Guitar Shop AURA - Guitar catalog English site -

Masahiro Tanabe



SOLD OUT
Neck:Cedro
Fingerboard:Ebony
Finish:Top:Shellac /Back & Sides:Shellac
Tuning Machine:SLOANE
String height:1string 2.7mm/6string 3.8mm

[Profile]
Born in Gunma, Japan, in 1974, he began making classical guitars at the age of 20. He learned at Sakae Ishii's workshop, where he built about 140 guitars. In 2001, he attended a workshop with Jose Luis Romanillos in Sigüenza, Spain, which provided him with a decisive experience and convinced him that the traditional Spanish method was the direction he should take.
After returning to Japan, he set up a workshop in Tochigi Prefecture, and in October 2002,
he launched the Romanillos model. His guitars are the fruit of his exploratory spirit and outstanding in their design and sonic perfection. He currently produces five to six guitars
per year.
In 2018, a popular NHK program aired a video of him building in his workshop, and in 2020, his interview and instruments were featured in Orfeo Magazine No.15, published by French
publisher Camino Verde.

[Description]
We are pleased to announce the arrival of the latest 2024 Romanillos model made by Masahiro Tanabe. For Tanabe, who has continued to study and challenge the Spanish master craftsmen from Torres to Arcangel Fernandez, the existence of Romanillos, who was a modernist at the same time as being in the lineage of the Spanish tradition, has a special meaning. Tanabe has been releasing guitars with an extremely high degree of perfection with each of his recent works, and the present work is another Romanillos model that is full of quiet power.
First of all, Rosetta adopts a design from the early days of Romanillos (according to Tanabe, the original was Enrique Garcia), rather than a design based on the Cordoba mosque as one might expect from Romanillos' work. Unlike the majestic original, however, it has a wonderfully calm and dignified appearance. The bridge is decorated with an inlay of a design that Tanabe received from Romanillos himself, and is engraved with his gratitude to the maestro.
The sound is pleasant, with a unique Romanillos response that seems to leap when played.
The somewhat damped texture of the sound has a classical calmness and elegance, and a dynamism of expression that changes according to the touch of the right hand. The deepness of the tone, which is almost unique for a Romanillos model, is a major attraction of this piece.
The internal arrangement of the bars is identical to that of Plan 1 in the book 'Making a
Spanish Guitar' by Jose Luis Romanillos. The strings are moderately tensioned and easy
to play, and the left hand does not feel much stress.



〔detail〕
InstrumentMasahiro Tanabe
CategoryJapanese Classical Guitars 〔New〕
Number/ModelClass 80 Romanillos model No.278
Scale length650mm
CountryJapan
Year2024Year
TopSpruce
Side&BackIndian Rosewood
Condition※10
List price¥880,000
Price (tax included)Please Inquire
option

Click to enlarge the photos below