1969 Manuel de la Chica SP/MH

This 1969 Manuel de la Chica is a spruce and mahogany guitar with an unusual brace under the bridge, inspired by the bracing of Robert Bouchet.

A Bouchet-Style Bridge Brace

It features a unique brace under the bridge. According to Antonio Marín Montero – who was a student and friend of De la Chica and has seen this very guitar – De la Chica was very interested in the Bouchet bracing styles of under-bridge supports and experimented with them himself. The purpose of this brace is to provide added structural reinforcement, which allows lighter bracing under the larger area of the top. This frees up the soundboard to vibrate more efficiently yet remain structurally stable.

Sound

The brace also improves the speed of the attack of each note – this is a lightning-fast guitar with immediate response, likely due, at least in part, to this brace. It has a lyrical, singing quality and can bite if pushed, and it is very light with piercing volume. Jesse Freedman plays Regondi’s Etude No. 10 on it in the video above.

Condition

It’s in extraordinary condition for its age – only one hairline crack in the top (invisible from the exterior), which according to the previous owner was repaired by De la Chica himself. Overall a fantastic instrument from this great builder.

Manuel de la Chica: Granada’s Great Master

Manuel de la Chica (1911–1998) is arguably the greatest guitar builder from Granada to date. His early professional background was in cabinet making, as is the case for countless other fine guitar makers. His focus shifted to guitar making in the late 1930s when he had seen and become attracted to the Spanish guitar, primarily those of Santos Hernández. His labels – with their view of the Alhambra – come from his workshop on the Placeta de la Sillería in Granada.

Santos, Barbero and De la Chica

Often his instruments are compared to the later guitars of Marcelo Barbero (who assisted in the construction of several Santos guitars left partially built at the time of Santos’s death), which we feel is a very strong and fair comparison. Like Santos and Barbero, De la Chica was at home building both classical and flamenco guitars, and his finer instruments have the flexibility of being played in either style.

Retirement and Rediscovery

In 1973 he was forced into early retirement from guitar making due to health complications he was experiencing from inhaling dust and chemicals in his taller. From his early departure until his death in 1998, his instruments fell into relative obscurity; however, renewed interest in recent decades and a re-evaluation of his work have convinced many that his contribution, skill and insight into the art of guitar making establish him as one of the great makers of all time. Among those who learned from him was Antonio Marín Montero, his student and friend.