2004 John Ray "640" SP/IN

John Ray is one of the best luthiers working in Granada, Spain. Having studied with veteran Granada builder Rolf Eicheger, Ray's guitars feature many of the "Granada" style qualities – compact body size, lightweight build, slender neck for great ease of play and a broad palette of tonal colors. This particular guitar has a lovely “firmness” to each note which gives the fundamental tone of each note greater emphasis. Like his other instruments, it also has a rich overtone content, giving the guitar a very full-bodied sound. Despite its slightly more compact size, it has great volume and projection, making this a concert instrument that could easily fill any sized hall, in solo or with orchestra. It also boasts a 640mm scale and 50mm nut making it very easy to play. Aesthetically, the guitar has an elegant simplicity which is very tasteful and refined. Certain elements, like the mosaic design used in the rosette, are reminiscent of some of the more charming instruments produced by builders of the early Madrid school, notably in examples by Santos and Esteso.

This guitar was generously donated to our non-profit charitable organization, the GSI Foundation. Guitar sales through the GSI Foundation raise money to directly benefit music education in public schools.