1965 Marcelino Lopez SP/CY

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. Feel free to contact us for more information.

The late Marcelino López Nieto was one of Spain's most respected living builders of the 20th century. He was originally a performer of the guitar, and had been a student of Daniel Fortea (who was himself a pupil of Tarrega). His professional background was initially in cabinetmaking, so given his skill set, it was a natural transition to guitar making, a path taken by many builders throughout history. He befriended Mathilde Ruiz (the widow of Santos Hernandez) after the passing of Santos in 1943, and was able to spend time in his workshop before setting up his own shop in 1947. He is also known for having worked with Hernandez y Aguado in the early 1970's and has since built several "Hernandez y Aguado" models over the years. Although a Madrid maker, Marcelino Lopez never allowed himself to fall under the shadow of the style of the larger, sturdier guitars of the Ramirez school, and always built in the traditional style of Torres, keeping to the smaller body design without the use of double sides, and mostly building spruce tops, with French polish finish.

This guitar, made in 1965 is a great example of the style he triumphed. 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. 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. It is notably a great "cypress classical" - very rare, but could also be used easily 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. This is a fantastic example by one of Spain's most enduring and experienced legendary makers.

Orfeo Magazine: Marcelino Lopez Nieto