2015 Lorenzo Frignani SP/MB

A 2015 classical guitar by Lorenzo Frignani, with a bearclaw spruce top and an absolutely beautiful set of Malaysian blackwood for the back and sides – No. 220 from his workshop in Modena.

An Italian Maker of Guitars and Violins

Lorenzo builds violins as well as guitars, and he brings that world's techniques to this model. The top is aged with a chemical procedure he uses on his bowed instruments and vintage replicas – it looks old yet sparkles – and the surface is left smooth, with nothing that could damage the wood.

Inside and Out

Structurally, he mixes an X-bracing system (Martin, Stauffer) with the classic Torres five-fan, and he tapers the upper edges of the bridge to relieve the top. Outside, mother-of-pearl dots set into the rosette, head and foot, and an oval purfling flourish on the back near the heel, give the guitar its own stylish look.

Expressive Sound

Lorenzo aims for a guitar that is the greatest vehicle for expressive playing: here the sound is silky and rich, with bold basses and singing trebles.

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.