615,
630, 640, 650, 660 mm*
Regarding 650mm or 640 mm guitar
construction, 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 (image above). In over 33 years
teaching and playing the classical guitar and having worked closely with
such great teachers as the Spaniard Jose Tomas and the Uruguayan Abel Carlevaro,
it came clear to me that often hard to polish musical passages were
not the fault of the player but a fault of the scale used for the fingerboard.
Special Features
The hole in the upper and/or lower
bout is called Soundport or Monitor hole. It augments the trebles output
and works as a sound monitor for the performer. I highly recommend
this. I offer a simple version (image above to the left) and a more stylized
version that resembles a Lute Rosette.
Armrest
(80)
Sound
port, in upper bout (70)
Lute
type soundport upper bout (120)
Lute
type soundport upper & lower bout (240)
Sound
port, in lower bout(70)
Soundports
in upper & lower bouts (140)
violin
tie (140)
Type of Finish*(read
more)
Polyurethane
Shiny (0)
Polyurethane
Matte (100)
Nitrocellulose
Shiny (100)
Nitrocellulose
Matte (100)
French
polish top, Polyuret. B&S (250)
French
polish top, Nitroc. B&S (250)
Da
Vinci Combo (480)
Right handed/left handed*
right
handed (0)
left
handed(0)
Fingerboard material Selection*.
Ebony
(0)
African
Blackwood (highly recommended) (110)
Cocobolo
(90)
Rosewood
(40)
Maple
(80)
Exclusive
Bellucci Precision tuners
Gotoh
Tuners with Ivoroid Buttons (170)
Gotoh
Tuners with Ebony Buttons (200)
Schaller
Tuners with Ebony Buttons (200)
Schaller
Tuners with Perloid Buttons (140)
Luxury
tuners with wood buttons (190)
Luxury
tuners with Ebony and Pearl buttons (340)
Luxury
tuners with pearl & abalone buttons (360)
Standard
Bellucci Gold plated Carved (140)
Select the back and sides*
Brazilian
rosewood (1150)
Brazilian
rosewood special
figure (3800)
African
Blackwood (1975)
Cocobolo
(1150)
Maple
(1150)
Macassar
Ebony (1150)
Padauk
(380)
Gabon
Ebony (711)
Indian
Rosewood (700)
Zebrawood
(1150)
Ziricote
(1150)
Tigerwood
(1150)
California
Laurel (550)
Paraguayan
Lapacho (380)
Snakewood
(1150)
Tasmanian
Blackwood (1150)
Purple
Heart (1150)
You can also order: White Oak, Indian
Rosewood, Primavera, Tasmanian Tiger Myrtle, African Walnut, Leopard wood,
Bocote, Monkey Pod, Pau Ferro, Koa, Bloodwood
Rosette*.
Handmade
Wood Rosettes (44)
Wood
w/ Mother of Pearl rosette (120)
Mother
Pearl rosette (120)
Inlay work
Mother
of Pearl Inlay work on the fingerboard,
headstock, bridge and violin tie
(680)
Abalone
bindings (680)
.
Electronics, Truss rod
Truss
rod non-adjustable (175)
Artec
4-band Eq. digital Tuner (390)
Pearl
position marker on 7 (33)
Pearl
position markers on 3, 5, 7, 9, 12
(198)
Gold
position marker on 7 (50)
Gold
position markers on 3, 5, 7, 9, 12
(300)
Diamond
pos. marker on 7 (75)
Diamond
pos. markers on 3, 5, 7, 9, 12
(375)
After playing a night concert
a few weeks ago where candle light was all that the atmosphere required,
I said to myself "I have got to make it possible to illuminate the position
markers for extreme lighting conditions such as the one I'm in now!" .
I started looking at different possibilities and found that nobody had
ever attempted something like it on a classical guitar. The requirement
was that it had to be indestructible, that it required no maintenance and
that, should one want to get rid of it, it had to be as easy as 1,2,3.
It took me the best part of 4 days to finish this amazing work...
First, make a microscopic rout in
the upper ebony where the fiber optic would rest once it was slipped in.
then, cover the Fiber with a thin Ebony slip to hide everything except
the light coming out from the small holes. It is stunning and an amazing
satisfaction to have pulled this one off because I know that many guitarists
often play in extreme lighting conditions if not in complete darkness.
This is especially true for night club players or players that entertain
friend in homes with special ambiance requirements like the one mentioned
earlier. It is a breakthrough and it looks FANTASTIC !! The led that illuminated
the optic fiber comes in red, blue, white and green. I have red and green
and I can ship either led housing on request. The one in the picture is
green.
Nut
and saddle*
bone
(0)
Buffalo
horn (55)
Adjustable
saddle bone (80)
When ordering a guitar, every player
will ask me to set the action as low as possible without any buzzes...
Since every player applies different amount of strength when plucking the
strings it is impossible to set the action precisely to each player's will.
The Spanish builder Fleta, had come up with this genial idea which consists
of pushing the bone more or less into the groove on the bridge. The player
would set the action to his liking and then either cut off the excess or
keep it intact in case he decided to lower or raise the action depending
on humidity conditions etc. On request, I can prepare a Fleta saddle
bone for an extra 80 US$.
ULTRA
Construction (470)
Elevated fingerboard
& Special bracing techniques
Number of frets*
19
(standard) (0)
20
(40)
22
(140)
Select the top*
Western
redcedar (0)
Italian
Spruce (180)
Port
Orford (250)
Canadian
spruce (0)
Sinker
redwood (350)
Alpine
Spruce (245)
.
Type of Bracing*.
Hauser
(0)
Lattice
(110)
Double
top Nomex (300)
Doble
Tapa "Contreras" (200)
Doble
Tapa "Contreras" Variation 1 (260)
Doble
Tapa "Contreras" Variation 1 + Lattice (350)
Doble
Tapa "Contreras" + Lattice (310)
Double
Top Nomex + D.T.Contreras (500)
Double
Top Nomex + D.T.Contreras V1 (560)
BREAK-IN THE SOUND
With the signed series, Custom Bellucci
guitars and the "Da Vinci series" of Bellucci concert guitars, I offer
a 24 hour sound break-in process. I place the finished instrument in front
of a JBL professional speaker, put on a CD with Cello and Orchestral music
recorded in different keys and performed by top players. I let the instrument
resonate with the music. It is the best way to break-in the sound because
the moisture in each fiber of the wood will be centrifuged towards the
walls of the cell in a very controlled manner where a huge variety of harmonics
are created and this will leave a permanent mark on the quality of the
sound. Every part of the instrument vibrates well beyond the normal threshold.
The guitar will vibrate more generously when her main key is produced by
the speakers. This note may vary from a B, to a G or an A. Breaking
in the sound is the equivalent of walking in new shoes that have been walked
in for a whole day prior to wearing them for the first time.
24
hour break-in (240)
Accessories.
Velvet
guitar covers (35)
Pro
Hardshell (299)
Premium
leather case (299)
Gold
plaque with your name (149)
Guitar
Humidifier (49)
DHL shipping*
DHL
shipping to Americas (184)
DHL
Shipping to Europe & Africa (223)
DHL
shipping to Asia & Oceania (278)
Insurance(MANDATORY)*
Insurance
(59)
TOTAL
US$
Place your order clicking below
.
.
PICK YOUR BEST SELLING MODEL AND
CUSTOMIZE IT
Brazilian
rosewood
Maple top
masterpiece
As seen above, USD 5,295
Inlay Masterpiece
Work of art
As seen above, USD 4,754
Brazilian Roserwood
The Tiger
As seen above, USD 3,959
Brazilian Roserwood Quad top
Double color Spalted
As seen above, USD 6,780
Brazilian
rosewood
The classical
wood...
As seen above: 2,859 USD
DHL
Shipping:
USA 184 USD,
Europe
and Africa 223 USD, Asia and Oceania 278 USD
Cocobolo,
a gift from the gods to guitar players...
As seen above: US$ 4,630
DHL
Shipping:
USA 184 USD,
Europe
and Africa 223 USD, Asia and Oceania 278 USD
African Blackwood
the most amazing tonewood...
As seen above: US$ 6,505
DHL
Shipping:
USA 184 USD,
Europe
and Africa 223 USD, Asia and Oceania 278 USD
ZEBRAWOOD,
Everything you dream of a guitar...
4,369 USD
DHL
Shipping:
USA 184 USD,
Europe
and Africa 223 USD, Asia and Oceania 278 USD
African Padauk,
delivers music with fire and passion...
Basic configuration: 1,964 USD
As seen above: US$ 6,505
DHL
Shipping:
USA 184 USD,
Europe
and Africa 223 USD, Asia and Oceania 278 USD
Maple, Beauty and purity beyond
words...
Basic configuration: 2,734 USD
Walnut
Macho Wood
Basic configuration: 2,734 USD
African Walnut,
the purity of wood from the heart of Africa
Basic configuration: 2,734 USD
KOA, Jewel
wood from the
Hawaiian Islands
Basic configuration: 2,734 USD
Premium
Bubinga, a Tropical waterfall
Basic configuration: 2,734 USD
BRAZILIAN ROSEWOOD
Da Vinci
As seen above, 3,595 USD
Primavera
wood, the wood from Paradise
Basic configuration: 2,134 USD
Tasmanian
Tiger Myrtle,
AMAZING !
Basic configuration: 3,084 USD
African Blackwood B&S
Curly Sinker redwood top
As seen above, USD 6,690
DHL
Shipping:
USA 184 USD,
Europe
and Africa 223 USD, Asia and Oceania 278 USD
7,
8 or 10-Strings, to take guitar music to the limit
Basic: 2,374; 2,674 & 3,274
USD
Tigerwood,
the name says
it all. Stunning
to look at
Basic configuration: 2,734 USD
Snakewood,
when wood
becomes a
reptile's skin
Basic configuration: 2,734 USD
Tasmanian
White
Oak
Basic configuration: 2,284 USD
California Laurel
Pure...
Basic configuration: 2,134 USD
6-10 strings Flamenco
Blanca & Negra
Basic configuration: 1,964 USD
Flamenco Blanca
Concert series
As seen above, USD 2,348
Lapacho
Paraguay's Prime Wood
As seen above, USD 2,519
DHL
Shipping:
USA 184 USD, Europe
223 USD, Asia 278 USD
.
Click HERE
to learn more about the general characteristics of each tonewood
..
...
These are the main characteristics or Spruce, cedar
and redwood: Spruce will give you a brighter crispier sound with
more punch....open, clear tone. Cedar, will be a little warmer. Spruce
takes longer to open up. You can also see it this way: Baroque Classical
and Renaissance music will sound better on spruce, Romantic, Spanish and
program music will sound better on cedar. These are of course generalizations
and what is definitely true is that both Cedar and Spruce make for excellent
sound boards. Redwood is very similar to Cedar but with more presence.
Italian Spruce is my favorite. Brilliant sound and tight grain. Port Orford
cedar has qualities of both Spruce and cedar. Sinker redwood is simply
outstanding but rare and expensive. If you have other wood varieties in
mind for the top, let me know.
.
640mm or 650 mm?
Regarding 650mm or 640 mm guitar construction,
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 (image above). In over 33 years teaching and
playing the classical guitar and having worked closely with such great
teachers as the Spaniard Jose Tomas and the Uruguayan Abel Carlevaro, it
came clear to me that often hard to polish musical passages were
not the fault of the player but a fault of the scale used for the fingerboard.
Modern guitar construction is no longer dependent on scale length to produce
a substantial volume. When we talk about scale length we are talking to
the relative distance of the frets from one another... we are talking millimeters
or fraction of a millimeter, but it is these fractions that make all the
difference between flawless and sloppy technique....let alone the great
frustration that derives from never being able to polish a given musical
passage.
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. When you relax the hand, you will notice
that the natural shape is with a slight curve on all 5 fingers. Pros playing
is about achieving to perform on the guitar in as much a natural
and relaxed manner. Whenever you part from these directives, you are making
your path to perfection steeper.
The radius is standards on the acoustic,
electric and archtop (jazz) guitar and, if you look closely, you will notice
that these players will use lot less energy than classical players and
that their fingers are almost always curved.
Fingerboard material
I strongly
recommend African Blackwood. This is the hardest wood on the planet and,
being a practically non porous wood, it does not loose nor gain humidity.
Therefore, it never shrinks or curves and stays straight for centuries.
Ebony is often considered the number 1 choice but it should not because
it is extremely oily and porous and shrinks and contracts at different
rates than the other woods used in the construction often causing problems.
The second best choices to African Blackwood are Rosewood and Maple.
Gotoh or Schaller Tuners with matching
buttons & bindings *
Type of construction
for the top:
1) Hauser: (IMAGE
BELOW) It is perhaps the most traditional type of bracing for the
classical guitar. It consists of a set of measures first introduced by
the Spaniard Torres and later taken to its perfect format by the German
Hermann Hauser III. Segovia played Hauser braced guitars for decades before
he switched to the the Double top (Doble tapa)
2) 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
and wonderfully clear trebles.
.
3) The Double top was
introduced by Manuel Contreras II and refers to an additional piece of
wood that is covering the inside of the back. "Tapa" in Spanish means back.
Therefore, the Contreras Double top is actually a Double back. The other
variation to the doble tapa, is a system I first saw and played on a 1986
Ramirez Doble tapa when I lived in Madrid. The system was a Contreras based
one nevertheless. Choose Doble tapa if you want a SPANISH sound.
.
4) The Double top Variation 1 (IMAGE
BELOW), is a variation to the doble tapa Contreras. It is
extremely powerful. It consists of a second top (normally cedar) that runs
parallel to the first one halfway between the top and the back. It is the
system that better seems to show what one would expect a double top to
look like. The 2 tops are connected through the sides and the transversal
struts and the resulting sound is full and very powerful. This is the most
laborious of the 3 doble tops from a construction point of view. It is
my preferred type of bracing and augments volume and sustain exponentially.
..
5) The double top with Nomex is
also
known as hollow top or composite top, consists of a sandwich type of construction
where a thin layer of synthetic fire retarding material (Nomex) is inserted
between two super-thin tops. The total thickness of the 3-layered top is
equivalent to a normal top. The center layer is practically speaking hollow,
therefore it is also called "hollow guitar top". This is more expensive
because 2 tops+Nomex and special adhesives have to be used in the construction...
Double top makes the sound of the guitar stay up longer before it decays.
It brings about balance in the voices.
. Double top with Nomex core
Let me
clarify that all the above types of constructions make for world class
concert instruments. It is likely that if none of these sound familiar,
than you always played on a Torres... (The system that Herman Hauser later
perfected). The other systems are more expensive because more time is required
in the preparation but they are not better nor worse, they are different.
So that you can refer to sound in order to to decide, keep this in mind:
John Williams' sound until 1986 was Hauser. John Williams' sound since
1986 is Lattice. Andres Segovia's sound from the 1980s is Double top (Var.1)
You can also hear hundreds of samples
I recorded of the different types of bracings here
. Do not hesitate to ask help m@il
Maestro Bellucci
Types of finish
You'll read a lot of nonsense regarding
the type of finish that best sutes a classical guitar. Mine at least, will
fit in a nutshell:
It is essential that you know that
the type of finish will not make any difference whatsoever on the type
of sound your guitar will produce. All finishes elevate the pitch of the
instrument a little (most people will not notice the difference). The finish
was first introduced to bring out the grain in the woods and offer some
type of protection against the elements. The most luxurious type
of finish today is Polyurethane. It is also the most laborious. It requires
a lot of space, air compressors, protective gear to apply and luthiers
willing to do a lot of sanding and clean up work. This is the main reason
why most European and US builders will try to convince guitar buyers that
French polish is better, bla bla... It is not ! It is easy to apply
and requires little or no infrastructure and practically no space to work
and, since most US and European workshops are small, it fits Northern hemisphere
builders to perfection.
French polish offers very little
or no protection at all. I owned 3 instruments that were French polished
and as soon as I could change the finish on them to Polyurethane, I did
so. Unfortunately, due to the little protection that French polish has
to offer, the woods were no longer as beautiful as they were originally...sweat
had stained parts of the guitar and in some places dirt accumulated to
a point that it changed the overall appearance of the instrument. BACK
ADJUSTABLE-SADDLE
BONE
When ordering a guitar, every
player will ask me to set the action as low as possible without any
buzzes... Since every player applies different amount of strenght
when plucking the strings it is impossible to set the action precisely
to each player's will. The Spanish builder Fleta, had come up with this
genial idea which consists of pushing the bone more or less into the groove
on the bridge. The player would set the action to his liking and then either
cut off the excess or keep it intact in case he decided to lower or raise
the action depending on humidity conditions etc. On request, I can prepare
a Fleta saddle bone for an extra 80 US$.
.
Rosettes
Soundport
The hole in the upper and/or lower
bout is called Soundport or Monitor hole. It augments the trebles output
and works as a sound monitor for the performer. I highly recommend
this. I offer a simple version (image above to the left) and a more stylized
version that resembles a Lute Rosette.
.
Violin tie and Armrest
The violin type of bridge is a great
input in guitar construction. A lot of the strain caused to the guitar
top by the pull of the strings is taken away prolonging the life of the
woods for many decades. The armrest is also genial because it keeps the
tendons in the forearm more relaxed and is a source of comfort during performance.
The armrest also prevents the armrest from interfering with the vibrating
top. Both look fantastic.
Highly detailed
mother of pearl inlay
.
Inlay work on the fingerboard,
headplate, violin tie and bridge.
Add US$ 688 for mother of pearl inlay fingerboard
.........
.
.
The mother
of pearl inlay work adds immense beauty to the guitar. It is a labor of
endless patience and elevates the guitar to an artistic level of AMAZING
proportions. It is made entirely by hand and will keep you in awe for hours
at a time.
Type of finish
The default finish on all Bellucci
concert guitars is the shiny Polyurethane finish. It is the most used type
of finish on guitars throughout the world. Nitrocellulose is very similar
to Polyurethane but adapts better to sudden changes in temperature and
humidity because it is a more flexible material. French polish is the oldest
type of finish and often requested by sound purists especially on the top.
....
.
Truss rod
The action on
Bellucci guitars is set-up for maximum playability. Still, some players
like to try different strings and the thickness changes from brand to brand
resulting in unwanted buzzes.
Classical or cutaway
SPECIAL CUTAWAY
Position markers:
Position markers are used by novice
and pros alike. Using them is a very personal decision. They come very
handy helping one of memory's strongest allies: sight. These can be of
mother of pearl, Gold or Diamond.
mother of pearl
-Diamond, brilliant
cut, position markers (below)
Number of frets
Most classical
guitars on the planet use 19 frets. Some pieces like Agustin Barrios Mangoré
"Un
Sueño en la Floresta", require a high C on string 1. Those players
who do not have 20 frets, have to glue a matchstick yo the fingerboard
in order to play the piece....
19 (standard)
or 20 frets
(more frets on request)
18 kt gold
plaque with your name
Solid 18kt
gold plaque with your name engraved
Electronics
Onboard equalizers
have no effect on the acoustic performance of the instrument. Installing
them, is not just a matter of making a couple of holes on the ring but
a time consuming highly precise labor. The tuner which comes with the EQ
is in my opinion a GREAT plus which you will find useful many times over.
Optional
Artec 4 band Eq/digital chromatic tuner
.Guitar
Humidifier
If you live in
a cold region of the world, where heaters are used in the Winter, I suggest
you buy a humidifier. Heaters can dry the air to a point where the woods
begin to suffer. Humidity should be kept around 40%. This extremely practical
humidifier is kept in the accessories case within the guitar case.
.
.
..
The New 2012 BELLUCCI guitars label
.
PROTECTIVE GEAR
These attractive hand sawn velvet
guitar covers are very useful if you like to leave your instrument out
of the case for long stretches of time. They are a great solution to avoid
scratches during practice from the friction of buttons with the finish.
To use it while playing, use it in the position shown to the right.
These are hand sawn by the wife of
my Leather cases embosser.
USD 35
.
COLOR A
COLOR B
COLOR C
COLOR D
In
downtown Asuncion, they have this chair (image below) on sale which
I and a few of my students have bought. It deals with the 4 leg
issue
of standard chairs, plus it is anatomically comfortable, light and is made
of sturdy leather and wood. It can be folded really easily and carried
everywhere. It allows to play with no footstool or with very low setting
on the footstool (only 17 inches from the floor to the butt). Click on
the button below if you would like me to purchase and airmail 1 to you.
US$ 112
PREMIUM GUITAR CASE (hand embossed leather)
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. It's built following my specifications for the interior
to fit Bellucci guitars like a glove. All Plush interior. You can request
that your initials be engraved on the case.
.
.
.
.
BELLUCCI GUITARS
MEASURES (click HERE
to see the measures)
Shipping:
DHL Worldwide, in an indestructible wood crate (8 mm thick reinforced walls).
Receiving
my guitar...
Contact Maestro
Renato Bellucci if you have any doubts or need advice: +595-981-777997,
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
+595-981-777997,
;){kind=link}