round 1870 in Spain, luthier Antonio de Torres Jurado (1817-1892) began to make guitars almost identical in size and shape to the modern guitar. By the late 1700s, the Spanish luthier Pagès, of Cadiz, had designed guitars which differed increasingly from the baroque instrument: they had six single strings, metal frets instead of gut frets, and experimental fan-shaped bracing under the soundboard.

Classical Guitar By Jim Cameron Osgoode, Ontario 1973 Eastern white cedar, Brazilian rosewood, Honduran mahogany, Purple Heart, snakewood, teak, ebony, maple Overall length: 92.5 cm; body: 43.3 x 32.7 cm; sides: 9 cm Label: "Jim Cameron Osgoode Ont 1973"

During Torres's lifetime, the guitar began to acquire status as a solo instrument, and the great guitarist Tárrega (1852-1909) paved the way for the modern school of classical guitar. Spurred on by the instrument's growing popularity, Torres built larger guitars and continued to experiment with internal bracing, which gave his instruments a much more robust tone.

The guitar presented here is similar to the flamenco guitar. It is three-quarters the size of a modern classical guitar, like the scaled-down stringed instruments often used by students.

     

Jim Cameron

Jim Cameron learned to play the guitar in Ottawa and Vancouver. Given his experience in cabinetmaking, he decided one day to construct his own instrument. Encouraged by the results, he went on to build other guitars and, in 1970, opened his workshop in Osgoode, Ontario, where he spent his time crafting stringed instruments.