2025 Miguel Angel Gutierrez "Limited Edition - REG 2025" CD/PD

Made with Western red cedar for the soundboard, and a beautiful set of richly colored padauk for the back and sides, this is another beautifully built classical guitar from Spanish luthier Miguel Angel Gutierrez, who currently lives and works in Genoa, Italy. The first thing one notices with this guitar is the beautiful inlay work in the head veneer, rosette, back center seam and tie-block, and for this "Limited Edition" model that was diplayed at the 2025 Rome Guitar Expo (see photos in link, below), Miguel Angel stepped up and did his absolute most ornate and elaborate work to date - he's really produced a true work of art here. The variety of reddish and brownish colors in the inlays were elegantly selected to complement the cedar and padauk. several patterns mainly with diamond shapes in the purflings and stained-glass-like mosaic work in the central rosette band centered around nasrid star motifs (commonly seen in architectural features and tile work/flooring in southern Spain). The MOP leaf pattern in the headstock is symbolic of the leaf used in the well-known Biblical story of Adam and Eve, who covered themselves once they became aware of their "nakedness" - Miguel Angel feels that music is a very intimate and personal experience - especially for musicians who perform for live audiences which can leave them feeling "naked", which is the same feeling a luthier can have when his guitars enter the hands of the public, and for him represents a good-luck token for everyone in the music-making enterprise to fearlessly carry on! As a balancing measure he also fitted some MOP in the tie-block as well. This very bold look is matched by the strong sound which is full, warm and evenly balanced. The top is braced with a light system of lattices and open harmonic bars which gives it a lovely volume boost while retaining a traditional, natural sound. Playability is also a breeze, the guitar is so responsive to the slightest touch that it plays effortlessly for both hands. Entirely French polished, this is a fantastic value for such a visually stunning and sonically rich instrument and would satisfy the recording or concertizing needs of any guitarist. Great instrument all around.

Photos of this guitar taken during construction and on display in Rome, Italy

Born in Toledo, Spain in 1979, Miguel Angel Gutierrez studied architecture between universities in both Spain and Italy, and afterwards worked for several years in an architecture studio in Genoa while managing a climbing gym. It was at this time that his curiosity led him to build a guitar for himself for the purpose of playing his own music. But lightning struck with this first experience and his passion for instrument making was instantly born. For him, taking various pieces of wood, and assembling them in such a way as to make them vibrant and full of life with the magical alchemy of music was a calling that immediately took hold of him in this seminal experience.

Following this first guitar, he immersed himself in researching the art of guitar making by seeking out all the information he could find in books, the internet and by befriending and taking the advice of several luthiers who made themselves available to him. He followed this up with an online course held by luthier Carlos Juan Busquiel, later by traveling to Andalusia to do a flamenco guitar construction course with luthier Paco Chorobo, who became his first true teacher and great friend. Further studies followed after he discovered the book "The Design of the Classical Guitar" by Mario Garrone which led him to contact the author and eventually become his apprentice. Miguel Angel has learned to combine the scientific methods learned from Mario Garrone together with traditional techniques of his previous training to produce his current models.

After several years of working at his craft, Miguel Angel Gutierrez was awarded second-prize at the prestigious fifth Antonio Marin Montero Guitar Making Competition held in Granada, Spain in September, 2022.