Portuguese Guitarra Collection (not for sale), Ron Fernandez Collection

Small Lisboa style guitarra made by João Miguel Andade.

Notice the old style end pins.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The label reads:

João Miguel Andade

Fabrica e Armazem de Instrumentos de Corda.

Guitarras, Violas braguezas, Cavacos.

Lisboa

Rua da Trinidade

Sole Agents for Great Britain and Colonies

Alban Voigt & Co.,

14, Edmund Place, LONDON, E.C.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fabrica e Armazem de Instrumentos de Corda means Factory (or maker) and Store for String Instruments

Guitarras, Violas braguezas, Cavacos means Portuguese guitarras, folklore guitars in the style of Braga and Cavocos (probably meaning cavaquinhos?)

Rua da Trinidade means Trinidade Street

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I believe this guitarra is from the 1890's because of the book, A Complete Method for Portuguese Guitarra by Havelock Mason, which was supposedly published in 1892 or 1895. This method book was published by the importer of this guitarra, Alban Voigt & Company, at a time when the Portuguese guitarra was popular in Britain. The tuning used in this book (gG, bB, dD, gg, bb, dd) was called the natural tuning in 19th century Portugal--as opposd to the fado tuning (dD, aA, bB, ee, aa, bb). It is a tuning which adapted the 10- string 6-course English Guittar tuning to the 12-string 6-course Portuguese guitarra. This method is a basic instruction book which also contains a few fados as well as a polka, a bolero and a romanza.

Andrade guitarra next to 18th century John Preston English Guittar

If you have comments, my email is: ron@fernandezmusic.com

Return to top of Fernandez Music Home Page