1971 Manuel Reyes SP/CY

This guitar is easy to play and has all the richness necessary for solo performing. The tone of this instrument is sweet, beautiful and lyrical while retaining the bite and energy of flamenco: when playing melodically, it sings like a human voice, but also awakens with a tremendous bark when pushed harder. The strong, voice-like trebles are balanced by its big low-end that is full but not boomy. As sweet as the tone is, it still has the aggressive response when pushed in the right direction - rasguedos in particular are quite explosive and powerful. Playability is super easy, with easy, soft action. It's a very lightweight instrument, very much in the style of the great mid-century flamencos. Condition-wise, this is in excellent condition no cracks or repairs with only some modest wear in the finish - remarkable for a guitar that has been played for over half a century. Overall this represents a fantastic find for the most discriminating player or collector seeking a Reyes in such great shape.

Manuel Reyes of Cordoba (1934-2014) is considered to be the greatest and most sought-after Andalucian flamenco builder of the latter half of the 20th century, and beginning of the 21st. For more than half a century he was known for his superb workmanship and authentic Andalusian flamenco sound - he always constructed his guitars in the heart of the old quarter of Cordoba, in the deep south of Spain. His guitars have been played by dozens of flamenco professionals internationally, perhaps most notably being Vicente Amigo and Paco Serrano. At the time of his passing, his waitlist for new instruments had been closed for years due to its enormous size.