2026 Emilio Díaz Valero "Torre de la Vela 7" CD/CY

This 2026 Emilio Díaz Valero "Torre de la Vela 7" is a cedar and cypress flamenco blanca from Granada, Spain, and the actual guitar that won second prize for flamenco at the 2026 Antonio Marín Montero International Guitar Making Competition.

"Torre de la Vela 7": A Granada Flamenco Guitar

Emilio designed this guitar specifically for the competition and named it "Torre de la Vela 7," after the famous watchtower of Granada's Alhambra. It is very much a product of the city where it was made, combining traditional Granada construction methods with Emilio's own ideas about the modern concert flamenco guitar.

A Classic Cypress Flamenca Blanca

The materials are classic for a flamenca blanca: Spanish cypress for the back and sides and cedar for the soundboard. The neck is Honduran cedar, the fingerboard is ebony, and the bridge is rosewood. The traditional hand-applied French polish helps preserve the lightness and responsiveness that are so important in a fine flamenco guitar.

V-Braced Top and a Deeper Body

The bracing starts from the tradition of Antonio de Torres but is adapted to Emilio's taste. The fan braces are arranged in a "V" with two closing braces. According to the maker, the V layout isn't only about volume. It broadens the tonal palette by letting the outer areas of the soundboard move more freely while keeping more control through the center. The goal is clear separation of voices, with deep, round basses, woody mids, and brilliant trebles, along with the immediacy and attack expected of a Granada flamenco guitar.

The body is noticeably deeper than a traditional flamenca, about 9.5 cm at the heel and 10 cm at the lower bout. Emilio arrived at these proportions partly through his own experience and conversations with leading concert players, including Gerardo Núñez and Álvaro Martinete. The larger air volume adds resonance, sustain, projection, and bass response, which are qualities increasingly demanded of flamenco guitars on large concert stages, without losing the quick response and characteristic edge of cypress.

Built en Peones

In every other respect, the construction is thoroughly traditional. The guitar was built using the classic Granada en peones method, with individual cedar lining blocks fitted one by one. It's a time-honored technique still closely tied to the city's great guitar-making tradition.

A Rosette Woven from Andalusian Life

The most distinctive visual feature is the extraordinary handmade rosette and the matching decoration on the bridge tie block. Instead of using a conventional marquetry design, Emilio found inspiration in something familiar throughout Andalusia: the woven rush seat of the traditional silla de enea. At the scale of a rosette, its simple geometric weave becomes an intricate mosaic of turquoise, ivory, and deep garnet. The pattern has an unmistakably Granadan character and recalls the dazzling geometric tilework of the Alhambra. It's a charming detail that takes something humble from everyday Andalusian life and turns it into one of the guitar's most refined features.

Granada Tradition, Modern Vision

"Torre de la Vela 7" is a meeting point between old and new. Emilio openly acknowledges the influence of Torres and of Granada's extraordinary line of makers, including Antonio Marín Montero, Francisco Manuel Díaz, Rafael Moreno, Francisco Muñoz Alba, and Juan Manuel García Fernández. At the same time, he pursues his own ideas about what a contemporary concert flamenco guitar can be. Above all, it is a deeply Granadan guitar in its materials, construction, ornamentation, and inspiration.

Flamenco Sound and Playability

Playability is superb, which is no surprise given Emilio's background as a highly trained flamenco guitarist. The action is soft, with a nice low setup ideal for flamenco, and the guitar plays with remarkable ease. The sound is ultra-responsive and simply jumps out of the guitar at the slightest touch. The result is an extremely lively, almost "hyper" instrument with a wonderfully raspy flamenco voice. The back is very active too, creating a pulsation the player can feel against the body, which physically connects the guitar to the player. Together with the projection and tonal breadth of its deeper body, this makes for a superb instrument in every way, and we look forward to many more guitars from this maker.

A Musician First

Emilio Díaz Valero was born in 1991 in Almazora, in the province of Castellón, a region still connected to the memory of the legendary guitarist Miguel Borrull. He grew up surrounded by music and wood. From an early age, the sound of a well-made guitar meant more to him than vibrating strings: it carried the heartbeat of tradition and centuries of craftsmanship. His path began as a player and working musician. From 2012 to 2018 he studied at the Ángel Barrios Professional Conservatory in Granada, focusing on flamenco guitar. He then continued his training at the prestigious Rafael Orozco Higher Conservatory in Córdoba until 2022.

Training in the Granada Tradition

In 2019, Emilio began working in the workshop of Francisco Manuel Díaz Sánchez, a member of Granada's renowned Díaz family of guitar makers, whose roots trace back to Casa Ferrer. For Emilio, learning from Francisco was a great privilege and a direct link to one of Granada's most deeply rooted craft traditions. For his first two years, he balanced the workshop with his conservatory studies. After that, working side by side with his teacher, he devoted himself fully to lutherie. The image captioned here shows the first soundhole of the first guitar made in Francisco Manuel Díaz Sánchez's workshop.

His Own Workshop

In April 2025, Emilio opened his own workshop, fulfilling a dream he had carried for years. Filled with the scent of cedar and cypress, it is where the knowledge he inherited from Francisco Manuel Díaz meets the personal vision he has developed along the way.

Prize Winner in Granada

In 2026, Emilio won second prize for his flamenco guitar at the ninth Antonio Marín Montero International Guitar Making Competition in Granada, Spain, a remarkable achievement so early in his career as an independent maker.