Ragghianti Shop Tour.
On a clear August morning, I am looking out of the passenger's window
of the family Smart car, watching as the landscape changes from the
green mountains of Liguria, a land squeezed between the Apennines and
the sea, to the soft plains of Northern Tuscany, with the white gashes
of the marble quarries gleaming far away on my left. I am running
late, but my meeting with luthier Fabio Ragghianti in Pietrasanta is
only a few minutes away.
Locating his shop is a breeze, and I introduce myself to the harpsichord maker with whom Fabio shares the building. Mr. Ragghianti is on the phone, but still welcomes me with a smile and a firm handshake.We had first met a few weeks before, during a little guitar competition right there in Pietrasanta. I had shown him my beloved guitar, one he had built himself more than eleven years before for Armando Corsi, my former teacher: I must confess I feared he would show some kind of disappointment upon seeing such a fine instrument passed from the hands of a master to those of a student, but Fabio proved a true gentleman from this very first meeting, inviting me to his shop for a setup and a little guitar talk.
As you can see from the pictures, the shop is not very large but features a well-thought and efficient layout. Various jigs and tools hang from the walls near the luthier's desk, while a column of drawers stores parts, tuners, screws and the likes. From a corner a sign reminds us that "Pataphysics is Science," a notice that goes well with the owner's whimsical poise. From one of the longer walls hang an old 30's Gibson Fabio is repairing, a 2000 Ragghianti "Moon Phases" acoustic waiting for a refret, and a recently completed MXM, Fabio's own take on modern classical guitars - more on it later. The bulkier machines and routers, the wood stashed for seasoning, and the finishing booth are all shared with the harpsichord maker.
While Fabio takes a look at my guitar, we start talking about luthiers, the market and acoustic artists. Ragghianti's guitars are growing ever more popular in the US, and the Pietrasanta luthier travels there frequently, also because of his work as a teacher for the LSI of Sebastopol, CA, and his active involvement with the Guild of American Luthiers. Since he moved his first steps in lutherie in the early 80's, Fabio has always been very keen on the theoretical aspects of guitar making, as his tendency to innovate testifies.
The MXM represents a clear example of thoughtful innovation: this contemporary classical is a blend of different ideas on how to improve the playability, intonation and projection of the instrument without compromising the quality of the tone. It features a sound port in the upper bout, which enhances the overall volume and projection of the guitar while acting as a monitor (hence the first "M" in the acronym) for the player. The back is domed and "X"-braced, two other factors in the equation for optimal projection. The sides are made out of a special laminate, called - you guessed it - Multiflex, which eliminates the need for kerfing and allows the inside of the guitar to be a seamless surface. The neck is reinforced with a carbon rod; the fingerboard is fan-fretted with 660-630 mm scales, bass to treble. I played this MXM for a few minutes, and I enjoyed its beautiful timbre, its warm and focused bass, and its amazing projection. The sound port is a boon in evaluating the effect of the right hand on the guitar's tone, and the composite scale makes a difference when playing low-end phrases. Sure, it takes a little time to adjust to the fanned fretboard (the first impression is akin to having enjoyed a glass of wine or two too many), but this player thinks the benefits largely surpass the drawbacks.
