Description
This collection of 8 Italian guitars from 1900–1950 era are fascinating because they developed along slightly different lines than Spanish guitars, though there was cross-influence.
While Spain (Torres → Ramírez → Santos Hernández) shaped the “modern classical guitar,” Italian makers created their own traditions, ranging from elegant classical concert guitars to ornate salon instruments and even precursors of modern archtops. Italy had a long tradition of stringed instruments (lutes, mandolins, violins). Many luthiers who made mandolins and violins also built guitars. The guitar was popular in salon music, opera transcriptions, and folk settings, not just as a concert instrument.
By 1900, Spanish influence (especially Torres’s fan bracing) began reaching Italy, but many Italian guitars kept unique structural features. Their body size is generally smaller and lighter than Spanish guitars until mid-20th century. Some used ladder bracing (like Romantic guitars) into the early 20th century, while others adopted fan bracing inspired by Torres. Also, these guitars had shorter scale lengths (62–64 cm) and narrower fingerboards than Spanish guitars. Spruce tops were common. For back/sides often Maple, Walnut, or Rosewood was used. Italian guitars were often ornate, with mother-of-pearl inlays, mosaic rosettes, and sometimes elaborate headstocks (influenced by mandolin craftsmanship).
From a tonal point of view the guitar are described as bright, singing, and lyrical rather than the deep, powerful resonance of Spanish guitars. More treble clarity and sweetness, well-suited for Italian art songs and chamber music. Some post-WWI makers built larger-bodied, Torres-inspired guitars with stronger projection, aligning more with international concert needs.
