1989 Marcelino López "1899 Salvador Ibáñez" SP/IN

This 1989 Marcelino López Nieto is a spruce and Indian rosewood replica of an 1899 Salvador Ibáñez guitar, made in Madrid, Spain, from the original in his own collection – and kept in his private collection until his passing in 2018.

A Copy of an 1899 Salvador Ibáñez

In addition to building traditional "Torres" style guitars, Marcelino also built many historical instruments based on pre-Torres designs, including vihuelas, Baroque guitars, Baroque and Renaissance lutes, and even non-guitar instruments such as violas da gamba, harps, harpsichords, clavichords and various period-styled violins and violas. This guitar, made in 1989, is a meticulously built copy of an 1899 Salvador Ibáñez guitar – which was in Marcelino's vast collection of historical instruments, so he was able to study the original first-hand when building this replica.

Salvador Ibáñez (1854–1920) was a luthier working in the coastal Valencia area who in 1883 established his workshop, which eventually became a large production facility in the following decades, producing a myriad of stringed instruments including bandurrias, lutes, mandolins and ukuleles in addition to a wide variety of guitar models, some with simple appointments and others with extreme amounts of inlay and decoration.

Sound, Playability and Condition

This instrument is a full-sized guitar by modern standards, yet has a noticeably lightweight build which gives it a lively character with punchy, immediate attack and an old-world sounding voice. It is very comfortable and easy to play (the nut width is 48 mm, making it very easy on the left hand especially) and has surprisingly large volume. The guitar is in excellent condition with no damage or repairs, only some very mild wear in the finish. It is concert-ready for any performance situation. This is a fantastic "period style instrument" by one of Spain's most enduring and experienced legends. Includes a custom hardshell case fitted to the dimensions of the instrument.

This instrument was in Marcelino López's private collection and was only sold after his passing in 2018.

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.