2020 Mario Aracama CD/OV

This 2020 Mario Aracama classical guitar has a Western red cedar top and back and sides of ovangkol (mongoy), made in the Alpujarra mountains near Granada, Spain.

Ovangkol (Mongoy) from West Africa

Mario combined Western red cedar for the soundboard with a beautiful set of 2.0 mm mongoy for the back and sides. Mongoy, also known as ovangkol, comes from West Africa and is similar to rosewood in its acoustic properties. It also has a drop-dead gorgeous look, with three-dimensional flames and a rich "caramel" color that complements the darker cedar top beautifully.

Construction

The sides are doubled with 1.3 mm of cypress on the inside for added rigidity, giving every note more power and focus. The fingerboard is ebony and the neck cedar, with a rosette and purflings designed to suit the woods.

Sound

The response is friendly and immediate without harshness, the sound velvety and full, with colors that shift beautifully under the right hand. Basses are deep and trebles thick and rich, with great clarity between the voices. Very comfortable for both hands, and full of Spanish character.

Photos taken during construction

Mario Aracama: From London to Granada

Mario Aracama became captivated with the guitar at an early age and, while living in England, decided to become a luthier, attending Guildhall University in London. There he graduated in Musical Instrument Technology, specializing in traditional classical and flamenco guitars under the tutelage of David Whiteman. In 2003 he relocated to Granada, Spain, where he learned further from Antonio Marín Montero.

The Granada School and the Torres Tradition

In the following years Mario enjoyed a fruitful exchange of ideas with his friends Michael Ritchie and Jose Vigil, which has also influenced his style. True to the Granada aesthetic, Mario builds a light and vibrant instrument with lightly braced tops, based in the great Spanish tradition in the line of Torres. Every guitar built by Mario features a different, original – but very traditional and tasteful – design.

A Workshop in the Alpujarra Mountains

Today Mario lives and builds in the beautiful Alpujarra mountains near Granada. GSI is proud to be Mario's exclusive dealer in the USA.