José Yacopi 1975 a very special concert guitar - unique bracing system, amazing woods and fascinating sound!
José Yacopi (28 December 1916, in Victoria, Spain - 11 August 2006, in San Fernando, Argentina) was a Spanish guitar maker.
Yacopi learned the art of guitar making from his father, Gamaliel Jacopi. In 1944, at the age of 27, he won first place at the Concurso Provincial de Artesanía ("Provincial Crafts Competition") in Barcelona and then also at the Concurso Nacional de Oficios Artesanos ("Official National Crafts Competition") in Madrid. Further prizes followed in London and Argentina. Yacobi is known for his innovative approaches to optimising the sound characteristics of his guitars.
In 1947, Yacopi and his father developed an ingenious internal bracing system (inverted fan system - see picture) to reinforce the guitar top, which was later patented. This gives his guitars distinctive and special sound characteristics. In 1949 Jose Yacopi and his wife Pilar Perez-Menchaca moved to General Villegas, then in 1951 to San Fernando, Argentina, where Yacopi stayed for the rest of his life. Although he built a variety of stringed instruments, he specialised in Spanish guitars in the style of the Barcelona guitar makers, with his own innovative approaches.
Among the renowned guitarists who played Yocopi's guitars are María Luisa Anido, Julian Bream, Eric Clapton, Irma Costanzo, Eduardo Falú, Edmundo Rivero and Narciso Yepes.
This guitar is a remarkable handmade guitar by José Yacobi. It was built in 1975 and it is signed by Yacopi. It is a typical Yacobi style guitar, with elements of classical Barcelona guitar making mixed with the typical Yacobi features. For example, this guitar has the typical ornamentation of a Simplicio guitar and looks very much like one. Inside, however, it has the grandiose Yacobi bracing with the inverted fan (see picture) and the fine construction of the master.
It is clearly a guitar for the concert hall, as it unfolds a lot of power and has an enormously carrying sound quality. The guitar has a nut width of 52 mm and a scale length of 650 mm. The top is made of finest spruce, back and sides of selected rosewood. The workmanship and varnish is of the finest we have ever seen on a guitar from Barcelona.
The condition of the guitar is very good with 2 repairs on the top. It comes with the original case.
This inspiring instrument has a spontaneous and powerful sound character. It is very dynamic and comfortable to play. It is always impressive to experience how much character and volume can be found in such a guitar. At the same time, this instrument exudes an incredible charm that is often only found in older, mature instruments and is therefore particularly captivating. It is an instrument of great lyricism, and its perfect playability allows the guitarist to give free rein to his inspiration. The timbre is round and warm with amazing sustain and perfect balance.
This great instrument is an excellent witness to the times and is one of the best instruments from Barcelona. It is on a par with the instruments of Ignacio Fleta, Francisco Simplicio, Enrique Garcia or Enrique Sanfeliu.
