Chet's guitar at the Smithsonian

[bill raymond]

We're visiting in Stafford VA and thought we'd visit the Smithsonian tomorrow. Does anyone know whether Chet's Haile guitar is on exhibit, and where I might find it in vast expanse of the Smithsonian?

[BobFrye]

Hi Bill,

Found this link:

http://americanhistory.si.edu/collectio ... mah_605756

Bob F.

[PhilHunt]

It's not on exhibit. I've been there at least 5 times and have never seen the Hascal there. It's probably stored away in their vast storage areas gathering dust. Real Shame. At one time they did have the Chinery collection on exhibit and I went there to go see it. It was a vast collection. I believe Chet's solid top Black 6120 was there also at the time. Bill Hollenbecks guitars were there as well. I have a video showing Chet's black 6120 in the glass case. Maybe I should put it on youtube.

[bill raymond]

Thanks, Bob and Phil. I did have a chance to glance at the link Bob posted before we left, but hadn't enough time to post a thank you. It is indeed a shame that the guitar isn't on exhibit, but at least I didn't go to the Smithsonian and miss seeing it on exhibit. This would seem to be an interesting guitar, cypress sides/back, maple neck and Spanish pine (a fancy name for cedar) table.

Thanks fellows

[smokymtguitar09]

With cypress back & sides, Spanish pine (cedar) top, and maple neck sort of makes it a hybrid classical/flamenco guitar doesn't it?

I have always thought the recorded sound of that guitar was unique from any other, but I thought it had to do with the mics used and of course Chet's playing. I have cheap Yamaha Flamenco guitar with laminated cypress sides & back with spruce top but it doesn't sound anything like the Haile guitar.

Thanks for posting the Smithsonian link. John Buscarino's arch top blue guitar is in the Smithsonian, along with other noted archtop builders commissioned for the Chinery Blue Guitar permanent collection. You might ask about that exhibit.

[bill raymond]

Cypress body is typical of a guitarra flamenca, yes, but there are also some subtle differences in bracing and bridge/action height. It sounds like some sort of hybrid, as you said. It would be interesting to know how it's braced. I would guess that Chet's preference would be for more of a classical action, but I really don't know. Others have mentioned that the guitar seems a bit larger than other classical guitars, too.

[John McClellan]

Bill,

I have played Chet's guitar many times while it was in the Haile's possession prior to the donation to the Smithsonian.
The body is slighlty bigger and much deeper than a Ramirez...Mr. Haile most likely braced the guitar like a Ramirez as the Ramirez was his bracing model. It was a long scale, easy to play, a little too bass heavy,but it was great non the less....much history tided to that guitar!

John

[bill raymond]

Thanks for the information, John. I'll have to put a cypress body on my list of guitars to build.

[John McClellan]

Bill,

Cypress is a lovely wood for classic guitar. I find it to have a etheral sustain, which to me, is unexpected since cypress is not as dense as rosewood. Jose Romanillos stated in his book on Torres, the best sounding classical guitar he had the honor of hearing was a spruce and cypress classical by Antonio Torres.

Just thought I would share that side bar thought.

JOhn

[bill raymond]

Thanks for the additional comments. Now that I'm back home in California, I found an article in the July 1980 issue of Frets magazine, "Frets visits Hascal Haile" which has a photo of Mr. Haile's bracing. It appears he used a Torres-like fan bracing, 7 fan struts, and some short finger braces below the "V" cutoff bars. The transverse braces above and below the soundhole appear to be mahogany and he has glued a piece of mahogany veneer crossgrain under the fretboard extension all the way across. The guitar in the photo may be a steel string guitar, however, as the article mentions he uses basically the same bracing on steel string guitars as on classicals. Also mentioned is that, at Chet's suggestion, he tuned the tops to a lower tone than is customary.

Ronnie, do you have a list of recordings made using this particular guitar? I'd like to go back and listen to hear the differences between it and his Estruch.