Classical Guitars: 1907 Enrique Garcia (1868-1922) Torres model with Tornavoz Number 81

Enrique Garcia

$60,000

652 mm Scale, 50 mm Nut. Medium to wide to thin grain Spruce Soundboard and Brazilian Rosewood Back and Sides. French Polish, Original Frets, Original Pearl Tuners with the additional bone “pips” added to the rollers. The center section of the rosette is similar to the rosette on one made in 1914 and numbered 155. I has a cut kerfing liner attaching the top to the sides. As it arrived, it has Flamenco action as we know it today: 3/32" at the 12th fret on string 1, and 4/32" on the 6th string, and without any buzzes. It weighs 1,272.3 grams, or just under 45.5 ozs.=2.84 lbs, pretty light for having a metal tornavoz installed since its fabrication. It has 8 fan braces, the top being so thin on the treble side, you can see 4 of them in the silhouette. It comes with its Original Case. This guitar was in one family, purchased by the grandfather. who acquired it directly from Enrique Garcia.

The distance from Francisco Tarrega’s home to Enrique Garcia’s workshop 1.8 km = 1.12 of a mile, just over a mile. See the map below.

Recently a customer came into the store and played the 1907 Enrique Garcia and said: "This is more resonant than a Antonio de Torres guitar, that was owned by Francisco Tarrega, that I played at a San Francisco Guitar Repair Shop. I love the resonance. It just sings. You know the Antonio de Torres guitar had cigarette burns on the sides of the guitar, because Tarrega smoked while he played, and the ashes would fall off."

Today March, 7, 2022 I have added an image from page 252 from the book: Awards Souvenir. Musical Instruments at the World's Columbian Exposition, published by The Presto Company Chicago April, 1895. showing Enrique Garcia's name and describing why his guitar deserves an award:

Exhibitor. Group 158. Class 923.

Enrique Garcia, Barcelona. Exhibit - Guitars.

This exhibit deserves an award:

"For sweetness of tone quality.

For beauty of finish."

Approved. K. Buenz (Signed) Esmeralda Cervantes,

President Departmental Committee. Individual Judge.

This is the type of Enrique Garcia guitar that Domingo Prat (1886-1944) (Francisco Tarrega student) took to Argentina when he arrived in Buenos Aires on January 1, 1908. He owned at least 3 Garcia guitars at the time of his death in 1944. Francisco Tarrega's Enrique Garcia guitar, n°74 fabricated in 1906, was just 7 guitars before the one available for sale here.

Francisco Tarrega's Enrique Garcia guitar, n°43 fabricated in 1904, made its way to Argentina and became the possession of Adolfo V. Luna in 1924 (Shown in the Revista Musical Ilustrada “Tárrega” magazine and my ANNOTATIONS FOR THE HISTORY OF THE CLASSICAL GUITAR IN ARGENTINA 1822-2000, 4 VOLS.) and was recorded in 1929 on Discos Nacional Odeon records, produced by Max Glucksmann, who also produced the recordings of dozens of compositions written and recorded by Agustin Barrios Mangore, from 1921-1929 for Discos Nacional Odeon.

Maria Luisa Anido also owned a 1918 Enrique Garcia guitar, which she used to recorded duets with Miguel Llobet in the late 1920's. Emilio Pujol's Garcia was made in 1905, and some years later was stolen in Barcelona, Francisco Tarrega's eccentric English student Dr. Walter Leckie all played Enrique Garcia guitars. 1904 Enrique Garcia Guitar owned by Daniel Fortea, who was a Francisco Tarrega student. The photo of this information is from Guitar News No. 16, December 1953- January 1954 - from the archive of Robert Coldwell. Agustin Barrios used his 1923 (late 1922 or finished by Francisco Simplicio after Enrique died on October 31, 1922.) to record Capricho arabe, and many more unforgettable songs in the 1926-1929 recordings. In my book on pages 1939-1942 are mentions of those who owned Garcia guitars, most notably Juan Parras del Moral who recorded in the 1930's. There are 9 owners listed on those pages including Pepita Roca, child prodigy who studied with Tarrega. Tarrega owned No. 43 and No. 74, mine is No. 81. I did 2 videos to discuss all these owners of great guitars on Youtube weeks ago. I read pages 1939-1942 verbatim on the Youtube videos. We also need to include concert guitarists Francisco Alfonso (1908-1940) and Julio Sagreras (22 November 1879 – 20 July 1942) as owners as well. At the bottom of the photos is a sheet music cover from 1918 advertising: Guitarras "Garcia", showing Julio Sagreras holding an Enrique Garcia guitar. This is from page 4 of my book: ANNOTATIONS FOR THE HISTORY OF THE CLASSICAL GUITAR IN ARGENTINA 1822-2000, 4 VOLS.

This guitar available for sale here was fabricated 14 years after Enrique Garcia Castillo won the 1st prize at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, mentioned on his labels (Primer Premio en la Exposition de Chicago 1893.). He worked for Jose Ramirez from 1883, alongside Julian Gomez Ramirez, Rafael Casana and Antonio Viudes, then in 1890 he began to work for Manuel Ramirez. My esteemed colleague, Richard Brune says. "When Enrique García won the medal in Chicago in 1893 he was listed in the medal award book as being from Barcelona. Mysteriously though In 1893 Romanillos says he was working for Manuel Ramírez in Madrid." I would believe the medal award book, in that Enrique Garcia had to state where the guitar was fabricated in order to enter it in the competition.

The following is from page 1468 of my book: ANNOTATIONS FOR THE HISTORY OF THE CLASSICAL GUITAR IN ARGENTINA 1822-2000, 4 VOLS. It can been purchased through PayPal on the link at the bottom of the home page on this web site. It is a list of Domingo Prat's guitar collection offered for sale almost 2 years after his death.

In the month of August of 1946, in Buenos Aires, the Antigua Casa Nuñez-announced in its business the Exposition and Sale of the collection of the guitars of Domingo Prat in perfect condition of use, they were: 1899 Garcia, another No. 22 of the year 1902, a 3rd No. 264 of 1922; 1926 Simplicio No. 124, another 1930 No. 283; two 1926 Sanfeliu guitars, 1859 Torres, 9 string Lorca ex-collection Don Juan Parga, a small Pagés, a small S. Silvestre, and a small 1848 Manuel Gutiérrez.

Enrique Garcia made between 340 and 360 guitars in his lifetime, almost equal to the production of Santos Hernandez. From 1900 he numbered them up to No. 272 when he died. In the 1890's he just made them and didn't number them, it seems he spent 5 1/2 weeks on each guitar, making 9 a year.