I met Paola and Victor many years ago when I was first began making decent guitars back in the year 2000. Since then they have performed with my romantic guitars, played at my brother-in-law’s wedding, welcomed me many times to Cartagena and shared many meals and conversations. I was pleased to see them recently when they came to have some work done on a guitar. I am looking forward to visiting them in their home in the Almería countryside in September. Paola has a Youtube channel with some great videos available and her webpage offers the scores of her own compositions. Both are wonderful and sensitive musicians. If you are in the area on July 23rd don’t miss this concert.

Ladies and gentlemen, sharpen your chisels!

The guitar-making competition is back and this year will be held in October over the 17th to the 19th of October. Most of the same jury members are back and previous first prize winners are not allowed to participate. The prizes are similar to last year’s and I am hoping that there will be as many participants as previous editions. The competition is a great idea and has the potential to become even greater. I have enjoyed meeting the guitar greats who come to be part of the jury, the participants and the many who come to hear all of the guitars.

http://www.europeanguitarfoundation.com/IV-ANTONIO-MARIN-GUITAR-MAKING-COMPETITION-2021/2021-RULES

New edition of Milnoff Flamenco Festival. Click on the poster for more information. The local newspaper has this to say: Granada Hoy

1922 refers to the year that the Concurso de Cante Jondo was organised in Granada by Manuel de Falla and others including Federíco García Lorca. For more information on that historic event click here.

I received this book today and I am very excited to get a start on it. Arias, at least to the guitar-playing public, was indeed the forgotten maker until the early part of this century when things started to change. Siegfried Hogenmüller and Stefano Grondona were particularly influential in the resurgence of interest in the figure of Arias. My first experience with Arias was a guitar which Javier Riba brought to my workshop immediately after purchasing it. I remember the look of terror on his face when I began examining the guitar and said “Oh my god!”. He thought I had discovered some fault in it when in reality I had discovered the double back which was not noticeable from the outside. That guitar, from 1900 is an incredible instrument and its quality has caused me to seek out information about and guitars made by Vicente Arias.

This book is the first comprehensive work dealing with the life and the guitars of this great builder. At this point I have only flipped through it admiring the incredible photography and layout but I know that I will love it. I love the detailed photographs of the different rosettes and the plans of 4 Arias guitars; one of them included full size. Congratulations to Alberto and Clémentine Martínez. Get yours now. CaminoVerde.