About Classical Guitar

Compared to other instruments of the musical tradition, classical guitar is relatively young. It still presents the technical demands and musical breadth of traditional instruments, but its limited history heightens the importance of skilled and insightful musical interpretation, along with innovative technique.

Unlike other instruments in its near family, the classical guitar is not played using a pick or bow or anything placed between musician and instrument. Instead, the musician’s own fingernails, each filed to precise length and shape for the best tone, coax a multitude of sound.

Between the individual movements of five fingers and the plethora of techniques for plucking or strumming the strings, the musical landscapes offered by classical guitar are vast, from haunting single-line melodies to lush, multi-voice harmonies to distinctive Spanish strums to evocative sounds made by tapping the wood of the guitar.

Classical guitar is easily one of the most beautiful and versatile of portable instruments. Even unamplified, it can easily fill a concert hall, large room, or outdoor space with sound — while not overwhelming the listener. Nylon strings give the instrument exquisite color and clarity of tone, surprising those more familiar with the harshness and squeaking that can come from more popular steel-string guitars.

Joshua’s primary classical guitar took over a year for a luthier to make by hand. The solid spruce top and Indian rosewood back, sides, and neck were hand selected for their beauty, durability, and — most importantly — sound quality. Choosing from more than one such masterpiece, Joshua hand-selected his guitar for its sweetness and warmth, which will continue to develop with time.