2003 Manuel Reyes "Negra" SP/CSAR

The late Manuel Reyes of Cordoba is considered to be among the greatest and most sought-after flamenco builders in history. He is known for his superb workmanship and authentic Andalusian flamenco sound - he built his guitars in the heart of the old quarter of Cordoba, in the deep south of Spain. His guitars have been played by dozens of flamenco professionals internationally, perhaps most notably being Vicente Amigo, Tomatito and Paco Serrano. At the time of his passing in 2014, his waitlist for new instruments remained closed for years due to its enormous size.

This guitar is easy to play and has all the richness necessary for solo performing - the negra has additional punch and power in it as well which makes it especially suitable for live settings. The tone of this instrument is sweet, beautiful and lyrical while retaining the bite and energy of flamenco: when playing melodically, it sings like a human voice, but also awakens with a tremendous bite when pushed hard. The strong, voice-like trebles are balanced by its big low-end that is full but not boomy. As sweet as the tone is, it still has the aggressive response when pushed in the right direction - rasguedos in particular are quite explosive and powerful. Condition is absolutely amazing, likely due to only having had one owner its entire life - the guitar is in original, like-new condition with no cracks, repairs and virtually no wear. This guitar is a true masterpiece, and could easily please the most discriminating player or collector. Built in 2003, it dates from one of the more popular periods of his output. Truly a remarkable and rare instrument in such fine condition.