1999 José Marín Plazuelo SP/CY (ex John Dearman)

This 1999 José Marín Plazuelo is a spruce and cypress flamenco blanca from Granada, Spain, previously owned by John Dearman of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet.

José Marín Plazuelo: Flamenco and Classical Guitars

José is one of our favorite contemporary Spanish builders and one of the most consistent makers from southern Spain, building flamenco and classical guitars of equally impressive quality, with concert-worthy tone, ease of play and volume.

From the Collection of John Dearman

This particular guitar was previously owned by John Dearman of the Grammy Award-winning Los Angeles Guitar Quartet (a provenance letter from John accompanies the guitar).

Sound and Condition

It is in excellent condition with no prior damage or repairs – only some very minor wear in the finish – and the frets are in great shape. The action is perfect, and the sound is huge, open and well-aged, reflecting thousands of hours of play – the kind of tone you just can’t find in a new instrument. It has a particularly big bottom end and a brilliant, bitey attack in all registers. It is very lightweight, especially for this luthier, and feels and sounds more like a mid-century flamenco than a guitar built in 1999. 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.