2023 Ariel Ameijenda "Confessional" CD/BW

Over the past few years, these "Confessional" guitars by Ariel Ameijenda have been among the more popular instruments we've had on offer, likely because Ariel continues to find clever and fun ways of mixing together different wood combinations but all thematically connected to this very special "confessional" wood that occupies the center of the backs. This is our second with cedar for the top and Uruguayan Blackwood on the back to complement the central two pieces of CSA rosewood in the center. The wood in this central strip was taken from a confessional in a very old church in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Ariel also used this wood in the bridge and head veneer. If this old wood hadn’t been salvaged for some kind of re-purposing, then it would most likely have ended up being burned or thrown away. But in this case, the wood was spared for a second life - its first life was to hear and absorb thousands of confessions over many years, and now, it has the chance to speak back, with beautiful, sonorous tone! It has a cedar top with a strikingly beautiful rosette with elements made of all natural colors from various woods. The resulting sound is as fantastic as its appearance, with plenty of warmth and deeper resonance normally found in a played-in guitar but also sturdy, and brilliant trebles with the clarity of a piano. It has excellent power and great projection, making this instrument ideal for the concert stage, and the playability is very easy on both hands. This is a great concert instrument by any standard, from the most respected luthier currently working out of Uruguay.

Photos of this guitar being built

Ariel Ameijenda was born in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1963 as the son of one of that country’s most famous guitar makers, Manuel Ameijenda. Manuel had learned the craft from Juan Carlos Santurion, a pupil of Ignacio Fleta from the early 1950′s. The elder Ameijenda opened his own shop in 1957, and shared it for several years with Jose Lopez Cubillo, who had been the lead craftsman at the workshop of Jose Ramirez II. Ariel is currently the only 2nd generation builder from Uruguay and his foundation is clearly solid from the training he received from his father, starting at age 14. The Ameijenda workshop both then and now has also been a repair facility for the finer instruments that have passed through South America over the years, so Ariel has seen, inspected and repaired some of the finest instruments from the great masters such as Hauser I, Simplicio, Santos, Garcia and others. When he was 19, Ariel entered university where he studied Musicology. During those four years, he paid special attention to the subjects of Acoustics and Music History. These were very useful studies which have greatly influenced his approach to the construction of guitars and ancient instruments. In 1997 Ariel opened his own workshop in Montevideo where he builds not only guitars, but also period string instruments including baroque guitars, vihuelas, lutes and theorbos. In 2014, he moved to the heavenly settings of the Cerro de los Burros near the city or Piriapolis on the East Coast of Uruguay in order to respond to his growing list of orders and fully commit to the construction of the finest guitars.