What's New

Guitar Music Events

Robert Page — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 21:39:58 +0000

Friday, June 21, 2013 7:30 PM location: The Music School of Delaware, 4101 Washington St, Wilmington, DE

Delaware Chamber Music Festival

For more information www.dcmf.org

Christian Taggart, guitar, Marcantonio Barone, piano, Clancy Newman, cello, Barbara Govatos, violin

Works by; Piazzolla, Paganini, Brahms, Rachmaninoff, Hamer

NEW GUITARS

Robert Page — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 02:22:41 +0000

We have some interesting new additions to our list of guitars which have not yet been loaded to the website:

Maurice Dupont 2005 "Conservatoire" cedar/Indian, used $2,700

Ricardo Sanchis Carpio 1993 spruce/Brazilian, used $6,500

Pierre Jaffre 1984 cedar/Brazilian, used $4,400

Renaud Galabert 2013 cedar/Indian, new $7,500

Frederich Holtier 2011/12 double top, spruce-nomex-cedar, new $7,500, ON THE WEBSITE

Antonio Raya Pardo 1997 spruce/Brazilizn, used $6,000 ON THE WEBSITE

and, of course, the incomparable,

Paulino Bernabe 1999 cedar/Brazilian, Imperial, used $11,000 ON THE WEBSITE

Manuel Velazquez 1971 cedar/Brazilian, used $15,000 (call for appointment)

Dominique Delarue 2012

Robert Page — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 21:02:55 +0000

We currently have a 2012 Delarue cedar and are expecting another one in the Fall of 2013

HISCOX Cases

Robert Page — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 21:39:29 +0000

We are now carrying the super strong British-made HISCOX guitar cases. Produced with high grade polyurethane for high impact resistance and foam insulation, these deluxe cases provide excellent safety when travelling. Our price $295.

New Happenings

Robert Page — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 17:38:11 +0000

There is a lot going on at The Classical Guitar Store in 2013. We are now importing DIRECTLY, ALL of our guitars from France, Spain and Germany (NO middle-men); the truly outstanding line of Esteve guitars from Spain, the impeccable Armin Hanika guitars from Germany, and the always spectacular Castelluccia/Giambattista guitars from France which have been the "flagship" guitars of our European builders.

You will also find new colleagues here at the Guitar Store: William Newman is a long-time associate at the Guitar Store as a teacher and manager of the Store. Behrad Emami is an accomplished guitarist, luthier, and guitar repairman of uncommon skill . Behrad brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the job of serving our guitar customers and students.

David Pace Interview

Robert Page — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 13:54:31 +0000

This interview took place in the fall of 2010 while David was in Paris for the guitar festival there. Enjoy!

Robert Page Interview

Robert Page — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 13:51:03 +0000

THE FRENCH TOUCH

An interview by Josiane Spinosi with Robert Page, owner of The Classical Guitar Store
from GUITARE CLASSIQUE, Jan. 2003

As much at ease in using the language of Moliere as he is in front of a stove cooking up delicacies, Robert Page is a lover of France and French culture. This American has visited the most improbable corners of Paris, has met Parisian writers, can quote Colette or Proust almost from memory, can smoke a pipe in record time (that means for a very long time)... But his main activity is the sale of guitars, especially those made in France. We met him while sharing a bottle of 1985 Saint-Estaphe which he had selected. Quite a connoisseur! All around the room the walls are covered with hundreds, no, thousands of records (33 r.p.m.s and CDs). On the first floor a computer stands beside a French dictionary, its pages dog-eared with use, while the spicy odor of a Moroccan tagine floats through the room gently illuminated by the autumn sunlight. We were unable to resist the urge to introduce him to you.

GUITARE CLASSIQUE: How did you discover French guitars?
ROBERT PAGE: It's a long story. I've loved France for a long time, its literature, its musical life, its world of fine art, its food, its wines, and above all the quality of its daily life. Five years ago, Roland Dyens came to Philadelphia to play a concert. We had a good time together during that weekend. He was playing a Fanton-d'Andon guitar, a maker whom I'd never heard of. Once back in France, Roland spoke to Olivier Fanton-d'Andon about me, a small classical guitar dealer with a taste for all things French. Olivier had the nice idea to invite me to spend a little time at his home in Chateaudun. I went to a stringed instrument exposition organized by the regional center at Orleans, in the St.-Pierre-le-Puellier church, to be precise. There were many guitars on display by luthiers from that part of the country, including Olivier and Gerard Audirac. Also plenty of discussions, trying guitars, concerts and meetings...
That moment was a revelation. I suddenly realized that the French had a long and formidable guitar making tradition. A tradition unknown to most Americans (myself included)! Do you realize? After almost 30 years in this profession and at least 20 years of fascination with France! Putting together my two passions, for the guitar and for France, has been like a renaissance for me, both professionally and personally.

GC: So you started your "Tour de France?"
RP: Yes, I went in search of the classical guitar makers. And everywhere I found remarkable luthiers, very talented, having both mastery of the tradition and a strong interest in innovative approaches. And my "tour" is not over yet. I travel regularly back to France to meet new luthiers.

GC: As an American guitar dealer, do you find that French guitars have points in common?
RP: In my humble opinion, despite all their beautiful differences, French guitars share a characteristic clarity of tone. Excuse me for daring to sum up such a vast topic. That is essentially what differentiates them from Spanish, American, Japanese and Mexican guitars, it seems to me. I also sell guitars from those countries.

GC: What luthiers do you represent currently in the U.S.?
RP: I represent as many French luthiers as my budget permits. Today I'm proud to have the instruments of ten French guitar makers in my shop in Philadelphia .Thanks to their talents and their fine sense of esthetics, their reputations are growing in my country through the exposure they get on the Internet and in my store. The names of Delarue, Audirac, Quinson, Castelluccia, Mercier, Fouilleul, Raifort , Lesueur, Bedikian and Dupont are starting to be known here.

GC: For how long have you been enamored of the guitar?
RP: I bought The Classical Guitar Store in March of 1973. It was a pretty little shop with a devoted clientele. Before that I was an English teacher at the university and I was taking guitar lessons at the store. I love the guitar for several reasons. I started with piano studies when I was young. I played piano. Fine. But because of the regular moving required by my academic job, I found that the guitar was a great substitute. It is portable (laughs), and it has a warm and intimate tone.

GC: Do you still play the guitar?
RP: During the time that I've just been speaking about I played a lot, passionately, like crazy! I had three or four hours of music in my head and in my fingers. Dowland, Frescobaldi, Bach. Sor, Giuliani, Tarrega, Albeniz, Granados, Ponce, Villa-Lobos... Yikes! When I think of it! I played in restaurants, cafes, for private parties, never on stage. The idea of a real recital made me nervous. Today I rarely play since I no longer have time to practice. I play now only to demonstrate a guitar for a customer or to entertain my grandson.

GC: Because of the success of the French guitars?
RP: They've taken over my life and leave me no time for myself! No, I'm joking. I chose to devote myself to the sale of the musical instrument that I so much love. Because it is always more than just selling...it's also the relations with the customers whether directly in the shop or by telephone or by e-mail. And it's the time taken to examine the guitars and write their descriptions. And it's the chance to detail their specifications, it's the pleasure of hearing them sing...

GC: Do you repair guitars?
RP: Before, yes. But now, with the growth of my business, I don?t have time to do serious repair work. For that I have a very good craftsman who works with me. His workshop is near my store. I send him the guitarists whose instruments are "sick." I still adjust guitars, especially those which I sell.

GC: What music and what musicians do you appreciate?
RP: What a question! I truly love all kinds of music...classical and jazz, above all. In classical guitar I love Bach's lute suites and the transcriptions of his violin sonatas and partitas. What an inexhaustible delight! I love the Spaniards like Albeniz, Granados and de Falla and also the Latin American composers like Villa-Lobos, Lauro, Piazzolla, Brouwer and Ponce. I'm sure I'm forgetting some. Among players I love my friends Barrueco, Dyens, Dumond, Barbosa-Lima, Antigoni Goni, and especially the young and superb Ana Vidovic. I like Bream, Williams, Segovia and the neglected Cuban guitarist Rey de la Torre. Among the duo players, I like the Assads who are magical, and I'm very fond of the Duo Spinosi.

New Francisco Esteve Guitars Direct from Spain

Robert Page — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:28:47 +0000

In April we received our first large shipment of the exceptionally fine Francisco Esteve guitars which are handmade in Alboraya, Spain, by a team of master luthiers under the direction of Manuel Adalid. I cannot say enough good things about these instruments which range in price from $495 to $1695. All models, whatever the price, are perfectly constructed in the best Spanish tradition The woods are flawless and attractive and they are carefully finished with a light durable coat of nitrocellulose lacquer, the best practical finish to protect the guitar without dampening its resonance. In short these Esteve guitars are lovely to behold and a pleasure to hear. Henceforth they will occupy a proud place in our stock.

BAM Guitar Cases

Robert Page — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:25:47 +0000

Please check out the Accessories page for our latest addition of the famous BAM Guitar Cases, the light weight, practically indestructible travel cases manufactured in France.