2005 Manuel Contreras II "Double Top" SP/CSAR

The Contreras Double-Top is perhaps this shop's best-known and most sought-after model over the past half century. Several players have performed on this model since the 1980's, including the Romeros. The name "double-top" is actually a slight misnomer: in Spanish "tapa" means "cover" and actually refers to an additional piece of wood that is "covering" the inside of the back. So in reality, the back (not the top) is doubled-up, with the rosewood exterior and tone-wood interior (this spruce top model has a piece of spruce lining the inside of the back). This is in line with the Madrid school of using double sets of wood - Ramirez line the sides of the 1a with cypress and others inlcuding Bernabe and Teodoro Perez have used double sides of rosewood on some of their models. The Contreras Double-top is extremely powerful with a very dense, yet warm sound. A very solid concert instrument, perfectly suited for the concert stage and any type of ensemble situation. Although used, this is in excellent condition with only some minor wear and one ding behind the bridge. No cracks or repairs, it's in beautiful shape for its age.