| There are not very many guitar
builders who I can characterize as "bursting on the scene". As a
matter of fact, Fabrizio Alberico is the only luthier I can think
of in the last 30 years who really fits that description. I can still
remember being called down to the sales floor around nine years ago to
see a young builder's work. Usually when a new luthier comes in the
store, we just do not have the physical space to take on yet another brand
of guitar, and I am forced to admire the work but turn the instrument
away. When I opened the case on Fab's first visit and played the
instrument ... I knew that we would have to make room. This was something
special.
Well, Fabrizio Alberico has gained quite
a reputation in the interim ... so much so that we hardly ever receive
a guitar from this popular craftsman. I was delighted therefore,
when we connected at the Montreal Guitar Show and we were able to secure
this gorgeous German spruce and Ziricote "00" model. What a stunning
sounding guitar in a compact new body shape! Alberico has somehow
managed to take a very traditional body size, modernize the tonality and
infuse it with his signature power, balance and multifaceted overall
resonance!
| I was able to corner Fabrizio at the Montreal Guitar
Show and ask him a few questions about his instruments. Here is a
short excerpt from our interview. |
DW: Your instruments have always had a distinctive look
to them ... different models, but with a really cohesive overall
appearance to the line. How do you approach designing your instruments
from an aesthetic point of view?
FA: My starting point is always the natural beauty of
the wood; the shapes and decoration never distract from the inherent qualities
of the materials used. My aesthetic emphasizes quality materials,
expertly joined. Form always follows function - the headstock and
bridge designs for instance.
DW: I get a lot of compliments about the ease of playability
on Alberico guitars. Do you approach the setup of your instruments
differently than other builders?
FA: My fingerboards are tapered with more room on the
treble side to avoid pulling off. The radius starts out as 16” then
flattens out as it approaches the body to compensate for the widening of
the string spacing as you go up the neck. My fretboards are planed
and radiused after finishing and assembly of the neck to the body, as in
the classical guitar tradition. This ensures a perfectly prepared
fingerboard into which the frets can be installed, resulting in only the
most minimal dressing of the frets, maximizing the height and crown of
the frets. It also allows me to tip the treble side of the fingerboard
up toward the bridge, and the bass side down (as you sight from the nut
toward the bridge). The result is a perfectly even saddle and bridge
height, even though the action is lower on the treble side. Most
guitars have a lower bridge and saddle on the treble side, causing the
break angle of the strings to differ as they enter the bridge pin holes.
A shallower break angle leads to loss of volume and immediacy of attack,
which is why many guitars lack those attributes in the trebles. I
also angle the bridge pin holes to follow the compensation of the saddle
for this same reason.
DW: That's really interesting. It amazes me
when I think about how many different ways there are to construct a guitar.
Are there any other aspects of your building that you'd like to comment
on?
FA: I use the same methods that have been in use for
decades, and are tried and true. I use a Martin-style truss rod,
for instance, which stands up to the highest of string tensions without
having to use carbon fibre rods. The plates I use to reinforce
the soundhole and areas in front of the bridge wings lead to a better-supported
and stronger top that vibrates more evenly and maintains its shape under
string tension over both the short and long term. My customers have
found my guitars to be much less sensitive to humidity changes as a result,
and requiring fewer periodic setups, if any at all. I consider the
neck joints to be very important in transference of string energy, and
so I use a dovetail that is dry-fit to be veery tight, with a bolt to hold
it in place rather than glue. It not only makes the connection stronger,
but should the guitar need a neck reset several decades down the road,
it will be much easier to do. The back veneer on the peghead not
only looks great, but it reinforces that normally-weak area where the grain
runs out, improving string energy transfer.
DW: You made a comment about your finish at the Montreal
Guitar Show that really shocked me ... the finish on this 00 Ziricote is
as good as any I've ever seen. Can you tell us a bit about it?
FA: I have been using a non-toxic, waterbase finish for
the past 2 years with great success. It’s quite gratifying to use
a finish that respects the health of the planet, my own health, and looks
great! I’ve tried it all - Nitro, polyester, varnish, french polish
- and nothing I’ve tried has performed as well, or has looked better.
DW: This 00 model is simply stunning sounding.
What are you trying to achieve from a tone standpoint on this particular
model?
FA: It’s all about the balance for me, both across the
strings and up and down the neck. Even tone complemented by
even playability. Strong fundamental tone and crisp attack with lots
of separation, and complex overtones that make themselves heard in the
sustain. |
