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We first met Japanese guitar builder Hironori Fukuda at the 3rd International "Antonio Marin Montero" Guitar Building Competition in Granada, Spain in 2019, where he took third prize. 5 years later, Hironori would return for a second attempt in Granada where he would this time take First Prize at the seventh Antonio Marin Montero Guitar Making Competition held in Granada, Spain in July/August, 2024. The guitar we present here is the actual winning guitar from the 2024 event and it is made with spruce for the top and a lovely set of African rosewood back and sides. Hironori builds his guitars using purely traditional Spanish methods and is very careful about the quality and selection of his materials. He only works with air-dried European spruce for his soundboards and since he wants his guitars to maximize the natural sound of the wood, he doesn't use heat processing or synthetic materials for reinforcement. He works with hide glue and polishes using shellac, and pumice powder to fill the pores, followed by French polishing with a pad. He also makes his rosettes and inlay materials using only natural colored (not dyed) woods, doing almost all the work by hand, using very few power tools. The top has a traditional 7-fan bracing system with the middle 5 bars passing through a longitudinal brace placed just in front of the bridge which maximizes the flexibility of the vibrating area in the region of the bridge while at the same time adds structural stability as well. The thinner sides are supported with a series of thin spruce braces - again to help in the service of a lightweight but structurally sound build. It has a rich variety of tonal colors, even for a new guitar which is remarkable. Hironori's aesthetic is also very elegant and subtle with refined detailing in the rosette and tasteful inlay work throughout. The bridge has squared ramps giving it a bold, almost architectural look to it. The guitar comes in a Visesnut "Active Series" Grey case. Overall a superb instrument in every way. We look forward to many more of this maker's guitars in the future!
