2020 Luis Fernández de Córdoba SP/BL

A 2020 classical guitar by Luis Fernández de Córdoba, with a spruce top and black limba back and sides – a wood new to us, which Luis finds similar to light walnut in many ways.

In the video above, Mateusz Kowalski plays Barrios's "Contemplación" on this guitar.

Doubled Sides

Luis doubled the sides with yellow cedar inside, as many Madrid and some French makers do: the stiffer sides keep more energy in the soundboard, for added focus and power. The top has five fans with open upper and lower harmonic bars.

Sound and Condition

With an ebony head veneer, bindings and bridge and a Torres-inspired rosette with a checkerboard center, the guitar is beautiful to the eye and the ear: rich, wholesome and perfectly balanced. Pre-owned, it is in excellent condition with very slight wear.

Photos of this guitar being built

Luis Fernández de Córdoba: From Panama to Alexandria

Luis Fernández de Córdoba is a Panamanian-born luthier who works in Alexandria, Virginia, near Washington, D.C. He began building in 2000, opened his workshop in 2001 and, after years of building and repairing all kinds of acoustic guitars, has devoted himself exclusively to classical and flamenco guitars since 2009. He apprenticed in the USA and in Granada, Spain, and has worked alongside makers in Spain, Mexico and Argentina.

Inspired by the Spanish Masters

He has studied the great makers of the past – Antonio de Torres, Santos Hernández, Hermann Hauser I, Manuel Velázquez, José Romanillos and Robert Bouchet – and visited the workshops of Richard and Marshall Brune and of Jeffrey Elliott, another of his inspirations. He is a member of the Guild of American Luthiers.