1926 Francisco Simplicio SP/CSAR

Francisco Simplicio, the sole pupil and successor of Enrique Garcia, was known not only for the beautiful tone of his instruments, but also for his exquisite workmanship and use of extravagant ornamentation. This guitar we offer here is a fine example demonstrating the best of these qualities and is one of his more ornate models with extra detailing, including mosaics in the top purfling, inner and outer rosette purflings and tie-block inlay. There are also half-herringbone inlays in the purflings for the sides and back. And perhaps most obviously, there is a beautiful carved floral pattern in the headstock. This is truly a piece of art in every way, and not just for its appearance - the famous 'sound' of Simplicio is perhaps the most unique of the great makers of the twentieth century - it has a very "old-world" charm, and players of these guitars often remark how they are transported psychologically to another world when playing a Simplicio. The sound of this Simplicio is magical - there is great depth and rich overtone content in every note from the lowest bass note to the highest treble. Thanks to the inclusion of a brass 'tornavoz', it has a deep bottom-end and lyrical, harmonically rich and singing trebles. This guitar also has ample volume to fill any hall. Being nearly 100 years old, it is in remarkably excellent condition - it recently had some cracks in the body stabilized by Yuris Zeltins without removing the back or tornavoz - he was able to view the inside of the guitar and perform all repair work with an arthroscopic camera that he ran internally between the tornavoz and back. He also used a variety of customized tools to access the interior made with everything from coat hangers to magnets - really a triumph of modern, conservative repair work and leaving it with all original elements intact including wood thicknesses and Simplicio's finish. Even the tuning machines are original and still in great working order. Overall, a highly desirable guitar from this famous builder.

Orfeo article on Simplicio