About the luthier

Sebastiano Fracasso is an emerging Italian luthier whose guitars reflect a rare blend of conceptual depth and tonal clarity. Trained in the workshops of Ennio Giovanetti and Roberto De Miranda, his instruments carry forward a lineage of refined Italian craftsmanship. Fracasso's work stands out for its attention to structural detail, comfort, and expressive range. His artistic ethos often draws from natural and symbolic sources, weaving them into the identity of each guitar. The model "Arenaria" takes its name from the sedimentary rock sandstone, referencing both a primal human material and the luthier’s personal connection to nature through climbing. This metaphor of transformation — from raw matter into an expressive tool — shapes his entire approach to instrument building.

About the guitar

The 2025 "Arenaria" is a thoughtfully executed concert guitar, built with a top of 30-year-old naturally seasoned European spruce and South American Pau Ferro back and sides. This wood pairing, chosen for its lightness and tonal depth, results in an instrument with a notably low body resonance and a strong voice full of character. Its seven-fan bracing, inspired by Torres but reinterpreted through Fracasso’s own design experience, supports a vibrant response across the dynamic spectrum.

Tonally, the Arenaria presents a mellow, creamy voice with a fast and even response, particularly remarkable for a traditionally braced guitar. Each note emerges with clarity and immediacy, enriched by a full-bodied texture that makes the instrument particularly compelling in lyrical passages. The top seems to breathe with an organic vitality, resonating not just locally but across its entire surface. This results in a sound that feels both grounded and articulate, with a smooth bloom and refined balance. The expressive potential is high, offering both subtlety and strength without needing force from the player.

Fracasso approaches the design of the neck and fingerboard with equal care, selecting Spanish cedar and African ebony to ensure ergonomic comfort and tactile precision. Every detail — from wood grain orientation to the curvature of the profile — is refined with playability in mind. Alessi machines provide reliable tuning stability while maintaining a discreet visual presence.

More than an instrument, each Arenaria carries a unique artistic imprint. Inside this particular guitar, Fracasso included a handwritten quatrain by the 13th-century Persian mystic poet Rumi. Reflecting the luthier’s view of the guitar as a vessel for spiritual and emotional resonance, the poem speaks to openness, perseverance, and the intimate link between sound and prayer.

Farsi
این باد سحر محرم رازست مخسب
هنگام تضرع و نیاز است مخسب
بر خلق دو کون از ازل تا به ابد
این در که نبسته است باز است مخسب

Rumi’s Quatrain No. 90 (English Translation)
This dawn’s wind is confidant of secrets — sleep not
It's the time of pleading and prayer — sleep not
From the beginning to the end, across both realms of being,
This door, never closed, remains open — sleep not

Sebastiano Fracasso

Sebastiano Fracasso - 2025 Arenaria