2018 Luis Fernández de Córdoba "Blanca" SP/CY

A 2018 flamenco blanca by Luis Fernández de Córdoba, with a spruce top and cypress back and sides – No. 53, modeled on a 1972 Sobrinos de Esteso ex Parrilla de Jerez.

An Interpretation, Not a Copy

Profoundly impressed by the sound of that Sobrinos de Esteso, Luis kept its thicknesses, bracing pattern and even its asymmetric bridge. He shortened the string length from 670 to 655 mm and gave it a traditional Esteso head instead of the original media luna.

Springy and Focused

The result is a lightly built, traditional blanca with a bouncy, almost springy quality in each note, an immediate attack and precise focus. The low flamenco action is a delight, with a little buzz to add sizzle.

Luis Fernández de Córdoba: From Panama to Alexandria

Luis Fernández de Córdoba is a Panamanian-born luthier who works in Alexandria, Virginia, near Washington, D.C. He began building in 2000, opened his workshop in 2001 and, after years of building and repairing all kinds of acoustic guitars, has devoted himself exclusively to classical and flamenco guitars since 2009. He apprenticed in the USA and in Granada, Spain, and has worked alongside makers in Spain, Mexico and Argentina.

Inspired by the Spanish Masters

He has studied the great makers of the past – Antonio de Torres, Santos Hernández, Hermann Hauser I, Manuel Velázquez, José Romanillos and Robert Bouchet – and visited the workshops of Richard and Marshall Brune and of Jeffrey Elliott, another of his inspirations. He is a member of the Guild of American Luthiers.