2024 Richard Reynoso w/pegs SP/IN
| Year | 2024 |
| Top | Spruce |
| Back & Sides | Indian Rosewood |
| Scale Length | 655 mm |
| Nut width | 52 mm |
| Finish | French Polish Top |
| Country | USA |
| Condition | New |
| Exchange | ExchangePlus |
| Luthier | Richard Reynoso |
$15,000.00
Richard Reynoso is a guitar maker based out of California, USA. His instruments are fully traditional and largely inspired by the great Spanish makers of the past, but they do offer a voice, personality and look that is entirely his own.
As is immediately apparent from a first glance, this instrument is the first to feature several of Richard's newest design ideas (which he has been developing for several years, but has only now felt ready to publically unveil). As radical as they might first appear, everything is actually quite traditional in form and function. The basic idea was to pare down all elements to the essentials and to arrive at a minimalistic yet elegant look and feel that enhances the quality of sound and playability. And we absolutely agree that he achieved his aim to produce a guitar that captures the pure "essence" of what a guitar ought to be!
Firstly, the fingerboard is tapered from the 12th fret to the soundhole (similar in appearance to 19th century Viennese guitars) as a practical way of using less wood (and weight) than normal since the bass-side area above the 12th fret tapers away at a rate that is consistent with how likely those notes are to be played. So nothing is lost except extra, unnecessary weight. Another way he reduced weight was to use tuning pegs (mechanical in this case) instead of machine heads with heavier metal plates and gears - this not only helps balance the weight of the instrument to the player but also changes the dynamics of the sound and responsiveness. Also conspicuously absent is the "frontal" rosette inlay around the soundhole... however, there is a small surprise here - as we've said in the past, Richard's rosette designs have been inspired by Egyptian jewelry and elaborate chandeliers... so in the spirit of a hanging chandelier, this rosette "hangs" into the soundhole, and is strikingly visible when held in playing position. This also lowers the body resonance by nearly a whole step, and in this capacity, serves a similar function to that of a small "tornavoz". This chandelier design is also repeated on the heel cap on the back, the only real external part of the guitar to explicitly showcase Richard's well-known, tasteful and exacting inlay work. Another substantial new modification is in the bridge area. Like the fingerboard, Richard sought to remove as much unecessary wood to maximize sound efficiency - so to complement the fingerboard shape, the bridge also tapers away from the center as it approaches the ends of the wings. It also lacks a traditional tie-block and instead features a scalloped "roof" (inspired by spoilers seen on sports cars and even from aviation models) with holes tunneled internally with curved brass to guide the ends of the strings to a concealed location at the bottom of the bridge. This creates a beautifully clean, and architecturally satisfying appearance with the added benefit of improved "break-angle" to the top of the saddle, again adding more "torque" for improved sound production and efficiency. Lastly, the guitar is lightly finished in shellac on the soundboard only, with the rest of the guitar in a very light hand-rubbed oil finish without any pore-filling. Again, this is not only highly practical and durable strategy for a guitar meant to be played, but it also allows the natural and beautiful texture of the grain to add to the overall miniminal and elegant appearance.
The sound of this guitar is perhaps what benefits the most from all of these accumulated design modifications - the reduction of added weight in critical areas (upper bout of soundboard and bridge area) opens up the soundboard area to resonate more freely, enhancing the already rich color palette and wide dynamic range. Each note is very dense, with the overtones tightly packed into the firm and well-defined fundamental. There is a vertical "texture" in every note which gives the instrument great style and enormous presence - both behind it from the playing position as well as at a distance from a listener's perspective. This is truly a powerful and versatile performing instrument with a rich, robust and very classy sound. GSI is proud to be working with Reynoso and we see much talent in the build quality, tone and feel of his guitars and congratulate him on his exceptionally well-thought-out new model.
Richard Reynoso: A Luthiers Craft in Art Deco Los Angeles
Richard Reynoso is a guitar maker based out of California, USA. His instruments are fully traditional and largely inspired by the great Spanish makers of the past, but they do offer a voice, personality and look that is entirely his own.
As is immediately apparent from a first glance, this instrument is the first to feature several of Richard's newest design ideas (which he has been developing for several years, but has only now felt ready to publically unveil). As radical as they might first appear, everything is actually quite traditional in form and function. The basic idea was to pare down all elements to the essentials and to arrive at a minimalistic yet elegant look and feel that enhances the quality of sound and playability. And we absolutely agree that he achieved his aim to produce a guitar that captures the pure "essence" of what a guitar ought to be!
Firstly, the fingerboard is tapered from the 12th fret to the soundhole (similar in appearance to 19th century Viennese guitars) as a practical way of using less wood (and weight) than normal since the bass-side area above the 12th fret tapers away at a rate that is consistent with how likely those notes are to be played. So nothing is lost except extra, unnecessary weight. Another way he reduced weight was to use tuning pegs (mechanical in this case) instead of machine heads with heavier metal plates and gears - this not only helps balance the weight of the instrument to the player but also changes the dynamics of the sound and responsiveness. Also conspicuously absent is the "frontal" rosette inlay around the soundhole... however, there is a small surprise here - as we've said in the past, Richard's rosette designs have been inspired by Egyptian jewelry and elaborate chandeliers... so in the spirit of a hanging chandelier, this rosette "hangs" into the soundhole, and is strikingly visible when held in playing position. This also lowers the body resonance by nearly a whole step, and in this capacity, serves a similar function to that of a small "tornavoz". This chandelier design is also repeated on the heel cap on the back, the only real external part of the guitar to explicitly showcase Richard's well-known, tasteful and exacting inlay work. Another substantial new modification is in the bridge area. Like the fingerboard, Richard sought to remove as much unecessary wood to maximize sound efficiency - so to complement the fingerboard shape, the bridge also tapers away from the center as it approaches the ends of the wings. It also lacks a traditional tie-block and instead features a scalloped "roof" (inspired by spoilers seen on sports cars and even from aviation models) with holes tunneled internally with curved brass to guide the ends of the strings to a concealed location at the bottom of the bridge. This creates a beautifully clean, and architecturally satisfying appearance with the added benefit of improved "break-angle" to the top of the saddle, again adding more "torque" for improved sound production and efficiency. Lastly, the guitar is lightly finished in shellac on the soundboard only, with the rest of the guitar in a very light hand-rubbed oil finish without any pore-filling. Again, this is not only highly practical and durable strategy for a guitar meant to be played, but it also allows the natural and beautiful texture of the grain to add to the overall miniminal and elegant appearance.
The sound of this guitar is perhaps what benefits the most from all of these accumulated design modifications - the reduction of added weight in critical areas (upper bout of soundboard and bridge area) opens up the soundboard area to resonate more freely, enhancing the already rich color palette and wide dynamic range. Each note is very dense, with the overtones tightly packed into the firm and well-defined fundamental. There is a vertical "texture" in every note which gives the instrument great style and enormous presence - both behind it from the playing position as well as at a distance from a listener's perspective. This is truly a powerful and versatile performing instrument with a rich, robust and very classy sound. GSI is proud to be working with Reynoso and we see much talent in the build quality, tone and feel of his guitars and congratulate him on his exceptionally well-thought-out new model.
