1912 Enrique García No. 126 SP/CSAR

This 1912 Enrique García, No. 126, is a CSA rosewood classical guitar made in Barcelona and given a new spruce top with an oval "Sinopoli" soundhole in 1937 by Dionisio Gracia of Casa Núñez, Buenos Aires – from the Russell Cleveland collection.

In the video above, Tengyue "TY" Zhang plays his arrangement of John Williams' "Schindler's List" on this guitar.

A New Top from Casa Núñez in Buenos Aires

This particular guitar was built in 1912 by Enrique García – its label reads "Calle Paseo S. Juan 110" and No. 126 – but its original top was replaced in 1937 by Dionisio Gracia of Casa Núñez in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The new top was built with an oval-shaped soundhole, which gives the soundboard a larger uninterrupted area to vibrate freely. Dionisio Gracia was careful to honor García’s original bracing pattern, and indeed this replacement top has been braced with the same 8-fan asymmetrical bracing system as developed by García.

The "Sinopoli" Design

This design, known as the "Sinopoli", was named in honor of the virtuoso Antonio Sinopoli, who had been among the celebrated customers of Francisco Simplicio. Many luthiers in Spain and Argentina favored it, including Simplicio's disciple Enrique Coll and, more recently, Francisco Estrada Gómez. Some makers have continued to build this model into the 21st century, most notably the Argentinian luthier Diego Contesti.

Sound and Condition

The sound of the guitar is astonishingly rich and velvety, with deep basses and sparkling trebles. It has that haunting old-world sound that has captivated lovers of the classical guitar for over a century. Gracia's work, as well as the passage of time, are likely to thank for keeping the original work of García alive and well in this intoxicating guitar. Ease of play, responsiveness to both hands and ample volume make it hard to put down. It recently had some old repairs redone by Pat Quinn, as well as some finish touch-up to the back and sides by Germán Vázquez Rubio, leaving it in concert-ready condition.

From the Russell Cleveland Collection

This guitar comes from the Russell Cleveland collection. It is featured on pages 30–32 of the book The Classical Guitar – A Complete History.

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.

Books on Enrique García

The bilingual (French and English) monograph "Enrique García 1868-1922: Constructor de Barcelona" by Jacques Vincenti and Alberto Martínez – 216 pages, with the plan of García No. 123 – is the most complete record of his life, his labels and workshops, the Chicago prize and the guitars of Prat and Tárrega:

Enrique García 1868-1922: Constructor de Barcelona