2009 Casimiro Lozano "1a" SP/AR

This 2009 Casimiro Lozano "1a" is a pre-owned Spanish classical guitar with a spruce top and African rosewood back and sides, made in Rubielos Bajos, in the province of Cuenca, with an unusual single-fan bracing design.

A Fleta-Inspired Classical Guitar from Cuenca

Veteran maker Casimiro Lozano has been building guitars for over 30 years, having started in the Vicente Carrillo workshop before setting up shop on his own, and now sharing it with his son Víctor. His instruments were originally inspired by the guitars of Ignacio Fleta, but have developed over the years in his own style. His guitars have been played by a considerable list of concert artists including Göran Söllscher, Espí Fernando, Pedro Jesús Gómez, Takeshi Tezuka and many others.

One Fan Brace and Two Floating Supports

This guitar features a very unique but effective internal structure – it has just one fan brace (beneath the center seam)! The top is therefore quite open, with 4 curved harmonic bars (2 upper, 2 lower) and one horizontal brace between the bridge and foot. These 5 braces are themselves bridged together by two long floating supports that extend from the upper bout to the lower bout, one on the treble side, the other on the bass side. This is a very clever way of opening up the maximal vibrating area of the soundboard and at the same time providing excellent structural support, which in itself contributes to an efficient flow of sound vibration once the strings are plucked.

Sound and Condition

This particular guitar still retains a rich, warm quality with a good amount of resonance (much like Fleta), but also has distinct qualities of its own – particularly a big, husky and thick texture heard throughout the entire register. The result is a deep, boxy character, much like Fleta guitars are known for, but produced by a very different method.

Although used, this guitar is in excellent shape (no damage and no repairs) with only some wear in the finish from regular use – otherwise it is concert-ready.

Casimiro Lozano: From the Carrillo Workshop to Rubielos Bajos

Casimiro Lozano is a Spanish classical guitar maker who learned his trade in the Vicente Carrillo workshop in Casasimarro, in the province of Cuenca. He later set up his own workshop in the countryside near the village of Rubielos Bajos, also in Cuenca, where he has now been building guitars for more than three decades. Today he shares the workshop with his son Víctor, who builds his own guitars using his father's methods.

Inspired by Ignacio Fleta

Casimiro's starting point was the work of Ignacio Fleta, and the warmth and resonance of the Barcelona master can still be heard in his guitars. Over the years, though, he has developed a building system of his own, and in Spain he is also well known as a maker of double-top guitars. Concert guitarists in Europe and Asia have played his instruments, among them the Swedish virtuoso Göran Söllscher and Japan's Takeshi Tezuka.