For many years I played only electric and steel-string guitars, and bass. Then some years ago I decided to acquire a good classical guitar and had one made by luthier, Steve Toon . I've bought a few more guitars since then - I scour online auctions, small ads, second-hand shops etc, always on the lookout. I discovered that here in the UK great guitars can be found for relatively little money if you know how to look. I believe it's because there was a vogue for learning classical guitar in the days of Bream, Williams and Segovia, in the 60s and 70s. As that generation of learners aged, their guitars went into attics, sheds and box-rooms. Sooner or later comes the inevitable knock from the Grim Reaper, and the family clears out all the old junk. So it's quite possible to find a nice old Ramirez in a car-boot sale.
This is a snapshot of just some of my guitars:
Among them - Steve Toon spruce-top and cedar-top; two by Stephen Frith; one by Colin Morison; a Manuel Lopez Bellido, Granada (1976); a Paco Santiago Marin, Granada (1977); a Cesar Vera, Madrid (1968); a Hermanos Ortiz, Mendoza (1973). Each has its own voice and character. Every time I find a new one I swear it is the last.
Here is one I don't play, although it plays well. Just too small for my clumsy fingers. It was made by Salvador Ibanez in the mid 1890s (he was a Valencia-based artisan maker before his name became an international guitar brand). From an internal marking, it was one of a pair - my guess is that it was made for a rich patron, a flamboyant stage entertainer or a craft exhibition.
