Maple Guitar Currently Available

This beautiful guitar is now available.  Please see my website for details.  Professional and student discounts available.

Comments on this very guitar: (See related post about Newton and Grimes)

"This guitar is really good, man!  Listen to those bases!"

-Dr. Greg Newton, President of the American Guitar Society

"I recently had the pleasure of playing a guitar by Tomas Borobia.  It was a spruce-top/maple-body instrument that was fresh from the workshop, and it already had a distinctive and satisfying quality.  I was struck by how the registers and the individual notes were so even and well matched.  The workmanship was excellent, and this is a very fine instrument.  I will be happy to recommend Borobia's guitars, and I look forward to hearing them in the hands of many high-level players."

-David Grimes, Internationally renowned performer and Cal State Fullerton Professor of Guitar 

Greg Newton and David Grimes

I recently attended a concert performed by internationally renowned performers Dr.Gregory Newton (President of the American Guitar Society) and Professor David Grimes (Veteran Professor at Cal State Fullerton).  The pair played a variety of duets and solos, including a duet by contemporary Mexican Composer Julio Cesar Oliva.  They also played one of my recently finished guitars.  (See their comments)

Oliva's piece called "Caballo de Troya" was AMAZING!  The story behind the piece is a bit bizarre - an alien spacecraft/time machine takes people back to the time of Christ's Passion in the Holy Land...or that's what I remember Dr. Newton telling us.

The tone of the piece (in three parts) was appropriately lenten in its themes and overall character - perfect for a somber Lent afternoon.  Lots of dusty sounding sul ponticello in minor keys.  I heard Spanish and Middle Eastern themes throughout the piece, but they were woven together in a way that never became cliche.  The composition and its expertly executed performance kept us interested and excited the entire piece.

One of the most notable parts of the performance was something I had never heard before.  At various times during the piece, one of the players would shift to a sul ponticello position, while the other would shift to dolce.  At the same time, one would play forte and the other piano (I'm not sure which did what).  The effect this dynamic timbre shift had on me was incredible!  The music became three-dimensional for a brief moment, almost like a solid object moving slowly around my head.

Oliva's music is something fresh and unique.  I had never heard it.  According to Dr. Newman, his work has not yet been recorded.  Dr. Newton and Professor Grimes know the composer personally, and have traveled all over the world introducing his music to an ever increasing audience.  If you have a chance to see them in concert please don't miss the opportunity!

After the concert, both performers had a chance to play my recently finished Maple/Spruce guitar.  They were both shocked and pleased with the volume, tone, playability and evenness across the strings and registers.  Please visit my website to see their comments in more detail.

Discounts Available for Spring 2010!

Too many great classical guitar players can't afford a good guitar.  I am always finding ways to lower my costs so that I can keep my guitars in the hands of people who can really use them!  I am currently offering discounts for professional players and serious classical guitar students.  Please email me to find out more.

Tomas Borobia
tomas@latticeguitar.com
www.latticeguitar.com

Adjustable Soundport

What is the "Adjustable Sound Port"?

 

A sound port is simply extra sound hole placed somewhere other than on the top.  Many modern guitar designs benefit from the extra breathing room provided by these extra holes.  My sound port's placement is discrete, and allows the player to hear more subtle nuances when opened.  But the sound port can also affect the sound the audience hears.

 

A fully opened port opens and deepens the lower and middle range, in effect deepening and darkening the overall tone.  It also increases overall volume.  Closing it restrains the bases slightly, making the guitar more balanced across the strings.  In all cases the trebles remain crisp and powerful.  The adjustable port feature allows you to fine-tune the voicing to fit your style and the type of music, further increasing the tonal palette of your instrument.

 

My adjustable sound port design is simple, discrete, and elegant.  It does not rattle or buzz, nor will it wear out.  It is the only design I know of in the world that: a) can be adjusted to any degree you wish, b) can be easily adjusted with one finger, even while playing, and c) does not require that you add or remove anything from the guitar - ever.

Please let me know if you have any questions.
I would love to make you a HIGH PERFORMANCE guitar!
-Tomas

www.latticeguitar.com

760-213-5424

Cedar/Indian Rosewood Model Available Soon!

I will have a Western Red Cedar top with Indian Rosewood back/sides and Cocobolo bindings available for direct sale in May 2010.  Please let me know if you are interested in pre-ordering.  See my website for more details:  http://www.latticeguitar.com.

Thanks for your interest in my guitars!

String Tension

I prefer and recommend light tension strings on all my guitars.  Light tension strings yield more volume, tone variation, dynamic range, and sustain. My soundboards aren't any more fragile that other fine guitars, so you can go with harder tension if you prefer.   "Very hard" tension on any fine guitar is a bad idea, in my opinion. It puts a lot of extra pull on the bridge. The more tension, the more likely that a guitar could someday warp (usually by dipping slightly in front of the bridge on the saddle side), even if slightly. I have gone to great lengths to avoid that problem (which is a real problem for most lattice braced guitars, as I have witnessed many times) by careful bridge and bracing design, and have never had a problem, but extra hard is still a lot of tension.  Keep in mind that tone and musicality can suffer from unnecessary tension.

I think that extra high tension strings are an unfortunate product in general. There is a popular belief that more tension equals more volume, but that is simply not the case with my guitars. I tried them out for a few years as a player, too, but ultimately adjusted my playing and found that light tension means more musical flexibility, and much easier left and right hand technique.

Please let me know if you have any questions.  I'm always happy to help.

Tomas Borobia - Luthier

www.latticeguitar.com

Flamed Maple/Spruce Guitar Coming Soon

Maple TRIPLE CORE TM Guitar

European Spruce/Flamed Maple
TRIPLE CORE TM
Adjustable Soundport
640mm
Maple Bindings w/Rosewood Trim
Price: $4750 (No extra charge for the expensive Maple)
Under Construction Available March 2010!
Hurry if you want to pre-order!

This stunning guitar has flamed or "fiddleback" maple back and sides.  Although maple guitars are traditionally "bright" sounding, this guitar will have all the power and depth of all my TRIPLE CORE TM guitars.

Please let me know ASAP if you are interested in pre-ordering this guitar.  Available March 2010.