Since an auto-related injury to my lower back, playing guitar in the classical position is impossible. I would be very interested in learning about the special cushions and suction cups I've seen mentioned in your pages.
Tim Farrell
Newtown, Pennsylvania
In guitar styles that involve sophisticated left-hand fingering, it is beneficial to elevate the neck of the guitar. This approach allows better left-hand leverage and easy access to the entire fingerboard. This is why many classical guitarists sit with a footstool under the left leg and hold the body of the guitar securely between their legs. This position puts one hip higher than the other, however, and is damaging to the body's alignment--and poor spinal alignment can affect every aspect of health, including the strength and flexibility of the hands. Support devices raise the guitar while allowing the player to keep both feet on the ground. Although I prefer the slightly better security of the traditional position for performances, I highly recommend support devices for practice sessions--even for people with no back pain.
Two popular devices are the A-Frame and the Dynarette Cushion. They can be ordered from Guitar Solo ([415] 896-1144), North America's largest distributor and mail-order company for classical guitar music and accessories. The A-Frame is the more versatile device. It sits on top of the left leg and clings to the guitar with suction cups. It can be adjusted to hold the guitar at virtually any angle or height, though you may have to experiment to find the best setup. The Dynarette Cushion comes in two sizes; the large size holds the guitar five inches off the leg at its highest point, and the small raises the guitar four inches. This device is convenient and easy to use. It can be used instead of a footstool or in conjunction with one. With any support device, you can tell that it needs to be raised if you are compelled to lean over while playing
--Alison Bert
Of the two common tonewoods used for guitar bodies, rosewood and mahogany, which one generally produces better balance, sustain, and clarity?
James Angeletos
Mt. Prospect, Illinois
If everything else in a guitar is equal, guitar builders generally agree that rosewood provides more sustain and bass than mahogany. Mahogany is usually credited with yielding better clarity and separation of notes. Which wood offers better balance in a small guitar is largely a personal call; players who prefer more bass will probably choose rosewood, and those who like more treble or brightness may choose mahogany.
Don't be surprised to find that different builders and players have varying opinions about the above generalization. A rosewood Brand X might have more clarity and separation than a mahogany Brand Y, while delivering more bass and sustain as well. Yet some guitarists may have a playing style that makes Brand Y the better-sounding guitar. Factors like interior bracing and wood thickness have more to do with a guitar's sound than the species chosen for the backs and sides. Then there's the fact that wood of the same species varies from one tree to another, and even within the same log. Solution? Go play lots of guitars, trust your ears, and don't pay too much attention to the preferences of others.
--Richard Johnston
I found a wonderful rosewood guitar in a pawnshop in Jacksonville, Florida. It was made in Hialeah, Florida, by G.L. Stiles. Can you tell me more about the guitar and Mr. Stiles?
Bill Blakely
Tampa, Florida
The late G.L. Stiles produced hundreds of handmade instruments from about 1960 until his death at age 80 in 1994. He made a wide variety of solid-body, flattop, and archtop guitars as well as some mandolins and banjos. Stiles was a craftsman willing to plunge into virtually every kind of project. He even produced an airplane in 1969, which, according to the Stiles family, FAA experts said would never fly. The plane did prove to be airworthy, and Stiles eventually sold it to a man in Pensacola. His business card read, "You're all smiles when you play a Stiles." You can get further information on this maker from the book Guitar Stories, Volume 1, by Michael Wright, published by Vintage Guitar books in 1995. The book includes a photo-illustrated chapter on Stiles and his work.
--George Gruhn
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