A connoiseur's guitar maker, Simon Ambridge handcrafts among the most sublime, finest projecting, traditionally braced, musically refined classical guitars in the world today. The exquisite tonal qualities and gem-like visual beauty of the instrument offered here constitute this great contemporary maker's hommage to one of his most revered artistic inspirations, the great 19th century Spanish master, Antonio de Torres:

"It is 1887, Torres is working on his instruments after returning from Sevilla to Almeria, and has been living for four years in the small village of La Canada de San Urbano. He is at the height of his second period, following the five-year hiatus in his activity as a guitar maker. Now, every label bears, after the words 'Segunda Epoca,'  the instrument's serial number. In contrast to the output of the first period, in which he energetically, almost aggressively, created the sound and the new external appearance of the modern guitar, his sound now acquires a maturity in which the force of discovery gives way to the inevitabilty of understanding. Guitar no. 111 is, in our opinion, the most direct expression of the successful synthesis of a lifetime of experience, a synthesis that is apparent in the maker's every gesture."

* From La Chitarra DI Liuteria by Stefano Grondona and Luca Waldner. For color pictures and further discussion of the Antonio de Torres SE 111 original referred to above, please see (pp 46-49) .

Materials: Very old book matched birds eye maple sides and back, old straight grain European spruce soundboard, French polish of shellac finish, custom Rodgers precision tuning machine heads (the finest in the world) with synthetic ivory oval buttons (reproductions of the original Torres EON & FILS machine heads), workmanship ranking with the most precise in the world and gorgeous master grade materials throughout compliment Simon Ambridge's elegant hommage to this great Spanish master, unusually comfortable neck and action set up, 650mm string length.