Del Pilar Classical Guitar (1971), made in Brooklyn, NY, natural varnish finish, rosewood back and sides, spruce top, mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard, original black hard shell case.
The "Artist of Atlantic Avenue" Guillermo Del Pilar hand crafted very high-grade Spanish-style instruments in the heart of downtown Brooklyn from the 1950's through the 1990's. This is a nice example of his mid-period work, hand signed on the label and dated July 28, 1971. The back and sides are made of interestingly figured rosewood, which appears to be the African variety Del pilar was experimenting with at the time. This is a lovely wood if quite different from the familiar Brazilian, with a lighter color and lightly wavy effect in the grain.
The spruce top has 5-ply wood binding with a rosewood outer layer, as are the bridge and headstock face. The rosette is fairly complex with a half-herringbone outer layer. As with many New York immigrant community instrument builders (like Del Pilar's contemporary John D'Angelico) the emphasis was on sound quality more than the sort of obsessive neatness detail that is seen on modern guitars; this guitar is cleanly built but looks and feels handmade in the best way.
This is also a very nice sounding guitar; extremely responsive, even, warm and round sounding, with good volume and surprising projection for a warmer toned instrument. This would be an excellent instrument for Bossa Nova stylings as well as the straight classical repertoire. These Del Pilar guitars have become more highly prized in recent years and Del Pilar's reputation as one of the finer, if relatively unsung luthiers in postwar America is still growing.
Overall length is 39 1/2 in. (100.3 cm.), 14 1/2 in. (36.8 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 1/8 in. (10.5 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 25 5/8 in. (651 mm.). Width of nut is 2 1/4 in. (57 mm.).
Overall this guitar is nicely preserved showing only very minor wear; it really appears not much played over the last 55 years. The finish shows light handling wear with some tiny dings, fingernail scratches and scuffs; There is some odd subtle spotting to the finish on the top and more heavily on the sides; this is pretty subtle and we can't say what caused it, but it is more visible under UV than natural light and not really that noticeable.
The guitar is entirely free from any cracks or visible repairs and appears completely unaltered from how it left the Del Pilar shop. This is a lovely warm sounding guitar, a fine player and a very nice example of this extremely well-regarded local maker's work. It includes what appears to be the original red-lined black hard shell case, with light wear to the outer covering in structurally excellent condition. Overall Excellent Condition.
