1951 Manuel Velázquez SP/CSAR

This 1951 Manuel Velázquez is a spruce and CSA rosewood classical guitar built in New York – a rare Velázquez made during the lifetime of Hermann Hauser I (1882–1952), the maker he is most often compared to.

The Rarest of the Rare

Guitars from this early period almost never surface. The last one we knew of was this very guitar, about 25 years before it came back to us: it was one of a pair of sister guitars commissioned by a wealthy New York family, which reached us over 50 years later and sold right away. Its early printed label – “Manuel Velázquez, Constructor de Guitarras, Año 1951, New York” – is signed by the maker.

A Hauser Sound from New York

It is remarkable how close Velázquez guitars of this period are to the Hausers of the same years, in appearance and in sound: a compact yet sturdy build and a firm, “Teutonic” voice as developed by Hermann Hauser I – dense, focused and very lyrical trebles balanced by sturdy, anchored basses, great clarity and a natural, woody tone. The neck is comfortable and easy to play. One crack in the back was repaired some 25 years ago with three internal cleats by Yuris Zeltins and remains perfectly stable; otherwise the guitar is beautifully preserved.

Manuel Velázquez: An American Master in the Spanish Tradition

Manuel Velázquez (1917–2014) was born in Puerto Rico and made his name in New York, where his workshop at 420 Third Avenue became a meeting place for leading guitarists. He was perhaps the greatest American luthier to build in the European tradition, and his guitars yield nothing in craftsmanship or sound to those of his Spanish and German contemporaries. Over a career of nearly eight decades – in New York, Puerto Rico, Virginia and Florida – his instruments were played by Andrés Segovia, Julian Bream, Pepe Romero, Rey de la Torre and Sabicas, and by musicians far beyond the classical world, from Earl Klugh to Paul Simon and Keith Richards.

The Velázquez Sound

Velázquez guitars are most often compared to those of Hermann Hauser I and Hermann Hauser II – not only in appearance but in the style of sound: great clarity and separation between voices, perfect balance, sparkling trebles over steady basses and a natural, beautiful “woody” quality of tone. Most of his guitars follow this compact, Hauser-like model; in the 1970s and early 1980s he also built a larger, more rounded body with a deeper box and an even bigger sound. His son Alfredo Velázquez, who learned the craft in his father’s workshop, continues the tradition.

Books on Manuel Velázquez

A 1978 Velázquez – a guitar that later passed through our hands – is reproduced in Alberto Martínez’s book “34 Classical Guitars in Life Size”, and a 1955 Velázquez from the Russell Cleveland collection appears in “The Classical Guitar – A Complete History”:

34 Classical Guitars in Life Size

The Classical Guitar – A Complete History