The guitar is iconographic. So is the color black, Spanish boots, greased hair tied tightly in a pony tail and Zorro.

Certainly there is a physical representation to all music, the style of the presentation and the associated ancillary clothing. Classical guitar is associated with the tuxedo although it is less often that you see it.

Flamenco also has a style of performance that includes certain clothing and hair style.

What does this go to show you? There is a lot of extra musical input into certain music. The sociality of it, that is, the presentation to the "tribe" is a prerequisite for it. Like minded individuals are purveyors of the music tribe.

The Lucas somehow focuses thoughts of iconography when it is pulled out of it's case and played for a mixed group of people. Their expressions in it's presence speak reams about the guitar and it supposed function in society. The appropriation of a guitar, to all of us nylon players, as an icon of a particular musical personality, is much the same as the Zorro-mindedness of flamenco. A wammy bar is to "them" what a Moorish rosette is to us. A Lucas is entirely something else but the same. The iconography is much more complex and parts of it, is yet, undisclosed.

Everything about this guitar is new outlook. It is iconographic and my appropriation of it was relatively easy. I have no reverence for almost any icon of tribal context preferring to make a tribe of one individual as a composer.

Forgetting about the function for a moment, Maya the strange beauty's looks are arresting. You can't help but look at her. She is such a strange beauty. She is undeniably beautiful.

So what would be the immediate rejection of a beautiful guitar to some? It is not the icon they need. Screw the Spanish riding boots, I can wear them and they mean nothing, it is really the music and guitar first and foremost.

The Lucas is the first guitar I have had to think about in such strict iconographic terms. Why bother if it didn't sound great!

If the guitar, in some people's minds, is like a harpsichord, than my Lucas is a piano.

Having met, played, made potential modifications and ordered a number of guitar from Adrian, the verdict is in on his improved radial braced guitar.

It is a magnificent instrument. Bold in design and sound, there is something very right about it. Although it is a slightly different sound than our ordinary guitar, the modifications to the shape, the manner of bracing and hole placement produces an extremely big sound that is very well balanced and massive.

Adrian showed me his guitar in 2000 while on a trip up the California coast. This guitar can be seen as the end of the article guitar elsewhere in New Mill Guitar.

What attracted me to his older design was the massive volume and pianistic sound. There was such a rich fullness to it and massive delivery. It lacked the clarity that I need in an instrument though. The newest one I purchased is the best yet! (They just get better and below is some pictures and a description of the latest Lucas of 2004)

Putting the sound holes in the weak part of a resonant top was the problem although I thought that changing the back/side wood to something other than Indian rosewood would do the trick.

Seems to me that whenever you place the soundhole in a different position on the top you dramatically change the sound of the guitar.

What the original design of the radial guitar did is incorporate more soundboard area by changing the shape and moving the hole. In this case the hole's area was split into two and place in the inactive area.

One of the holes at the end of the fingerboard has a tendency to leach out higher harmonics that add to the clarity and treble response of the guitar.

Adrian piped in at this point of the review to add that, in his opinion, the soundhole location at the end of the fingerboard changes that way the air vibrates to give enhanced treble.

Rather than change the back/side wood on my ordered instrument, Adrian moved the lower soundhole to the end of the fingerboard and the complete sound was attained. Now this guitar has high end and it becomes a sound that is extremely guitarlike yet different as the difference between a harpsichord is to a piano.

This particular Lucas, in Port Orford cedar/Madagascar Rosewood is a completely perfect sound. There is something very unusual about the Port Orford cedar. It seems to sonically sit right in between spruce and cedar.

Playing this guitar is an experience and the largeness of the sound is put in your ear and a certain type of control, not present in all but a few guitars with ports, achieve. This is not a port but a soundhole, the effect is different for both listener and player. The placement of the port/soundhole offeres a bit of sound into the ear. What it seems to do as well is to open the guitar's sound and volume.

I've had my students tell me that the Lucas is the most impressive guitar that they have experienced me play. At a recital in December audience members commented on the great sound and vast volume the guitar had. Coupled with the striking visual presence, the Lucas is an amazing guitar that I recommend. I can go ahead and say the POC/Madagascar guitar is one of the best guitars I've owned in 30 years.

All is immaculately done, from saddle to headstock. The vision of this guitar is well realized and the articulation of the luthier brings forth his vision in striking exactitude.

Now to the 2004 Lucas with port.

It's finally come to this. I have to say that I put my lot in with the luthiers who have found new ways to make a sound.

I had held a little reservation about this because of two guitars, the Hauser and the Fleta.

As I mentioned the Fleta is a transitional guitar. It spans the bridge between the first generation of Spanish and the second. It may be one of the few second-generation Spanish guitars that broke from the traditional guitar making patterns.

The Hauser just sounds so brilliant. It is a small but large sounding clear guitar that is exceptional for counterpoint.

This last Lucas guitar, by my request, was made with this port only. There is no bottom port.

After I made my request for a port I began to think that it would be a mistake because of the location of the secondary sound hole so the secondary on is moved to the treble side of the soundboard.

After years of avoiding cedar of any kind, I heard a few guitars with Port Orford Cedar. Here is a description of this top wood:

Port-Orford Cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) Also known as Port Orford white cedar, white cedar, Oregon cedar, false cypress, and Lawson cypress. Grows primarily along northern Pacific coast of United States. Also planted in Asia, Europe, and New Zealand. Straight and even grained with a medium to coarse texture. Yellowish white to pale yellowish brown heartwood and pale yellowish white sapwood. Light, moderately soft, stiff, moderately strong, low shock resistance, and very good acid and decay resistance. Quite stable in service. Poor steam bending rating.

After receiving this first PO/Madagascar I was amazed at the depth of sound. This wood combination aon this guitar has great headroom and you can push and push this guitarfor vlume and it doesn't crap out.

The port was an afterthought to the previous port that Adrian provided for me on the spruce/Tasmanina Blackwood.

A few words about the port from Adrian. "The port, being an extra soundhole in effect, changes the resonant frequency of the air in the guitar. There is a lot of pressure change in the upper bout among the lower air resonances and so having a port near the base of the neck seems to relieve pressure and remove some of the damping of the main air movement from the lower bout where the bridge is pumping air in and out of the guitar. With there already being a soundhole in the top close to the port, the effect is more subtle than on a traditional guitar, but still clearly noticeable."

Maybe you folks know my preferred sound by now. I like big and clear. Big means full and robust in as many frequencies as possible but with a glassier top end. Basses must be tight and full.

I have all of my guitars strung with Savarez Corum/Alliance hard tension, a composite string. This further pushes the guitar and some call these strings "hot-rods."

The Lucas radial braced system is very naturally sustaining. The notes just hang in there a lot longer than an ordinary braced guitar.

I would say that the radial is a tight braced system although I have seen tighter as in the lattice, Kasha and even the Fleta bracing.

The idea to use more soundboard distributed the one sound hole into two, one at the end of the fretboard increased the clarity from the symmetrical holes the Lucas used to have. The hole system evolved from my request to have more treble come from the guitar.

I said in the past about the Lucas that it is to the guitar what the piano was to the harpsichord. Not too much of a stretch. It has more volume, more sustain, more overall oomph than our basic guitar.

I honestly don't think it was an intentional departure in appearance in so far as form follows function. The radial bracing system is the main reason to have changed the shape. Why the hell would you want a Moorish rosette? The guitar seems to speak of western origins.

Got to say, with this Lucas I will use the same appellation as I used for the Reynolds; The best guitar I've tried in the last 10 years along with the Reynolds.

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