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Custom Series Testimonials Bellucci guitars GALLERY Guitar workshop
Brazilian rosewood  B&S, Doble tapa (Contreras style)+LATTICE, Alpine spruce top. Ebony bindings, radiused ebony fingerboard, violin tie, armrest & bridge. Sounports in upper bouts. 640mm fret spacing. Embossed leather case included. MARVELOUS !
Alpine spruce, by far the best soundboard wood on the planet. I lattice braced a gorgeous set from Val D' Aosta, Northern Italy, and matched it with a 94 years air dried set of Brazilian rosewood from Mato Grosso (Brazil). The combination of the 2 species with the lattice bracing and the Contreras doble tapa conspired in the creation of a truly fabulous concert instrument. Hear the magnificent separation of voices in Barrios' " Una Limosna...". The bass pedal moves relentless with a human like quality to its timber.... the bass is deep and with a fast punch. The trebles sing marvelously and the mid ranges are full of overtones and harmonics... FABULOUS !!!
Every Bellucci construction enhancement is present: domed top and back, lacquered interior, luxury marquetry, double headplate, multiple wood species mixture for the strutting and bracing (spruce, maple, cedar and mahogany).
Ebony was used for the armrest, the villain tie, the bindings and the decorated bridge... The beauty and sound that she emanates are simply breathtaking and she will be an instrument to make you proud for decades to come...
Doble tapa Alpine spruce
Italian Alpine spruce
Lattice

Bellucci guitars
 Brown plush interior

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The doble tapa, was developed and introduced by  Master Luthier Manuel Contreras the II at the end of the 70s and reached its peak in the 80s. The word "Tapa" in Spanish translates to top in English but it refers to the back of the instrument. Therefore, Contreras doble tapa is actually a "Double back".

The lattice is a concept based on the A frame of grand pianos. The back and sides are kept rigid by means of a sturdy A shaped frame and the top is thinned as much as possible to allow the top to vibrate generously. As you see from the picture above, the thinned area is approximately 1.2 mm thick (VS 2-2.5 in the standard thinning techniques). Lattice delivers a lot of volume (approximately 21 dbs more) and wonderfully clear trebles.

Radiused or flat fingerboard?
The radiused fingerboard has been around the acoustic and the electric guitar since day one. The same is true for most instruments of the Stringed family of instruments (violas, violins cellos, bass). Radiusing (image above) makes barre and left hand stopping A LOT easier. The only drawback is that you will NEVER want to play a  flat fingerboard after that. If you are having your custom guitar built, I am all pro radiusing the fingerboard.  The standard fingerboard is flat.

The hand embossed leather case is a work of art on its own right. Built by one of a handful of very talented leather embossers in Latin America. Its built following my specifications for the interior to fit Bellucci guitars like a glove. All Plush interior, key and accessories compartment. You can request an upgrade to a Cow hive front and back version.

640mm or 650 mm?
Regarding 650mm or 640 mm fingerboard fret spacing, keep the following rule at hand: If the distance between the tip of your thumb and the tip of your little finger is equal or less than 9 in. when fully stretched, use 640 mm. Adapting from one scale to the other takes no adaptation.

Brazilian rosewood  B&S, Doble tapa (Contreras style)+LATTICE, Alpine spruce top
HEAR THIS DOBLE TAPA+lattice Brazilain rosewood Masterpiece
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Brazilian rosewood  B&S, Doble tapa (Contreras style)+LATTICE, Alpine spruce top
Brazilian rosewood  B&S, Doble tapa (Contreras style)+LATTICE, Alpine spruce top
Brazilian rosewood  B&S, Doble tapa (Contreras style)+LATTICE, Alpine spruce top

Brazilian rosewood  B&S, Doble tapa (Contreras style)+LATTICE, Alpine spruce top
Brazilian rosewood  B&S, Doble tapa (Contreras style)+LATTICE, Alpine spruce top

Brazilian rosewood  B&S, Doble tapa (Contreras style)+LATTICE, Alpine spruce top
Brazilian rosewood  B&S, Doble tapa (Contreras style)+LATTICE, Alpine spruce top
Brazilian rosewood  B&S, Doble tapa (Contreras style)+LATTICE, Alpine spruce top
 

Brazilian rosewood  B&S, Doble tapa (Contreras style)+LATTICE, Alpine spruce top

* ACTUAL PICTURES AND VIDEO
 
 

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