2010 Rafael Moreno Rodríguez SP/CY

This 2010 Rafael Moreno Rodríguez is a spruce and cypress flamenco blanca from Granada, Spain, built by a maker whose flamencos are the choice of Pepe and Juan Habichuela.

Built for Flamenco from the Ground Up

Everything about this guitar is great, from the impeccable workmanship to the sound and playability. Rafa builds his flamencos completely differently from his classicals, but you'll recognize the beautiful 18-hole bridge, the rosette and the Indian rosewood strip on the back. The body is thinner, the tap plate is very cleverly shaped, and bridge and neck are set up properly for flamenco.

Sound

It is a dedicated flamenco guitar, and it sounds like one: very loud, raw and throaty, yet still clear and beautiful. That dry, aggressive voice, together with its beautiful aesthetics, really makes it stand out.

Read more: Orfeo Magazine No. 8 – The Granada School

Rafael Moreno Rodríguez: Classical and Flamenco Guitar Maker of Granada

Rafael Moreno Rodríguez (b. 1954) – "Rafa" to everyone in Granada – began making guitars at the early age of 12 under the watchful eyes of Manuel López Bellido and Antonio Marín Montero, and in those early years he also studied with Eduardo Ferrer, often called the "teacher of teachers" of the Granada school. Although unrelated to Miguel Rodríguez of Córdoba, he counts Rodríguez's guitars among his strongest influences, along with those of Santos Hernández and Benito Ferrer. After his apprenticeship he opened his own shop on the famous Cuesta de Gomérez below the Alhambra, where he stayed until 2000; since then he has worked at Jesús y María 10.

One Level of Guitar, Built Entirely by Hand

Rafa works alone and refuses to hurry. He builds every guitar from scratch – down to the bone nut and saddle, carved by hand – mostly from CSA rosewood, spruce and cedar that he bought, cut and cured himself, and he makes only one level of instrument. His classical and flamenco guitars have been played by Pepe and Celin Romero, Vicente Coves, Gerardo Núñez, Juan and Pepe Habichuela and the late flamenco singer Enrique Morente, among many others.