1968 Ignacio Fleta CD/IN

This 1968 Ignacio Fleta is a classical guitar with a cedar top and Indian rosewood back and sides, made in Barcelona by Ignacio Fleta and his sons Francisco and Gabriel – "Ignacio Fleta e hijos", as the label reads.

A 1968 Fleta from the Great Cedar Period

This instrument from 1968 was built during Fleta's great cedar period. The sound is absolutely magical, powerful and rich. It has unusually good separation of voices even when playing chordal passages. Balance is perfect, and it has a haunting, mysterious and dark sound, with substantial power. One of its most remarkable characteristics is its superb sustain in virtually every register.

Condition

The condition of the guitar is great – it has no cracks and only signs of playing wear, mostly superficial nicks and scratches on the surface of the body, and it is still coated in its original varnish, although it has had an overcoat of shellac (on the top only) at some point. Tuners have been replaced with Rodgers – the plates are modeled after the Fusteros that would originally have been on it. It is in exceptional playing condition, having had a recent re-fret with slightly larger frets.

This is certainly a fine example from one of the greatest luthiers of the 20th century. A very desirable instrument for both collector and performer.

Ignacio Fleta: Master Guitar Maker of Barcelona

For performers and collectors alike, the name Ignacio Fleta (1897–1977) ranks among the elite handful of 20th-century luthiers. Trained in Barcelona as a maker of violins and cellos, he built mainly bowed instruments from the late 1920s until 1955, when he decided to devote himself to the guitar. Countless scores of the finest players in the world have played his instruments – among them Andrés Segovia, John Williams, Angel Romero, Turibio Santos, Alirio Díaz and Marcelo Kayath.

Ignacio Fleta e Hijos: Three Generations

By the mid-1960s Fleta's sons, Francisco (1925–2003) and Gabriel (1929–2013), had become his partners in the workshop – which is why the labels from then on read "Ignacio Fleta e hijos" (Ignacio Fleta and sons). After Ignacio's death in 1977 the brothers carried on, and today Gabriel's son, Gabriel Fleta Jr., continues the family workshop in its third generation. Many dozens of Fletas have passed through our doors over the years.