1994 José Marín Plazuelo SP/CY

This 1994 José Marín Plazuelo flamenco guitar, made in Granada, Spain, of spruce and cypress, is a lightweight blanca with no prior damage or repairs.

One of Our Favorite Contemporary Spanish Builders

Among contemporary Spanish builders, José is one of our favorites – one of the most consistent in the south of Spain, and equally impressive whether he is making a flamenco or a classical guitar, with concert-worthy tone, ease of play and volume.

Sound: Big Bottom End, Bitey Attack

The action is perfect. The sound is huge, open and well-aged after thousands of hours of play – the kind of tone you just can’t find in a new instrument – with a particularly big bottom end and a brilliant, bitey attack in all registers. Very lightweight, especially for this luthier, it feels and sounds more like a mid-century flamenco than a guitar built in 1994.

Condition

It is in excellent condition with no prior damage or repairs and only some very minor wear in the finish; the frets are in great shape. Overall, a fantastic example from this legendary builder in every way.

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.