2015 Rafael Moreno Rodríguez SP/CSAR

This 2015 Rafael Moreno Rodríguez is a spruce and CSA rosewood classical guitar from Granada, Spain, trimmed in flamed maple and built with "reversed" fan strutting.

Flamed Maple and Aged CSA Rosewood

This guitar has a beautiful back with a narrow piece of flamed maple inserted between two pieces of stunning and aged CSA rosewood. Binding is also in maple, which frames the guitar beautifully – the design and quality of materials make this an absolutely stunning guitar in appearance.

Fans That Widen Toward the Soundhole

Inside, Rafa's usual light 6-strut pattern is turned around: the struts spread apart as they near the soundhole instead of fanning out from the foot. Pepe Romero Jr. has used this layout (with 7 fans) exclusively since 2009, after acquiring a rare 1970 Miguel Rodríguez built the same way. To our ears it helps make the top more responsive and looser, with more clarity and focus to each note.

Sound

Volume is also excellent without being boomy, and the sound is thick and dark in all registers – most remarkably in the trebles. It also has a 20th fret for the high C natural required in some of the guitar repertoire. An exceptional concert guitar, highly recommended for its concert-worthy sound and its refined, unique workmanship and aesthetics.

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.