2019 Kevin Aram "Marianela" SP/IN

This 2019 Kevin Aram “Marianela” is a spruce and Indian rosewood classical guitar with a slightly shorter scale and a bearclaw spruce top.

A Shorter-Scale Aram

Playability is superb – a very comfortable neck and slightly smaller scale make this guitar a breeze for both right and left hand. The label names it “Marianela”, signed and dated 2019.

Materials and Sound

Very dark, quartersawn Indian rosewood and a spruce top covered in bearclaw give it striking looks, and it has great response and plenty of volume. The tuners are Rodgers. Overall a top example from this excellent maker.

In Orfeo Magazine

Kevin Aram is featured in Orfeo Magazine No. 11 – England (cover above, read it online), also available in print in the collected edition:

Orfeo Magazine 11–15 (print edition)

Kevin Aram: An English Master

Kevin Aram is considered to be one of the best makers in northern Europe and has made guitars for some of the most prominent players in the world, including Julian Bream. Working in North Devon, England, since 1991, he builds around twelve guitars a year and gives every one its own name – like Romanillos, usually a woman’s name – written by hand on the label beside his signature.

Torres, Hauser and Romanillos

His guitars are influenced by the work of Torres, Hauser and Romanillos, who helped him when he started building classical guitars. The sound is delicate and refined, although that is not to say that they don’t have great volume – but it is rather the quality of sound which is most noticeable. There is something very musical about these instruments which reveals itself in every note, and Aram’s guitars have warmth and charm and are beautifully made.