2006 José Marín Plazuelo SP/CY

This 2006 José Marín Plazuelo is a Granada flamenco blanca of spruce and cypress, in excellent condition with no cracks, damage or repairs.

A Granada Flamenco Guitar from 2006

José is, for us, one of the finest and most consistent makers anywhere at this level of price. The tonal qualities of his guitars stand out, the workmanship shows great attention to detail, and they are just plain fun to play. They follow in the tradition of Santos and Barbero, being very light and fairly small bodied. In design it is nearly identical to the flamenco guitar of his well-known uncle, Antonio Marín Montero; in sound it has the featherweight, punchy raspiness of the southern Spanish school. Playability is a dream; materials are superb.

Sound and Condition

This guitar has had some play time on it, and so the sound is nice and loose and very open. Condition is excellent – no cracks, damage or repairs of any kind, only a bit of superficial play wear. When compared to guitars of the same caliber, this is an excellent value for the price.

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.