| Nuno Cristo "Fern" Guitarra |
| Today we are featuring something special: a beautiful "Guitarra"
from builder/composer/musician Nuno Cristo. This hand-made instrument features
a Sitka Spruce Top, Ziricote back and sides, African Mahogany neck and
binding, bone bridge and nut, Ebony fingerboard, and Rosewood peghead overlay.
Tonally, it sings out with a chimey and clear attack and bell like resonance.
Despite it's focus on clarity and presence, the Fern has a suprisingly
rich sustain with deep, warm undertones.
For those unfamiliar with Cristo's work, I have taken a few
excerpts from his website describing both himself and his instruments.
Be sure to take a look at his official website: www.nunocristo.com |
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| "I’ve spent most of my life learning about musical instruments,
how they’re built and how they can be played. As an instrument-maker, I
can get inside an instrument to understand its every nuance and discover
new ways to produce sound. This is the foundation of my work as a composer
and musician. I add another dimension by creating an acoustic ambience
for my songs, composing soundscapes as I’ve done extensively for live theatre.
My music rests on these bedrocks of sound, built from non-musical sources
like the curling surf or complacent sheep. I also enjoy combining sounds
from various cultures to explore the historical interchanges and cross-cultural
influences of different peoples. Because of my Portuguese background, I
tend to play instruments from the Lusofonia, the Portuguese-speaking cultures
of the world. These include the rich and exciting heritage of African,
Afro-American, East-Indian and West-European musical art. As far as being
influenced by specific artists and movements, I celebrate the innovative
style of the late Portuguese singer-songwriter José Afonso and the
revival of traditional Portuguese music that followed the 1974 Revolution
of the Carnations." |
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"As an instrument maker, I was always fascinated by
African lamellophones. I started playing mbira dza vadzimu about 7 years
ago with the help of local players, books and recordings. I purchased instruments
from visiting bands, like Thomas Mapfumo’s Blacks Unlimited, and gathered
enough material to organize a group of local mbira players.
There’re many connections between mbira and my Portuguese origins,
especially because I lived in Mozambique as a child. The first European
record of this type of instrument was written by a Portuguese missionary
in the 16th century in Manica, Mozambique. Playing mbira is great fun,
and a way of collaborating with local Zimbabwean musicians and promoting
this great African instrument. I have recorded many original compositions
for mbira and versions of traditional Portuguese tunes also using the instrument
and I’m very interested in the similar aspects between mbira music and
fado." |
"The Portuguese guitar belongs to the family of string
instruments known as citterns. It uses six double steel strings over a
movable bone bridge. Although normally associated with fado, the song of
Lisbon, there are composers and players that see the Portuguese guitar
as a true solo instrument.
There are two main types of Portuguese guitars: one from
Lisbon, the other from Coimbra. Their differences include body and scale
size, and tonality. The most common tuning for the Lisbon Portuguese guitar,
also known as banza, is from low to high - dD, aA, bB, ee, bb, aa, the
lowest pairs being tuned in octaves. The instrument from Coimbra uses the
same tuning but a whole tone lower." - Nuno Cristo |
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Specifications
* Sitka Spruce top
* Ziricote back and sides
* Ebony fingerboard
* African Mahogany neck
* Mahogany binding
* Rosewood Peghead overlay
* Tuned to dD, aA, bB, ee, bb, aa
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Discounted Sell Price: $2995.00 CAN (approx.$ 2852.US)
including hardshell case
This is the actual discounted sell price of this item. Current
approximate currency conversions can be easily calculated here.
Currency Conversion to U.S. dollar,
Euro etc.
We ship internationally & domestically on a daily basis.
Please email us at sales@12fret.com for a shipping rate.
We fully set up our instruments to your specifications with your
brand & gauge of strings before shipping.
If shipping within Canada but outside of Ontario, only 5% GST
applies.
When shipping outside of Canada, no taxes are charged by us.
Shipping to the U.S.A. : There are no taxes charged and
no duty at the border for North American made products
Current as of January 2010
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