2019 Matthew Chaffin SP/ZR

Year	2019
Top	Spruce
Back & Sides	Ziricote
Scale Length	655 mm
Nut width	52 mm
Finish	French Polish
Country	USA
Luthier	Matthew Chaffin

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Manuel Ponce's "12 Preludes, No. 1 in F# minor" played by Taso Comanescu on a 2019 Matthew Chaffin

Bach: "Partita No. 2 for Solo Violin, BWV 1004: II. Courante" played by Dominic Flynn & Max Kraus

Description

Matthew Chaffin made this classical guitar in 2019 with a spruce soundboard and a highly figured four-piece ziricote back and sides – in excellent condition.

In the videos above, Taso Comanescu plays Ponce's Prelude No. 1, and Dominic Flynn, with Max Kraus on bass, plays the Courante from Bach's Partita No. 2 on this guitar.

Figured Ziricote and a Santos-Style Rosette

Matt chose a highly figured set of ziricote for the four-piece back and sides, with a maple head veneer and a rosette whose central mosaic has a Santos-inspired "wave" motif.

Sound and Condition

Firm, refined and stable, yet open and charming, the sound can be pushed to great volume without losing its balance. The neck is smooth and the action easy. Although used, it is in excellent condition, with only minor wear in the finish.

Background

Matthew Chaffin: A Michigan Maker in the Spanish Tradition

Matthew Chaffin is an American classical guitar maker based in Orion, Michigan, a fourth-generation woodworker in a family line that began with his great-grandfather's fine furniture. For more than two decades he has studied the construction methods of the great Spanish makers – above all Antonio de Torres, Santos Hernández and Domingo Esteso – and he builds his guitars entirely by hand, often with turn-of-the-century tools he restores himself.

Light, Responsive and Lyrical

His aim is a lightweight, responsive and lyrical guitar with a classic, understated look – firm and refined in sound, at times reminiscent of a Hauser, yet open and charming and happy to be pushed hard, with excellent balance between bass and treble and a smooth, comfortable neck. GSI is his only dealer in the USA.