2011 John Ray "Coral" CD/PD

John Ray is one of the best luthiers working in Granada, Spain. Having studied with veteran Granada builder Rolf Eicheger, Ray's guitars feature many of the "Granada" style qualities – compact body size, lightweight build, slender neck for great ease of play and a broad palette of tonal colors. This particular guitar has a cedar top with padauk (sometimes referred to as “coral” wood) for the back and sides. It has a “firmer” quality of sound than the rosewood instruments we’ve seen of his, giving the fundamental tone of each note greater emphasis. Like his other cedar instruments, it also has a rich overtone content, giving the guitar a very full-bodied sound. Despite its smaller size, it has great volume and projection, making this a concert instrument that could easily fill any sized hall, in solo or with orchestra. Aesthetically, the guitar has an elegant simplicity which is very tasteful and refined. Certain elements, like the mosaic design used in the rosette, are reminiscent of some of the more charming instruments produced by builders of the early Madrid school, notably in examples by Santos and Esteso.