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Aged Brazilian rosewood B&S Doble tapa(Contreras style)+LATTICE,  Alpine spruce top. Maple bindings, radiused ebony fingerboard, armrest & bridge. 640mm fret spacing.   Soundport in upper bout, Embossed leather case included.  Big Powerful sound. PURE BEAUTY!! 
Tremendous presence, big basses, crystalline trebles, magnificent separation of voices are some of the adjectives to describe this wonderful Brazilian rosewood Doble tapa with lattice bracing. The set is a chocolate brown, nicely striped, aged at least 94 years. WW1 was in full vigor when the set started aging ! I decided for the doble tapa because it gives a huge boost to the bass and projection to all the voices. Mixed with the lattice braced Alpine spruce top from Val D'Aosta (Northern Italy) a perfect match is created and the 2 systems help each other in bringing out all the virtues desired in a concert classical guitar.
I decorated her with a  gorgeous handmade Rosette from Tula, Northern Russia. I matched the luxury marquetry on all her sides to bring out her beauty and define her gorgeous lines. Playability is THE BEST. Unlike most builders, all my guitars are built from a player's perspective and comfort as well as ease of play are the main issues around which the rest of the instrument is constructed. 
Romance blossoms on this babe. Notice how every voice is perfectly defined and how the bass seems to resonate forever... I admire each single note produced by this world class instrument.
Lattice
Making the Contreras Double top
Making the Contreras Doble tapa

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.

Doble tapa + lattice SPRUCE TOP
HEAR THIS Doble tapa + lattice MASTERPIECE
 

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

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

96 years air dried Brazilian rosewood B&S, DOBLE TAPA, CONTRERAS STYLE (variation 1)

* ACTUAL PICTURES AND VIDEO
 
 

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