Jose Yacopi 1984

José Yacopi 1984 a very special concert guitar - unique bracing system, wonderful woods and a fascinating sound!

José Yacopi (December 28, 1916, in Victoria, Spain - August 11, 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 Arts and Crafts Competition”) in Barcelona and then also at the Concurso Nacional de Oficios Artesanos (“National Arts and Crafts Competition”) in Madrid. Further prizes followed in London and Argentina. Yacobi is known for his innovative approaches to optimizing the sound characteristics of his guitars.

In 1947, Yacopi and his father developed an ingenious internal bracing system (inverted fan bracing - see picture) to reinforce the guitar top, which was later patented. This gave his guitars unmistakable 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 remained for the rest of his life. Although he built a variety of stringed instruments, he specialized in Spanish guitars in the style of the Barcelona luthiers, bringing his own innovative approach.

Famous guitarists who have played Yocopi's guitars include 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 1984 and is signed by Yacopi. It is a typical Yacobi style guitar, with elements of classic Barcelona guitar making mixed with the typical Yacobi characteristics.
For example, this guitar has the typical ornamentation of a Simplicio guitar and also looks like one.
Inside, however, it has the magnificent Yacobi bracing with the inverted fan and the master's fine construction.

It is clearly a guitar for the concert hall, because it develops 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 664 mm. The top is made from the finest spruce, while the back and sides are made from selected mahogany.
The finish and lacquering are the finest we have ever seen on a guitar from Barcelona.

The guitar is in very good condition. It comes with the original case.

This inspiring instrument has a spontaneous and powerful sound character. It is very dynamic and pleasant to play. It is always impressive to experience how much character and volume there is in such a guitar. At the same time, this instrument exudes an extraordinary charm that is often only found in older, mature instruments and is therefore particularly captivating.
It is a very lyrical instrument which, thanks to 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 magnificent instrument is an outstanding contemporary witness and 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.

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