2011 Christopher Dean "Santos Hernandez" SP/IN

Christopher Dean is a highly regarded British maker who builds beautiful traditionally-inspired instruments. A few years ago, he had a 1929 Santos Hernadez in his workshop that required a major restoration job. This experience led him to build a limited number of near-exact replicas of this Santos. Although this instrument that we are offering here is not one of this series, it was inspired by the Santos copies - the rosette and head shape are from the 1929 Santos, and the body and bracing pattern are taken from drawings of a 1916 Manuel Ramirez (which was built by Santos). Scale length was also increased to 650mm (the original was 645mm) so although not an exact copy, it's definitely "After Santos Hernandez" as indicated on the label.

Sound is plump and fat yet very clear - this is the perfect instrument for the player looking for a loose, warm spruce top with plenty of volume and projection. It has a very lightweight build which assists in giving the guitar quick response, making playability a breeze for both hands. As usual for his guitar, great attention has been paid to craftsmanship and choice of materials are beautiful. This is great instrument for someone looking for a like-new/modern guitar that at the same time has a sweet, old-world charm. Top concert players of Dean guitars include Tillman Hopstock, Eleftheria Kotzia, all members of the Vida Quartet, the Eden Stell duo, and many others.