1990 Antonio Marín Montero SP/CY

This 1990 Antonio Marín Montero is a flamenco blanca in spruce and cypress from Granada, Spain – an old-school, feather-light blanca, opened up by more than three decades of playing.

One of the Most Iconic Southern Spanish Builders

Antonio Marín is one of the most iconic southern Spanish builders of the last 50 years. Typical of Marín's best flamenco guitars, this guitar has a nice quick, bouncy responsiveness, a characteristic found in the best of the traditional flamencos. It has a great amount of power, especially at the attack, and a nice, raspy bite to notes in all registers. It is feather light – really a traditional, old-school blanca by all measures.

Playability and Condition

Setup is comfortable and low, making playability a breeze. Having been played regularly for over three decades, it has a nice, loose and very open quality to the sound. Even though it is a used guitar, it has been very well taken care of, with one crack in the lower bout of the top and one in the upper bout of the back, both well repaired. Otherwise, only minor signs of playing wear. This is a monster of a guitar from one of Granada's legends.

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.