c. 1840 D.&A. Roudhloff

The brothers Dominique (1798–?) and Arnould (c. 1804–?) Roudhloff traveled to London in the 1830s from Mirecourt in Northeastern France. London trade directories show that by 1839, the Roudhloffs were working at 81 Charlotte Street in the Marylebone district, and later moved to number 87 sometime during 1848. The Roudhloffs soon became Panormo’s biggest rival […]

1840 Antonio de Lorca

Antonio de Lorca García (c. 1798–1870) of Málaga was the patriarch of one of the most influential families of guitar makers in nineteenth-century Spain. He employed at least four journeymen during his career and apprenticed his only son, Antonio de Lorca Pino, who later achieved success as a luthier and distinguished player. His grandson, Antonio […]

c. 1840 Pierre René Lacote “Heptachorde”

The French guitar virtuoso and composer Napoléon Coste was the inspiration behind Pierre René Lacote’s “Heptachorde,” or seven-string guitar. The seventh string was situated away from the fretboard and was most often tuned to C or D, producing a fuller sound.