2025 Yulong Guo "Torres SE 124" SP/IN

This is Yulong Guo's new passion project, and he is building this exciting new model exclusively for us here at GSI. Every luthier we know of who falls under the spell of Torres ultimately ends up experimenting with and applying original Torres ideas to their own work and almost always end up being thrilled with the results. In this case, Yulong chose to base this model closely on an 1888 Torres, built in the second epoch, numbered 124. The original Torres is made of spruce for the soundboard and maple for the back and sides, and Yulong has decided to offer this in three different woods for the back and sides - spruce/maple (like the original) as well as spruce/cypress and spruce/Indian rosewood. We have been able to review all 3 of these "flavors" side-by-side and can happily report that Yulong has really done a marvelous job of channeling the feel and even sound of Torres - lightly built with an old-world, rich quality of sound with what many aficionados refer to as "pulsation" in the sound - that at the core of every note there is added vibrational content that transmits through the entire body of the instrument, providing an almost electrifying sensation to the player.

Each "wood type" also influences the sound differently - his Indian rosewood version here plays and sounds very smooth, with excellent balance and sustain and a hearty, plump quality of sound. Like the others it also has a low body resonance - hovering in the range of F#. Playing this guitar really transports the player back to the old world! The neck shape is extremely comfortable and it's a breeze to play. He has also changed the colorations very subtly in the finish depending on the woods used to help differentiate them aesthetically from one another. This is really a great project and we're excited to be receiving these new models from Yulong that at a very modest price will introduce many players to the magic of the vintage world which is normally only accessible to collectors. A classy instrument in every regard.

Yulong Guo has been building guitars since 1983 and has gained a solid reputation in recent years for his high-quality student-level double top guitars, as well as a concert double-top model based on the soundboard designs of Antonius Mueller. However at the 2018 MusikMesse in Frankfurt, Germany, he was able to evaluate an authentic Antonio de Torres guitar, which had a profound effect on him. He set his mind to designing and building a top-quality traditional concert model, and prepared a new model for the 2nd International "Antonio Marin Montero" Guitar Building Competition in Granada, Spain. The guitar was a hit - a major success and it landed him second prize. We are pleased to see his continued effort now also with this new model based on an 1888 Antonio de Torres, SE 124.