8-string Clarita Negra
w/ well tempered interchangeable fingerboards

Over the years classical guitarists have struggled with the limitations posed to them by the traditional classical guitar.
Transposing compositions written especially for the piano or harpsichord has always been a daunting task. Not enough notes, and not enough fingers inevitably makes presentating
the compostion in its original form nearly impossible.
But all that is about to change...
World-renowned classical guitarist Kurt Rodarmer
has commissioned Boaz to build him an
8-string Clarita Negra with inerchangeable fingerboards.
It will be a guitar that will allow the player to not only play pieces in their original form, but also in their natural scale. Collaborating closely with his long time friend and client, Boaz will combine his incredibletalent for guitar making with Mr. Rodarmer's brilliant knowledge of classical music and passion for breaking for new ground..

The Goldberg Variations
A student of Maestro Andres Segovia, Kurt Rodarmer sought out to reach new heights never before achieved. His dream which would comsume him for the next ten years, was to transcribe J.S. Bach's Goldberg Variations for classical guitar. Understanding the limitations of the guitar instrument, Mr. Rodarmer commissioned two custom-made guitars built by legendary luthier Richard Schneider. One, a Kasha model designed to allow for maximum bass notes
and for a richer tone over the entire range. The other, a Kasha baritone guitar that has a lower resonant frequency and could produce a true fundamental on the sixth string.
Mr. Rodarmer commented, "The keyboardist has ten fingers and at least sixty keys to work with, not to mention two independent hands. With only four fingers of the left hand to stop notes, there was no way to transcribe this work for solo guitar without altering it significantly . This was not an acceptable option, therefore, my arrangement requires multiple instruments."
The fluidity and masterful articulation of the final outcome is seamless and unequivocally shows why Mr. Rodarmer is truly one of today's most brilliant musicians. (click to listen)

After the passing of Maesrto Richard Schneider, a new builder was needed to continue the work of creating an instrument to fit the music. Mr. Rodarmer chose Mr. Schneider's student Boaz Elkayam. Boaz, Mr. Rodarmer felt, had the necessary talent, vision, and drive to pave new ground to produce the instruments needed. He writes, "..Boaz is an extremely dynamic force in the luthiers' world,
and moving very fast. He's not afraid of innovation."
In 1996, Mr. Rodarmer commissioned a six string Clarita Negra. After being so dazzled by this unequalled instrument, he commissioned an 8-string version that could combine the
qualities of the two 'Schneider' guitars into a single instrument. Mr. Rodarmer is best known for his world premiere of The Goldberg Variations and has long been considered a Bach specialist. But he has his sights set on the music of several composers. Armed with his 8-string Clarita Negra, he is single-handedly bringing a new body of music for the guitar. Now, Kurt co-collaborating
with Boaz has asked Boaz to build another 8-string Clarita Negra. They have been collaborating on a new design but this time with interchangeable fingerboards. The fingerboards will be properly tempered for the piece being performed, including equal-temperament and well-temperaments among others. Well-temperament influences the 'color' of each key and which will allow Mr. Rodarmer to play pieces such as The Goldberg Variations the way Mr. Bach had intended them to be played.