2012 Gabriele Lodi "Enrique Garcia" SP/IN

This 2012 Gabriele Lodi "Enrique Garcia" is a classical guitar from Carpi, Italy, with a spruce top and Indian rosewood back and sides – a very literal bench copy of a 1918 Enrique García, one of the great names of the Barcelona school.

A Bench Copy of a 1918 Enrique García

This particular classical guitar is a very literal bench copy of a 1918 Enrique García that Gabriele was able to inspect in great detail. With the exception of the material for the back and sides (Indian rosewood instead of CSA rosewood), this "copy" was built as closely as possible to the original in tone and in all aesthetic and structural details, including the classic exaggerated three-lobed head, the contrasting (black/yellow) rosette with herringbone center, a slightly more compact plantilla and the asymmetrical 8-fan system that was a hallmark of the García design.

Old-World Tone

Its voice is full of old-world charm – firm, round basses set against clear, ringing trebles – and the easy action and comfortable playability make it a pleasure to play. Although used, it is in excellent condition, with only some modest playing wear in the finish. Overall a great "modern" instrument that captures the spirit of an older Spanish guitar from one of the most revered Spanish workshops of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Orfeo Magazine #13 – Lodi, Bottelli, Coriani, Peruffo

A Family of Guitar Makers

Italian luthier Gabriele Lodi (born 1976) comes from a family of classical guitar makers. His father was a luthier and player, and Gabriele happily spent most of his childhood in his father's workshop in Carpi, near Modena. From the age of 13 he was helping out at the bench, and by 20 he had made guitar making his profession. He still works in that same family workshop today.

From Historical Guitars to the Spanish School

The historical instruments that came through the shop for repair sparked a lasting fascination with old guitars, and because of it many of his own guitars are strongly rooted in traditional design and aesthetic. After studying the Romantic guitars of the 19th century, he turned to the Spanish school from Torres on, traveling regularly to Buenos Aires from 2004 to study great Spanish guitars. Besides his Torres models, he builds guitars inspired by the Madrid school – Manuel Ramírez, Santos Hernández and Domingo Esteso – and by the Barcelona school of Enrique García.

Carrying the Torres Tradition Forward

In the last many years, the great Antonio de Torres has become a primary driving force in Gabriele's work as a restorer, historian and, of course, as a builder. He has restored several important original Torres instruments, and along the way captured insights from the hand of Torres that have led him to explore his own ideas to carry the Torres tradition forward into the modern day. He is also a co-author of the book Antonio de Torres – Lo Stradivari della chitarra moderna. His Torres guitars carry the words "My Torres Interpretation" on the label: they are never literal copies, but combine his favorite elements of various Torres instruments with details that answer the needs of today's players.

Gabriele Lodi and GSI

Gabriele has used his own label (instead of the family label) since 2013, and in 2021 his guitar No. 100 launched his "Expo Series" of guitars made for Roma Expo Guitars (REG). His workshop has become a meeting place for players and collectors, and GSI is his only dealer in the United States.