1878 Antonio de Torres - SE 14

Few things are as fun as getting to meet, play and record a Torres. The historical significance of these instruments is pretty awesome, especially when you consider that all Torres guitars have been around for the entire history of the modern guitar and in many cases have played a direct role (most Torres guitars have been owned and played by significant figures in the history of the guitar). And then there’s the sound, which is almost always astonishing, especially for such old and relatively small instruments.

Today we have an 1878 Torres, Second Epoch number 14, in spruce and cypress, and we’re fortunate to have some great documentation on this guitar. The guitar, from the Harris Collection, was recorded at the 2005 Guitarrada II at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, co-produced by the Harris Guitar Foundation. Check out the videos below to see Marc Teicholz and Pepe Romero play it at the Guitarrada, and to hear Richard Brune discuss the significance of Torres’ work. Then listen to Chris Garwood play the guitar in the GSI showroom under more controlled circumstances to get an idea of the sound of this historic instrument.