Pepe Vergara
01-18-2005, 01:49 PM
I found this information on Mexican luthiers and I thought you may want to read it:
posted 08-16-2003 08:38 AM
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I've just returned from a trip to Paracho, and would like to share my impressions and observations with the group. As everyone I suspect knows, Paracho, Michuacan is a Tarascan village of guitar makers in Mexico with a population of around 15,000 and by local estimates with somewhere between 1000 and 1200 guitar makers. The village itself sits in a high valley at 7,300 feet. Although in this part of Mexico, the rainy season lasts from May to Oct., at this altitude Paracho is humid year around-- a problem that only a few makers have dealt with.
Driving into town one, the main drag is lined with stores and workshops selling guitars. Most of the shops, however, buy from local makers, and only a couple of the workshops on the main street belong to the better makers. Most of the better makers work out of their homes, so they can be difficult to find.
Locally, makers divide their production into three general classes-- popular, estudio, and concert instruments. The great bulk of makers in Paracho produce popular guitars, very cheap instruments, (which may sell for as little as 20 dollars), directed at the national market. Some guitar makers can produce three of these a day!
Estudio guitars are better built instruments-- usually with local woods, such as palo escrito. Palo escrito can be an attractive wood, but is less dense and softer than rosewood, as so does not reflect sound as well. The better makers, nonetheless, achieve fairly good results with such woods. Typically, these guitars have rosewood fingerboards, cheap gears.
While many makers may claim to build concert guitars, I would estimate that only a dozen or so really are building true concert guitars, have access to fine woods, and take the precautions necessary to build instruments in the humid conditions of Paracho. Most of these makers, also have benefited from classes given in Paracho by world class luthiers from Spain, Germany, and the USA such as Felix Manzanero, Manuel Caceras, Antonio Raya Pardo, Jose Romanillos, Thomas Humphery, and Herman Hauser III.
While some of these makers, such as Abel Garcia and German Rubio Vasquez, have acheived world class reputations, most of them have little or no experience with exporting. Some were even unfamiliar with travelers checks. I found only three or four makers in this regard in which I had any real confidence.
I bought guitars from the Hermanos Escobedo, Jose Navarro, and Arturo Huipe. They all produce quality instruments and are set up to deal with humidity problems in Paracho. I also liked the work of Edgar Pina, Abel Garcia, and German Vasquez Rubio, but they have long waiting lists and have prices that match those of Spanish builders.
Bottom line, there are a few makers in Paracho who make going there worth it, but be prepared to spend a lot of time looking at junk. As well, most of the demand in Mexico is for popular and estudio guitars, even the better makers only produce a few concert guitars a year, and may not have one available to sell or even show you.
James B. Greenberg
Zavaleta's La Casa de Guitarras http://www.zavaletas-guitarras.com
posted 08-16-2003 08:38 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I've just returned from a trip to Paracho, and would like to share my impressions and observations with the group. As everyone I suspect knows, Paracho, Michuacan is a Tarascan village of guitar makers in Mexico with a population of around 15,000 and by local estimates with somewhere between 1000 and 1200 guitar makers. The village itself sits in a high valley at 7,300 feet. Although in this part of Mexico, the rainy season lasts from May to Oct., at this altitude Paracho is humid year around-- a problem that only a few makers have dealt with.
Driving into town one, the main drag is lined with stores and workshops selling guitars. Most of the shops, however, buy from local makers, and only a couple of the workshops on the main street belong to the better makers. Most of the better makers work out of their homes, so they can be difficult to find.
Locally, makers divide their production into three general classes-- popular, estudio, and concert instruments. The great bulk of makers in Paracho produce popular guitars, very cheap instruments, (which may sell for as little as 20 dollars), directed at the national market. Some guitar makers can produce three of these a day!
Estudio guitars are better built instruments-- usually with local woods, such as palo escrito. Palo escrito can be an attractive wood, but is less dense and softer than rosewood, as so does not reflect sound as well. The better makers, nonetheless, achieve fairly good results with such woods. Typically, these guitars have rosewood fingerboards, cheap gears.
While many makers may claim to build concert guitars, I would estimate that only a dozen or so really are building true concert guitars, have access to fine woods, and take the precautions necessary to build instruments in the humid conditions of Paracho. Most of these makers, also have benefited from classes given in Paracho by world class luthiers from Spain, Germany, and the USA such as Felix Manzanero, Manuel Caceras, Antonio Raya Pardo, Jose Romanillos, Thomas Humphery, and Herman Hauser III.
While some of these makers, such as Abel Garcia and German Rubio Vasquez, have acheived world class reputations, most of them have little or no experience with exporting. Some were even unfamiliar with travelers checks. I found only three or four makers in this regard in which I had any real confidence.
I bought guitars from the Hermanos Escobedo, Jose Navarro, and Arturo Huipe. They all produce quality instruments and are set up to deal with humidity problems in Paracho. I also liked the work of Edgar Pina, Abel Garcia, and German Vasquez Rubio, but they have long waiting lists and have prices that match those of Spanish builders.
Bottom line, there are a few makers in Paracho who make going there worth it, but be prepared to spend a lot of time looking at junk. As well, most of the demand in Mexico is for popular and estudio guitars, even the better makers only produce a few concert guitars a year, and may not have one available to sell or even show you.
James B. Greenberg
Zavaleta's La Casa de Guitarras http://www.zavaletas-guitarras.com