2007 José Marín Plazuelo SP/CY

This 2007 José Marín Plazuelo flamenco guitar, made in Granada, Spain, has a spruce top and cypress back and sides and no cracks, damage or repairs.

José Marín Plazuelo’s Flamenco Blanca

Few guitar makers anywhere match José’s consistency at anywhere near this price, and we count him among the finest. Outstanding tonal qualities, great attention to detail – and his guitars are just plain fun to play. Very light and fairly small bodied, they follow the tradition of Santos and Barbero. Featherweight and punchy, with the raspiness of the southern Spanish school, this flamenco is nearly identical to the guitar made by his well-known uncle, Antonio Marín Montero. Playability is a dream, and the materials are superb.

Sound and Condition

This guitar has had some play time on it, so the sound is nice and loose and very open. Condition is excellent – no cracks, damage or repairs of any kind – with just a normal amount of respectful playing wear.

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.