1962 Marcelo Barbero (Hijo) SP/CY

Marcelo Barbero Hijo built this flamenco guitar in 1962 in the Madrid workshop of Arcángel Fernández, with a spruce soundboard and cypress back and sides – and it has come down to us with no cracks and no repairs.

The Son of Marcelo Barbero at Arcángel's Bench

Its label – "Marcelo Barbero (Hijo) para casa Arcángel Fernández" – tells the story: the son of the great Marcelo Barbero, building in the shop of the man who had been his father's disciple. Guitars from this workshop are among the most famous flamencos in the history of Spanish guitar making.

Dark, Raspy and Lyrical

The voice is dark, with bold basses and strong trebles, and the response is lightning-fast – most likely thanks to the ultra-light construction. It reminds us of a mid-60s Miguel Rodríguez blanca: raspy, open and vibrant like the best mid-century flamencos, yet able to sing with real warmth and lyricism when you play it gently.

Condition

Condition is excellent – no cracks and no repairs, which is amazing for a guitar of this age. The original finish is intact throughout, with only very minor playing wear.

Marcelo Barbero Hijo: Trained by Arcángel Fernández

Marcelo Barbero Hijo (c. 1944–1946 to 2007) was the only son of the legendary Madrid flamenco guitar maker Marcelo Barbero. He was still a boy when his father died in 1956, so he never worked with him; instead he was taken in and trained by his father's only pupil and successor, Arcángel Fernández, who was both a father figure and a maestro to him and passed on everything he had learned from the elder Barbero.

Guitars "Para Casa Arcángel Fernández"

Marcelo Hijo spent his whole career at Arcángel's side in his workshop in the Lavapiés quarter of Madrid, just a couple of blocks from his father's old shop. His guitars carry a label reading "Construida por Marcelo Barbero (Hijo) para casa Arcángel Fernández" – built by Marcelo Barbero (son) for the house of Arcángel Fernández – and they follow the plans, woods and standards of the guitars Arcángel built alongside them: light, fast and powerful flamencos, along with a smaller number of classicals, in the great Barbero tradition.