1958 Ignacio Fleta SP/IN

For performers and collectors alike, the name Ignacio Fleta (1897-1977) ranks among the elite handful of 20th century luthiers. His colorful guitar-making career spanned nearly half a century and his legacy has continued to the present day, with the instruments of his two sons Gabriel and Francisco, and now grandson Gabriel Jr. Countless scores of the finest players in the world have played these instruments, including Andres Segovia, John Williams, Angel Romero, Turibio Santos, Alirio Diaz, Marcelo Kayath among just a few.

In typical Fleta fashion for this period, it is made of spruce for the soundboard and Indian rosewood for the back and sides. It is a modern Fleta in the sense that it already has the 9 fans and double harmonic bars found in the later guitars. The neck and body proportions are a bit more similar to the instruments of the late 1950’s, making it extremely comfortable to play. The guitar does have some stable, well-executed repairs including 3 small cleats under the top, and a repair to the back using only glue. Soundwise, this is one of the strongest, most powerful Fleta’s we have seen and the tone is absolutely magical, rich in overtones and very firm across all registers. This is yet another intriguing and extremely desirable Fleta by any standard.