Is there a difference between a concert classical guitar and a (e)studio classical guitar? - created 10-30-2009
magennis, simon - 10/30/2009.07:05:36
Classical guitars are often classified as "master" guitars, "concert" guitars, "estudio" guitars "student" guitars and maybe in a number of other ways too. Does this nomenclature related to the builder's intention? Is it purely a marketing ploy to create a differentiation for price levels?
I have seen a discussion somewhere suggesting that concert/master guitars should be able to be heard in concert hall (lets say 300 plus seat) whereas something classified as "estudio" might be good for a performance in a smaller venue with maybe 100-150 seats. I have no idea whether this is a valid kind of description: if it is a valid description, then is this as a result of a plan by the builder to build for these purposes or is it an after the fact classification depending on the loudness/projection of the instrument.
Anyone able to clarify this for me? Or failing that, add some additional confusion. ;-)
It usually means that master guitars or concert guitars are carefully constructed by a master or a couple of master craftsmen or women. Student guitars or lower tier guitar are just meant to be more affordable. Often they are made from wood selected by the master craftsman, but sent to be fabricated offsite in a factory where everyone else gets their mass produced guitars made.
Lower tier guitars are often pretty good for what they are, but they are made from a recipe and don't receive as much sweat and personal oversight as a "master " grade guitar. The differences just provide a big shop with various price levels so they can sell to the person with a few hundred dollars or a thousand dollars or six thousand dollars.
Some musicians are just plain cheap skates who don't believe in expensive guitars. The student models appeal to them for price reasons. The joke is on them however, ha ha, because a good instrument sounds good and may cost some bucks and less expensive one often does not do the job as well. There are over priced master guitars to be sure, but in guitars you usually get what you pay for.
As far as loud, some inexpensive guitars can be really loud. Some really beautifully voiced guitars can be shy about volume. That's what microphones were invented for.
Simon,
A concert guitar is in many, many cases built by a man who has reached (or really decides he will reach) a level of quality and reputation that allows him to live with an individual (or quasi individual) production. Almost all operations are carried by him (except in some cases French polish). That means a level of production that could go up to roughly 10/15 to 20/25 guitars a year. Hence the price.
An "estudio model" is very often made according to specs defined by a Maestro and in some cases with woods approved by him, but in large workshops with a medium to high division of labour. Sometimes near from industry level. Of course all very time consuming processes (FP is an example but many other things too) are avoided and this explain an important change of price bracket.
I would represent the distributions of qualities of the two categories with two Gaussian curves.. and some overlap, but not a lot.
You find most often decent uses of pricing freedom in this profession. With some exceptions of course. And the final willingness to pay is in each buyer's mind. A question of heart more than reason as in other artistic activity.. in the upper crust of the craft. Plus now some speculation for the upper, upper. My feeling.
Forgot to answer your loudness/projection criterion question. It is true that if you pretend to the concert guitar maker status you better reach nowadays some loudness/projection level. But many other factors play a role that cannot be quantified. The concert hall test includes ..the player and the expertise of his body, legs excepted for classical concerts