1995 Antonio Marín Montero SP/CSAR

Year	1995
Top	Spruce
Back & Sides	CSA Rosewood
Scale Length	650 mm
Nut width	52 mm
Finish	French Polish
Country	Spain
Luthier	Antonio Marín Montero

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'Same River Twice' played by Billy Arcila

Description

This 1995 Antonio Marín Montero is a "Bouchet" model classical guitar in spruce and CSA rosewood from Granada, Spain, with tuners made by John Gilbert after Bouchet's own buttons.

Bouchet-Style Tuners by John Gilbert

The tuning machines are modeled on original Bouchet buttons and were built by John Gilbert – a fitting touch on a guitar from Marín's "Bouchet" model.

Sound and Condition

The sound is robust and creamy – perhaps the Bouchet in it – and the response quick and bouncy, as in the best southern Spanish guitars. Condition is excellent, with only minor playing wear.

Background

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.