1920 Enrique García No. 237 SP/CSAR

This 1920 Enrique García is a highly decorated spruce and CSA rosewood classical guitar made in Barcelona, No. 237 – from the ornate last years of his workshop, when Francisco Simplicio was working alongside him.

In the video above, Tavi Jinariu plays Antonio Lauro's "Vals Venezolano No. 2" on this guitar.

A Late, Highly Decorated García

This is a wonderfully well-preserved example of García building in his later, mature style. Its label reads "año 1920", "Calle Paseo S. Juan 110" and No. 237. Stylistically the instrument is highly decorated, with a carved (and inlaid) head, mosaic work in all the top purfling, and half-herringbone purfling on the back and sides.

Sound and the Tornavoz

The sound is magnificent – great depth to every note up the entire register, with a big bottom end and lyrical trebles. This effect is enhanced by its "tornavoz", a conical tube attached to the soundhole, which adds a sonic boom to the bottom end and gives the trebles a brilliant clarity. Like so many of García's guitars, it is braced with 8 asymmetrical fans. It has it all – very lively and "friendly", with great charm and personality. García instruments in this condition and with this quality of sound are hard to come by.

Enrique García: From the Ramírez Workshop to Barcelona

Enrique García was born in Madrid in 1868. Although he was the son of a guitar maker, Juan García, in 1883 he began an apprenticeship with either Manuel Ramírez or José Ramírez I (or likely both), and continued to work in Madrid for many years. In 1893 his guitars won first prize at the Chicago World's Fair – García was evidently very proud of this achievement, as he represented it in pictorial form on his labels after receiving the award. In 1895 he left Ramírez and Madrid for Barcelona, where he set up his own workshop as an independent builder.

Founder of the Barcelona School of Guitar Making

García is considered to be the founder of the "Barcelona school", or "Catalan" style of guitar making. His style influenced subsequent generations of Barcelona makers including Francisco Simplicio and Miguel Simplicio, Enrique Sanfeliu, Enrique Coll and Ignacio Fleta. Perhaps the most important hallmark of his style is the increased stiffness in his soundboards – his guitars commonly featured 8 asymmetrical fans instead of the traditional 7 (years later, Ignacio Fleta would increase the number of fans to 9).

An International Reputation

García was arguably the most sought-after and famous maker at the turn of the century (1900). His reputation very early on was truly international, largely thanks to Domingo Prat and Francisco Tárrega, who both played his guitars. By 1912 he was exporting many of his instruments, primarily to South America, where a thriving and very important guitar scene, based mainly in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Montevideo, Uruguay, was forming. His guitars have always been prized by performers and collectors for their intimate charm and unique style.