1994 José Marín Plazuelo SP/CY

This 1994 José Marín Plazuelo is a flamenco blanca from Granada, Spain, built with a spruce top and cypress back and sides, and it has no damage or repairs of any kind.

A Southern Spanish Flamenco Guitar

In our view José ranks among the most consistent guitar makers working today, and among the very finest at anywhere near this price. The tone is outstanding, the building is expert and careful in every detail, and his guitars are just plain fun to play. They are very light and fairly small bodied – the tradition of Santos and Barbero. The model follows the flamenco guitar of his well-known uncle, Antonio Marín Montero, almost exactly, with the featherweight, punchy raspiness typical of the southern Spanish school. Playability is a dream; the materials are superb.

Sound and Condition

Because of its age, and because it has been played regularly, the sound has become loose and very open. Condition is excellent – no cracks, damage or repairs of any kind. Just a bit of superficial play wear. When compared to guitars of the same caliber, this is an excellent value for the price.

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

José Marín Plazuelo: Nephew of Antonio Marín Montero

José Marín Plazuelo was born in Granada on June 13, 1960. He is the nephew of Antonio Marín Montero. In 1974, when he was just 14 years old, he started working alongside his uncle, where he and José González López learned how to build instruments. From the very beginning, José’s uncle praised his nephew’s work.

Traditional Spanish Guitars from Granada

José follows Antonio Marín’s technique and makes his guitars in the traditional Spanish way. For fifty years he made his own guitars in the Marín family workshop, beside his uncle, one of the most prestigious luthiers in the world. When Antonio retired in 2024 and closed the workshop, José and José González López moved to the center of Granada, where they now work out of Callejón Molino de San Martín 14.

José’s classical guitars are mainly inspired by the experience acquired from his uncle, while his flamenco guitars are similar to those of Francisco Simplicio (1874–1932), the legendary guitar maker from Catalonia. In 2017 José sat on the jury of the first Antonio Marín Montero Guitar Building Competition in Granada, the contest that carries his uncle’s name.