1965 Marcelino López SP/CY

This 1965 Marcelino López Nieto is a rare cypress classical guitar with a spruce top, made in Madrid, Spain – ultra-lightweight, with a dark, dry and woody voice – offered through the GSI Foundation.

A Rare 1965 Cypress Classical

This guitar, made in 1965, is a great example of the style he championed. It is ultra-lightweight with a dark, dry and woody old-world "Spanish" sound. The notes jump off the fingerboard with the greatest of ease for both hands – truly a very lively guitar with great ease of playability. It is notably a great "cypress classical" – very rare – but could also easily be used as a flamenco with the addition of a tap plate and the lowering of the action. It's a very versatile sounding and playing guitar, capable of handling virtually any genre of music.

Condition

Condition-wise it does have 2 repairs to the back and several repairs to the soundboard, recently re-visited by GV Rubio. Tuners are replaced with Reischls from Germany. It is now in concert-ready condition for any performance situation. This is a fantastic example by one of Spain's most enduring and experienced legendary makers.

A GSI Foundation Guitar

This guitar was 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.

Read more: Orfeo Magazine No. 3 – interview with Marcelino López Nieto · Orfeo No. 3 on our blog · our 2008 interview with Marcelino

Marcelino López Nieto (1931–2018): Guitar Maker of Madrid

The late Marcelino López Nieto was one of Spain's most respected guitar makers of the 20th century. He was originally a performer of the guitar – a student of Daniel Fortea, who was himself a pupil of Tárrega – and his professional background was in cabinetmaking, so the move to guitar making came naturally, as it has for so many builders throughout history. After the death of Santos Hernández in 1943 he befriended Santos' widow, Matilde Ruiz López, and was able to spend time in the Santos workshop before setting up his own shop in 1949, at the age of 18. He also worked with Hernández y Aguado in the early 1970s and built several "Hernández y Aguado" models over the years.

Small-Bodied Guitars in the Tradition of Torres

Although a Madrid maker, Marcelino never fell under the shadow of the larger, sturdier guitars of the Ramírez school. He always preferred to build in the traditional style of Antonio de Torres and the southern Spanish makers – a smaller body without double sides, mostly spruce tops and a French polish finish. Alongside his classical and flamenco guitars he also built historical instruments, from vihuelas, lutes and Baroque and Romantic guitars to violins, many of them after originals in his own large collection.