2026 Miguel Angel Gutiérrez SP/IN

This 2026 Miguel Angel Gutiérrez is a spruce and Indian rosewood classical guitar made in Genoa, Italy, by the second-prize winner of the 2022 Antonio Marín Montero Competition in Granada.

Inlay Work Inspired by Southern Spain

Made with sitka spruce for the soundboard and a nicely figured set of Indian rosewood for the back and sides, this is another beautifully built classical guitar from Spanish luthier Miguel Angel Gutiérrez, 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 and tie-block. The colors are striking, with natural browns, yellows and blacks blended with dyed blue and green to create several patterns, including herringbone, interlocked diamonds and, in the central section of the rosette, a lovely repeated mosaic pattern of Nasrid stars (commonly seen in architectural features and tilework/flooring in southern Spain).

The Mother-of-Pearl Leaf

The mother-of-pearl 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. For him it represents a good-luck token for everyone in the music-making enterprise to fearlessly carry on!

Lattice Bracing and a Full, Warm Sound

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. Entirely French polished, this is a fantastic value for such a visually stunning and sonically rich instrument, and it would satisfy the recording or concertizing needs of any guitarist. Great instrument all around.

Photos of this guitar taken during construction

From Architecture to Guitar Making

Born in Toledo, Spain, in 1979, Miguel Angel Gutiérrez studied architecture at 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.

Learning from Paco Chorobo and Mario Garrone

Following this first guitar, he immersed himself in researching the art of guitar making, seeking out all the information he could find in books and on the internet, and 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, and later traveled to Andalusia to take a flamenco guitar construction course with luthier Paco Chorobo, who became his first true teacher and a 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 he learned from Mario Garrone with the traditional techniques of his previous training to produce his current models.

Prize Winner in Granada

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