1837 Manuel Gutierrez, Classical Guitar

Manuel Gutierrez Martinez was born in Sevilla around 1773, and died there in 1857. Manuel Gutierrez chief claim to fame is that he was a close friend of Antonio Torres (b. 1817- d. 1892). According to Prat (1934:374) when Torres was first becoming established in Sevilla, Gutierrez shared his workshop at calle Cerrageria 36 with him.

1897 Alonso C Merino, Flamenco Guitar

Alonso C. Merino was probably a contempory of Antonio Torres in Sevilla, but little is known about him. Two other guitars of his are known, one in the collection of Felix Manzanero and the other in the collection of Lorenzo Sancho, both in Spain.

1761 La Guerrera de Cadiz , Classical Guitar

La Guerrera de Cadiz, 1761. One ancient practice in Spain is for makers to give a name to a guitar that is particularly outstanding. The most famous example of this is La Liona (the lioness) of Antonio Torres.

1910 Max Amberger, Classical Guitar

This very well-made guitar is from the Max Amberger workshop. Max Amberger, (1838-1889) was a luthier in Munich who founded a company that built zithers, violins, and guitars around 1860.

1890 Josef Hauser, Classical Guitar

Best known as the father of Hermann Hauser I, Josef Hauser (1854-1939) was a renowned luthier in his own right, although perhaps better remembered as a maker of zithers, and as a composer of zither music than as a guitar maker.

1964 Pietro Gallinotti, Hauser Model Concert Guitar

Pietro Gallinotti (1885-1979) was born in Solero, Italy, a small town in the province of Alessenadria. At age 10, Pietro apprenticed as cabinet maker in Genova, where he worked for nearly twenty years.

1914 Hermann Hauser , 18th Century Model Classical Guitar

Because this classical guitar is not typical of those I had seen made by Hermann Hauser prior to 1925, I wrote to Hermann Hauser III and asked him about it. He responded that he has two like this one in his collection from 1917 and 1918.

1937 Hermann Hauser , Vienna Model Classical Guitar

Jokingly one might call this Vienna model, the 1937 Hauser Segovia didn't choose. This guitar is fascinating not simply because it shows that Hauser continued to make Vienna style guitars even as he built Segovia's 1937 Spanish style concert guitar, but because its sound has decidedly Spanish character.

1961 Miguel Rodriguez, Sr, Concert Flamenco Guitar

Miguel Rodriguez Beneyto was born in Córdoba in 1888. In his early teens, he began playing string instruments including the guitar and bandurrias. His interest in music soon led him to make instruments.

1936 Santos Hernandez , Flamenco Guitar

This guitar is an example of why Santos Hernandez (1874-1943) flamencos were the choice of professional player in his epoch, and remain the prize of collectors. It is not simply an excellent flamenco, with the explosive power, snap, rasp, and responsiveness professional flamenco players seek, but it also has an abundance of tone, rarely heard in flamenco guitars-- duende, soulfulness.