2024 Gao Yi SP/CSAR

Built by Chinese luthier Gao Yi, this is the actual classical guitar that Gao showcased at the seventh Antonio Marin Montero Guitar Making Competition held in Granada, Spain in July/August, 2024 and we are extremely thrilled to have it here.

Gao has been building for many years and is a seasoned and well-trained luthier building largely in the Granada style, having studied there with two of city's top names: Antonio Marin and Rene Baarslag. He also studied in Beijing years before with Juan Labella, also a Granada luthier. This is his 112th guitar and was a finalist in the 2024 Granada contest. The soundboard of this guitar is made of high-quality spruce from the Fiemme Valley at an altitude of 1500 meters in the northern Alps, which is the same location that sourced the woods for Stradivarius' violins. The back and sides are made of beautiful quartersawn CSA rosewood, which Gao chose for its excellent sound reflection, which he believes produces a more "pure" quality of tone. Structurally, the guitar follows methods and techniques learned primarily from Rene Baarslag and follows the "Granada style" of using a modified Bouchet-inspired 5-fan system with under-bridge brace. This famously results in a lightweight and ultra-responsive soundboard that produces a fast, snappy attack and a wide variety of tonal colors. His plantilla is his own - he seeks the produce the curvature that follows the waistline of the human body, done both for the gentle aesthetic as well as improved ergonomics when playing the guitar.

For the headstock shape, Gao takes inspiration from Antonio Marin and Antonio de Torres to create his own, tasteful design. The striking rosette borrows from traditional geometric decorative patterns of Chinese window grilles and also integrates Japanese Hakone Yosegi Zaiku (marquetry wood mosaics) to create a distinctive, elegant and very unique look. Gao uses a new mid-line inlaying technique for the back center strip, decorating it with unique textures and lines of stabilized wood, resulting in a unique visual appearance. The inspiration for this design comes from "lucky plaques" used by worshippers in Chinese temples to pray for good luck. The overall appearance of this guitar combines the charm of his local Chinese influences, a dab of Japanese design and of course the modified but very traditional Spanish influences that make this a unique but very traditional Spanish guitar. All in, this an exceptional instrument by any standard.

Gao Yi's background with the classical guitar goes back many years, when his interest as a player earned him music degrees from both Jining University and the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. He also earned top prizes in several competitions including first prize in the 2000 Chinese Competition. As a player, he has also taught out of his own studio in Shanghai. His interest in guitar making was sparked in 2002 while working with Yamaha in the marketing division, and his experience playing the guitars of Antonio Marin led him to embrace the Granada style. Indeed, he traveled several times to Granada to receive advice and support from Antonio Marin himself, and to study with Rene Baarslag in his workshop just outside Granada. After several years of working at his craft, Gao Yi was awarded first-prize for his flamenco guitar at the prestigious seventh Antonio Marin Montero Guitar Making Competition held in Granada, Spain in July/August, 2024. His classical guitar also made it as a finalist. We are very pleased to have met this very fine maker, and look forward to seeing many more of his guitars in the future.