2014 Lorenzo Frignani SP/ME

A 2014 classical guitar by Italian luthier Lorenzo Frignani, with a bearclaw spruce top and Makassar ebony back and sides – No. 217, on his own concert model.

In the video above, Aaron Larget-Caplan plays this guitar.

Makassar Ebony and an Aged Spruce Top

The striped Makassar ebony is absolutely beautiful, and the bearclaw top has been aged the way Lorenzo treats the tops of his violins: chemically, without stains or dyes, for an antique appearance with a sparkling brilliance.

Bracing and Bridge

The top combines X-bracing of the Martin and Stauffer kind with a classic Torres five-fan, and the bridge's upper edges are tapered to take stress off the top. Mother-of-pearl dots in the rosette, head and foot and an oval purfling flourish on the back complete a very distinct design.

A Vehicle for Expression

Built, as Lorenzo says, from the heart: silky and rich across all registers, with singing trebles and bold basses.

Read more: Orfeo Magazine No. 6 – Tacchi, Frignani and Locatto (with a feature on Lorenzo Frignani)

Lorenzo Frignani: Luthier, Scholar and Collector in Modena

Lorenzo Frignani is an Italian luthier who works in Modena. Independent since 1986, he builds guitars, lutes and violins, and alongside his own concert models he makes replicas of historic guitars from his own collection – above all a 1910 Manuel Ramírez – finished with the aged, "distressed" look that is common practice in the violin world. His guitars and lutes have won awards in Italy and abroad, and in July 2011 the town of Fiuggi named him "luthier of the year".

Teacher, Author and Expert

Lorenzo has served on international competition juries, taught violin making and taken private apprentices. He has written and published widely on the history of plucked instruments, founded the publishing house LF Edizioni in 2007, and is a technical advisor on musical instruments to the court in Modena. In 2024 his son Eugenio joined the workshop, and together they launched Liuteria Frignani. Lorenzo was featured with Andrea Tacchi and Luigi Locatto in Orfeo Magazine No. 6.