This historic shop was established by Spanish luthier Domingo Esteso (1882-1937), one of this century's greatest guitar makers. Domingo Esteso began his career in the workshop of Manuel Ramirez (1884-1916). He opened his own shop in 1915. Faustino Conde Salamana was born in Villalba de los Alcores in 1913. He began his apprenticeship with his uncle in when he was only 13. When Domingo Esteso died in 1937, Faustino and his brothers Mariano and Julio Conde took over their uncle's workshop in Madrid, continuing to work for their uncle's widow until her death in 1960.
The Conde brothers established their reputations as master guitar makers, building guitars for such great flamenco players as Sabicas and Paco de Lucia. Mariano died in 1989. Faustino died in 1988 and Julio in 1995. The original Esteso-Conde shop in Madrid is currently run by Faustino's widow.
The shop not only still occupies the same building, but their master craftsmen continue to build the same models of classical and flamenco guitars that made the Conde name famous.