2000 José Marín Plazuelo SP/CY

This 2000 José Marín Plazuelo is a flamenco guitar with a spruce top and cypress back and sides, made in Granada, Spain, and chosen by a fellow dealer as his own instrument.

A Favorite Maker from Southern Spain

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

A Dealer’s Personal Flamenco Guitar

Among the dozens we’ve carried, this one is special. It was chosen by a fellow dealer as his personal instrument, from many other great flamencos from Plazuelo and others, then played at gigs for 20 years.

Sound and Condition

It has a patina of light nail marks on the top, but no scratches, gouges or cracks; the frets are in great shape, and overall the condition is excellent. The action is perfect. Two decades of playing have made the sound huge, open and well-aged – a tone you just can’t find in a new instrument. It has a new set of Rubner machines and is ready for another 20 years of music.

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.