2026 Alexis Parducci SP/AR

This 2026 Alexis Parducci is a classical guitar with an aged Swiss spruce top and quarter-sawn African rosewood back and sides, built in Mar del Plata, Argentina, by a maker featured in Orfeo Magazine (No. 23).

Alexis Parducci, Prize Winner in Granada

We met Argentine guitar builder Alexis Parducci at the 5th International "Antonio Marín Montero" Guitar Building Competition in Granada, Spain, in 2022, where he took first prize. Although Alexis was born (and is currently based) in Argentina, he moved to southern Spain at only 18 years of age, where he lived for 10 years. While there, he apprenticed with José Ángel Chacón in Málaga. He also spent time in Granada and feels a deep kinship with the deep roots and spirit of guitar making there. His guitars therefore have a very traditional feel and responsiveness to them, much like the lightweight, mid-century southern Spanish style that has captivated players and listeners for over half a century.

Materials and Construction

For this guitar, Alexis sourced some of his best materials, including a gorgeous set of quarter-sawn African rosewood for the back and sides, an aged Swiss spruce top and Brazilian cedar for the neck. It is fitted with Alessi tuners. It has also been built to the same specs as the winning guitar in Granada. The top has a lightly braced 5-fan system with a thin bar brace under the bridge. Of interest, he has sculpted, triangular-shaped spruce braces all along the interior of the sides, for added structural stability and to allow the thinner sides to move a bit like a diaphragm, with increased flexibility.

Tone and Long-Grain Ornamentation

For tonal quality, Alexis pursues a lightly built, flexible top that has great dynamic range, deep basses, a wide tone-color palette and clear, lyrical trebles. To this end he has pursued a quest to understand how all elements (and materials) of the guitar must cooperate with each other, so that every part of the guitar is making a contribution and assisting in the movement of all the other parts. Aesthetically, Alexis likes an austere and well-executed amount of small, but fine ornamentation. His inlay work in the rosette and purflings is done using the very labor-intensive "long grain" technique, which he believes adds a beautiful sparkle to the wood and also leads to longer-term stability, as the end-grains are not exposed to the open environment.

Structurally, sonically and aesthetically, Alexis works out of deep respect and love for the great builders of the past, yet also feels the need to find a place in his work for his own personal touches. This guitar is an extremely well-built instrument that contains all of this. We are very happy to be working with this fine maker (GSI is his only US dealer), and this guitar is an absolute delight to play and listen to.

Photos of this guitar taken just after completion

Alexis Parducci: From Argentina to Andalusia and Back

Argentine luthier Alexis Parducci left Argentina for southern Spain when he was just 18 and spent the next ten years there. In Málaga he served an apprenticeship with guitar maker José Ángel Chacón, and his time in Granada left him with a deep sense of kinship with the city's guitar-making roots. Today he is back in Argentina, building in his workshop in Mar del Plata.

A Traditional Sound with a Personal Touch

Alexis builds in the spirit of the lightweight, mid-century southern Spanish guitar. He aims for a flexible top in which every part of the instrument works together with all the others, and he favors small, carefully executed ornamentation, often inlaid with the labor-intensive long-grain technique. Respect for the great builders of the past guides his work, always with room for his own ideas.

First Prize in Granada

In 2022 Alexis won First Prize at the 5th Antonio Marín Montero International Guitar Making Competition in Granada, Spain, organized by Vicente Coves and the European Guitar Foundation.