Jose Vigil (born 1979) is a Spanish classical guitar maker based in the Realejo neighborhood of Granada, a few steps from the workshop of Antonio Marín Montero. Guided by Marín, Rafael Moreno Rodríguez and the Blöchingers, he builds lightweight, responsive Granada-school guitars that have evolved from Torres models to a Bouchet–Marín style. GSI is Jose's exclusive dealer in the USA.
At a Glance
- Born: 1979, Asturias, Spain
- Nationality: Spanish
- Workshop: Realejo, Granada, Spain
- First guitar: c. 2007, after a trip to Granada
- Mentors: Antonio Marín Montero, Rafael Moreno Rodríguez
- Also helped by: Henner Hagenlocher, John Ray, Edmund and Florian Blöchinger
- Style: Granada school; Bouchet–Marín style with stiffer cross-grain reinforcement
- Glue: Hot hide glue only
- US dealer: GSI (exclusive)
From Asturias and Economics to Guitar Making
Jose Vigil was born in Asturias, northern Spain, in 1979. His father is a musician, and Jose has been surrounded by guitars and guitar players from a very early age. He started guitar studies at fourteen, and although he played other instruments for some time, he always came back to the guitar. After finishing his BA in Economics in 2002 he worked in various countries for some years, and during a trip to Granada in 2007 he met a guitar teacher who owned a guitar made by Antonio Marín. Having studied cabinet making for some time, and always attracted to traditional guitar-making methods, he realized he was in the best possible place to learn more about them – and decided to try to make his first guitar.
A Workshop Next Door to Antonio Marín
He established a workshop in a small mountain village outside Granada and started visiting different workshops in search of guidance and advice. After three years in that first workshop, he moved to the beautiful Realejo neighborhood of Granada, just a few meters from Antonio Marín's workshop, where he spent – and still spends – long hours watching the master at work and receiving precious advice. He also had great help from other guitar makers, like Rafael Moreno Rodríguez, Henner Hagenlocher and John Ray, as well as Edmund and Florian Blöchinger during their regular visits to Granada.
From Torres to a Bouchet–Marín Style
Jose's guitars have evolved from a smaller Torres plantilla and bracing to a slightly larger Bouchet–Marín style with stiffer cross-grain reinforcement: lightweight and responsive, but also round and rich, and aesthetically understated. His rosettes often recall the second-epoch Torres guitars or the "wave" mosaic favored by Santos Hernández and the Manuel Ramírez workers.
For Jose, building is slow, methodical work. He puts great care into not creating unnecessary tensions during assembly, preparing perfect joints for gluing and controlling humidity levels throughout the entire building process; the guitar is assembled exclusively with hot hide glue. Every small detail – from selecting tonewood with the right weight, grain orientation and stiffness to accurately shaping nuts and saddles – adds up to a better guitar. In Jose's view, a good guitar should first of all sound good, be comfortable to play and have great dynamics, allowing the musician to express himself freely.
Video: Jose Vigil Talks About His Guitars
FAQ
Where is Jose Vigil's workshop?
In the Realejo neighborhood of Granada, Spain, a few meters from Antonio Marín's workshop.
Who influenced Jose Vigil's guitars?
Antonio Marín Montero above all, with advice from Rafael Moreno Rodríguez, Henner Hagenlocher, John Ray and the Blöchingers.
What glue does Jose Vigil use?
He assembles his guitars exclusively with hot hide glue.
Where can I buy a Jose Vigil guitar in the USA?
GSI is Jose's exclusive dealer in the USA.
Many of Jose's guitars have passed through our doors since 2014. You'll find guitars currently in stock by clicking the "Guitars In Stock" button in the header of this page as well as earlier examples in our Museum by clicking the "Guitars In Museum" button. Read more about Jose on our blog.
