Paul Aguilera is an English flamenco and classical guitar maker based in San Esteban, in the Sierras de Córdoba, Argentina. He won third prize for flamenco guitar at the IX Antonio Marín Montero competition in Granada (2026), and builds traditional guitars from local and recycled woods – many of them sawn and dried in his own workshop.
At a Glance
- Nationality: English; living in Argentina since 2013
- Workshop: San Esteban, Córdoba, Argentina (previously Brighton, England)
- Training: Stephen Hill (Lewes, England); BSc in Musical Instrument Technology with distinction under David Whiteman, London Guildhall University
- Prizes: 1st Prize, Tucumán triennial makers competition, Argentina (2019); 3rd Prize flamenco, IX Antonio Marín Montero competition, Granada (2026)
- Known for: raspy, punchy "flamenco puro" guitars; local cypress and recycled woods; rosettes inspired by Argentine gaucho designs
From Gigging Musician to Guitar Maker
Paul started learning to make guitars in the early 1990s with Maestro Stephen Hill, who was then still building in Lewes, England. At the time Paul was a gigging musician who wanted to build his own flamenco guitar to play on; in Stephen's evening class he made a cypress flamenco guitar based on a Ramírez-style plantilla, and a new world opened up for him.
He went on to study Musical Instrument Technology at the old London School of Furniture (part of London Guildhall University), where the English guitar maker David Whiteman tutored him for three years and where he met the Spanish maker Mario Aracama. From his second year on, Paul did all his building work in Stephen Hill's workshop. He also spent a year in the woodwind department, graduated with a BSc with distinction, and then won a British Academy scholarship for a Masters degree at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, focusing on Turkish and Middle Eastern music.
From Brighton to the Sierras de Córdoba
Paul opened his first workshop in Brighton, England, together with a guitar shop selling acoustic, classical and flamenco guitars. In 2013 he moved with his wife and three children to San Esteban, Córdoba, Argentina, and built his workshop in the woods at the foot of the Sierras de Córdoba. A large old bandsaw allows him to process whole logs, and much of his cypress is sourced and processed this way – the local climate being ideal for drying wood. He also co-organises, with the San Esteban Council, a yearly guitar and lutherie festival, the Festival del Guitarrero.
Flamenco Guitars from Local and Recycled Woods
Paul's guitars combine an Andalusian look – simple lines, unpurfled backs, lemon shellac – with ideas from the Madrid school of making. He likes to use local cypress and recycled timber (old doors, decks, even old pianos), and his rosettes often draw on the traditional "Guarda Pampa" designs worn by the gauchos. The result is a light, fast flamenco guitar with that raspy, punchy "flamenco puro" sound normally found in older vintage instruments.
Prize Winner in Granada
In 2019 Paul won first prize in the triennial instrument makers competition in Tucumán, Argentina, organized by the Escuela de Luthería de Tucumán. In 2026 he was awarded third prize for flamenco guitar at the IX Antonio Marín Montero Guitar Making Competition in Granada, Spain.
Paul Aguilera Guitars at GSI
We are very pleased to now be working with this fine builder. You'll find guitars currently in stock by clicking the "Guitars In Stock" button in the header of this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Paul Aguilera?
An English flamenco and classical guitar maker who has lived and worked in San Esteban, Córdoba, Argentina, since 2013.
Where did Paul Aguilera learn guitar making?
With Stephen Hill in Lewes, England, and on the Musical Instrument Technology degree at London Guildhall University, taught by David Whiteman.
Has Paul Aguilera won any prizes?
Yes: first prize at the Tucumán triennial makers competition in Argentina (2019) and third prize for flamenco guitar at the IX Antonio Marín Montero competition in Granada (2026).
What woods does he use?
Often local Argentine cypress that he saws and dries himself, together with recycled woods such as cedar from old doors and guayacán from an old deck.
