1972 Antonio Marín Montero SP/CY

This 1972 Antonio Marín Montero is a flamenco blanca in spruce and cypress from Granada, Spain – a very rare early-1970s Marín flamenco with no cracks and no repairs.

A Very Rare Early Marín Blanca

Finding a Marín flamenco blanca from the early 1970s is very rare, and this one is in "played" but otherwise pristine condition – no cracks, no repairs.

Mid-Century Flamenco Sound

In many ways it recalls the flamencos coming out of the Miguel Rodríguez workshop in the 1960s: lightly built, with a powerful, bouncy, quick attack and, at the same time, a warm, lyrical character to the tone. A fantastic instrument for the player seeking the sound of a great southern Spanish mid-century-style flamenco.

Read more: Orfeo Magazine No. 8 – The Granada School

Antonio Marín Montero: Founder of the Modern Granada School

Antonio Marín Montero (b. 1933) is considered to be the foundational builder of the contemporary Granada school – many builders from around the world have come to Granada to work with and learn from this great maker. Born in Granada, he began as a woodworker in local cabinetmaking and marquetry workshops, among them those of Francisco Moya and Recaredo Veredas; in 1957 he joined the workshop of maestro Pérez, and in 1959, on his father's advice, he went to Eduardo Ferrer on the Cuesta de Gomérez, next to the Alhambra. With Manuel López Bellido he then ran the "Montero-Bellido" workshop, where a whole generation of Granada makers trained.

The Marín "Bouchet" and a Life of Iconic Guitars

His association with Robert Bouchet is legendary: the two became close friends after Antonio visited the Paris master in 1977, and their collaboration produced what became known as Marín's "Bouchet" model, with structural and design elements – including the famous transverse brace passing below the bridge – that clearly show Bouchet's influence. Over the decades he built some of the most iconic classical and flamenco guitars of the Granada school, working alongside his nephew José Marín Plazuelo and José González López, until he retired in 2024 and closed his workshop. The Antonio Marín Montero Guitar Building Competition, held in Granada since 2017, bears his name.