Old Wood was founded in October 2001, making its formal debut at the MONDOMUSICA instrument fair in Cremona, Italy. Its aim is to supply makers and restorers of stringed instruments with a complete range of top-quality finishing products to bring out the light, warmth and natural beauty of wood, while enhancing its acoustical properties. Today, Old Wood is a leading specialist company. It employs a team of highly qualified craftsmen and technicians whose experience ranges from instrument making to industrial chemistry. Old Wood created the 1700 System, easy-to-apply schematic process encompassing ground varnishes, glazes, oil varnishes and natural colours, which allows us to formulate a whole world of finishes that can be used with any number of techniques. The 1700 System strives to achieve a balance between an instrument’s beauty and its musical quality, while helping it to age in a noble and elegant manner, and easing the task of the luthier. Old Wood uses carefully selected high-quality raw materials, and manufactures its products using traditional methods and following the most appropriate directions given in old manuscripts, while applying strict quality controls.

I started to frequent Master Evelio Dominguez's workshop during the late 70's where he introduced me to the art of instrument making. Among other things, I learned the differences between the spruce top of a new guitar and the spruce that has seen the pass of the time because of its golden colour. These findings marked the beginning of my investigations.

When I opened my own workshop in 1986, I started to receive old instruments that needed to be restored. They were authentic jewels made in Cremona , Parma , Napoles, Brescia , Venecia, Milan … This is when I started to decipher the golden wood effects and decided to immerse myself deeply in the reading of old manuscripts, articles, chemistry books … to develop a product that would give the wood the same appearance that old instruments have.

In one of my trips to Cremona in 1991, I had the opportunity to meet Master PierAngelo Balzarini. I showed him my work and extended him an invitation to participate and collaborate in my research. He encouraged and stimulated my work and through out the years his unconditional support and trust became priceless to me. Once the formula was made, he was the first one to apply it on his violins, on the violins of his students and on the instruments of masters that visited his workshop.

I was working with old colours and varnishes that I had read about in ancient manuscripts, when in 1993 I finally found the formula I was looking for. It made violins shine with the same light old instruments did.

I have called this product Italian Golden Ground 1700 because of its appearance. Since it was discovered, it is being used by famous master violin makers, some of them have had the courtesy to send me thank you letters that I show in my testimonials.

Encouraged by the success of Italian Golden Ground 1700, I started to develop what I call the "1700 System".This is a range of handmade products that includes Grounds for the wood, Oil Natural Colours , Oil Calssical Varnishes and Natural Pigments.

José María Lozano
Maestro Luthier