Every year the Association asks for a meeting between the Granada makers and the guitar students of Summer Arts. This year we had a good turnout of makers and caught most of the students in the classrooms where they have their masterclasses. Seems a shame for them to come all the way here and not get to know the makers and their work.
Most of them tried my copy of the Invencible by Torres and enjoyed the sound and playability.
Category Archives: Granada guitar-makers
All of the Granada guitar-makers in one photo
I often get asked how many guitar-makers there are in Granada. Firstly I always clarify that guitar-making is a province-wide art, over the years some of the great makers have lived and/or worked in villages within the province of Granada so any head count should include those from all over the province. The other question is how many of them make good guitars. Well the answer to both questions (sort of) is in this photograph. I am sure that any one of you will recognize a good number of makers and the outstanding reputations that are represented here. The occasion was a meal in recognition of the respect we hold for Antonio Marín and Manuel Bellido. Two framed scrolls which had been signed by most of the guitar-makers were presented to the masters after the meal. Aarón García Ruiz arrived just seconds after this shot was taken so count him in too. This particular shot was taken with my camera by Antonio Navarro.
Exhibition Tour
A recent four-week exhibition in Granada organized by the Association of Guitar-makers made a very convincing case for a guitar museum in Granada. Granada has been a centre for the construction of stringed instruments since the 12 century, the city was home to some of the greatest innovators in the 19th century and today there are 50 makers working in the province. Can any other place say all that?
The video will give you an overview of the exhibition and the links will take you to each of the instruments that were on display. There is also a link to a some photographs by Alberto Juárez which were also included as homage to the original members of the Escuela Granadina. The gallery shows stills of the rest of the exhibition.
Homage to the original Escuela Granadina.
The guitar are linked in the order that they appear in the video.
José Pernas 1864
José Pernas 1838
José Pernas 1851
Agustín Caro 1824
Agustín Caro 1810
Nicolás del Valle c. 1850
Rafael Ortega c. 1890
José Ortega 1880
Bernardo Milán 1927
Andrés Quiñones 1887
Benito Ferrer 1900
J. Ortega señorita
J. Ortega c. 1900
Marcus Toscano in La Capilla Gomerez
Marcus Toscano is a Brazillian guitarist who moved to Granada two or three years ago and has been filling the city with music since then. Recently he began performing at the Palacio de Gomerez near Plaza Nueva with a spanish repertoire and lately on a Marcelo Barbero guitar. In October he started an exciting series of concerts which he will play on guitars made by Granada makers. The first one was on a Juan Miguel Carmona in October and this month he will play on one of mine on December 10th. I have included a video which we recorded in my workshop earlier this year on a copy of Santos Hernández. Torre Bermeja by Albeniz.
Juan Román Padilla
Granada has lost another important figure in the guitar world: Juan Román Padilla. October 18th of this year was the last day in the life of the dean of the Granada guitar-makers. Among the most interesting episodes in his life are a series of visits to Marcelo Barbero who was a friend of his father’s, selling guitars to japanese and german dealers and ordering guitars from the struggling duo of Antonio Marín and Manuel Bellido. His father was a well-known flamenco guitarist whose stage name was Juanico de Chauchina and inspired him to begin making guitars. Like so many other makers of his generation he began his working life as a cabinet-maker or “ebanista” as the Spanish have it. His first guitar was made in 1949 during the dominance of Eduardo Ferrer and Manuel de la Chica in the Granada guitar. The Asociación de Guitarreros de Granada thanks him for his work in spreading the influence of Granada and preparing the groundwork for the thriving school we have here today.
John Ray
Ray, John (ed.): La escuela granadina de guitarreros, Granada: Diputación Provincial de Granada, 2014.