1918 Santos Hernández SP/CSAR

This 1918 Santos Hernández is a spruce and CSA rosewood classical guitar made in Madrid in the year he opened his own shop – still very much in the style of his master Manuel Ramírez, and never opened or modified.

1918: Santos Opens His Own Shop

At first glance, the detailing on this instrument appears much more like his master Manuel Ramírez's style (head shape, rosette, heel shape, etc). Being made the same year Santos opened his own shop (1918), it's very possible he secured the materials for this guitar from the widow of Manuel Ramírez, for whom he was still working and completing instruments under the "Viuda de Manuel Ramírez" labels. The label found in this guitar is one of the earliest uses we've seen of the lyre-topped label of Santos Hernández with the Calle Aduana 27 address. A very similar guitar, also from 1918 with this same label, is presented in the book "La Chitarra di Liuteria" ("Masterpieces of Guitar Making") by Stefano Grondona & Luca Waldner, 2001, pages 117-118.

Original and Unmodified

The back and sides of this guitar are made with dark CSA rosewood, and the top is European spruce. The French polish is original but has a respectable amount of wear that has come from many years of use. It has been recently re-fretted, so it plays great. This guitar is in otherwise exceptionally original condition – it has never been opened or modified. There are some very well-done and conservative repairs to a few cracks – the top is repaired with 7 small cleats internally, the back has no cleats, only some repairs with glue.

What a Spanish Guitar Ought to Be

Tone is warm yet clear, balanced and focused with a deep, old-world sound. It has enough power and volume to satisfy any modern player. The ability to easily modulate tonal colors with the slightest movement of the right hand is exceptional. In our opinion this is precisely what a guitar ought to be – it has all of the qualities that make the Spanish guitar so special and unique when compared to the other great instruments of the concert stage. This instrument is a wonderful example of an early Santos at his absolute best.

Santos Hernández and Segovia's 1912 Manuel Ramírez

Santos Hernández (1874–1943) is one of the elite makers of the historical pantheon – along with Torres and Hauser I in terms of collectibility and historical importance. Santos became a very established maker early in his career when he became known as the builder of the Manuel Ramírez guitar of 1912 that was owned and played by Andrés Segovia – this very guitar currently resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, right next to Segovia's 1937 Hauser I.

From the Ramírez Workshop to Calle de la Aduana, Madrid

Born in Madrid, Santos started out as a boy making the gold and silver trimmings for bullfighters' suits, and turned to the guitar in 1886. After his apprenticeship and five years of military service, Manuel Ramírez – the teacher he always considered his true one – took him into his workshop, where he became foreman. Two years after Ramírez's death in 1916, Santos set up his own shop, soon on Calle de la Aduana, where the great guitarists of the day came to visit and where he worked until his death in 1943.

A Guitar for the Great Players of His Day

Many others have played his instruments, including Regino Sainz de la Maza (for whom the "Concierto de Aranjuez" by Joaquín Rodrigo was written), Eduardo Abreu, Daniel Fortea, and the Romero family among others, as well as flamenco masters such as Ramón Montoya and Sabicas. Players for the past 100 years have valued these instruments for their charming, introverted quality of tone.