Monday, April 5, 2010

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.