to do with the change in angle of the struts/bracing pattern.

So If any one can point me in the right direction it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance
Elman

I've been curious about Santos' later work too but couldn't find much either. In any case, the 1912 is basically a Torres clone, just that the fan is a little bit more spread. For his flamenco guitars he first let go of the closing bars, and then made the fan braces almost parallel. All these are gradual steps towards loosening the plate more in the crossgrain direction. What is the sound change? Likely more and more flamenco and less "classical"

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Build log

Besides what's been published in Courtnall and Urlik, this is all I have:

A G.A.L. search will show some pics by Eugene Clark .
Mike

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Mike Collins

Thanks Mike.
I could not find anything using a combined search of "Santos Hernandez" and "Eugene Clark"
Maybe I missed something.
Is it in a specific issue?

Hi David

I did a restoration on a 1928.
The shaping of the braces look identical to your pics.
Mine had six braces instead of seven but it is essentially the same as your.
I'd love to find some post 1930 pics of Santos's bracing.

Thanks

Elman

I just found this (1 picture of a 1920 Santos Hernandez).

Cypress guitar in the collection of Casa Luthier in Barcelona, no other info. Any crap about bracing evolution is just that. There are not enough of his instruments to talk about evolution as opposed to different bracing for different needs.

John Ray
Granada

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John Ray
Granada, Spain
blog: http://www.granadaexpert.com/johnray/

I don't see the photo that I attached to my post ???

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John Ray
Granada, Spain
blog: http://www.granadaexpert.com/johnray/

John
That looks like a Barbero. I know Barbero was influence greatly by Santos as Barbero was hired by La Viuda de Santos to finish Santo's' unfinished instruments after Santos died in 1943.
It looks like Barbero adopted the Bracing pattern that Santos used from 1930 to 1943?

" There are not enough of his instruments to talk about evolution as opposed to different bracing for different needs."

Can you elaborate a little bit more.
Did Santos use different patterns after 1930 or just the one you show in your pic?

Thanks Guys

Johns picture of his bracing looks just like the Santos one
on the cover of the GAL #65/spring2001
Mike

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Mike Collins