Alhambra Flamenco Guitars

In 1965 Alhambra first formed in their workshop in the small town of Muro De Alcoy in Spain. Their policies are simple, combining the most up to date technology in flamenco guitar manufacturing with the traditional Spanish techniques of quality flamenco guitar making. Alhambra guitars partake in the most in-depth research and employ the highest of skilled staff to be able to continually improve the sound of their guitars. Alhambra guitars produce the finest models ranging from the classical series which include the Alhambra 1C, 2C, 3C, Alhambra 4P and Alhambra Iberia. Their flamenco guitar range is also extensive ranging from the student flamenco guitar models of the Alhambra 3F and 4F, to the intermediate Alhambra 7F and 7Fc up to the high end flamenco guitar models such as the Alhambra 10Fc and Alhambra 10Fp. Alhambra guitars can often be personalised adding a cutaway option to the flamenco guitar, left handed flamenco guitars or adding electronics to a variety of models for the flamenco guitarist.
The reputation of Alhambra guitars throughout the world is second to none.    

Cashimira Flamenco guitars

Joan Cashimira's workshop, close to Alicante in Spain has been around for almost a century. Jose Antonio Caselles Miralles set Cashimira Guitars up and named the company by combining his last two names. Through love and dedication Jose and his son went about producing the flamenco guitar on a full time basis and the guitars were soon attracting attention from some of the best flamenco guitarists around.

The cashimira brand is presently owned by flamenco guitarist Jose Antonio the founder grandson and with the experience and quality of craftsmanship from three generations of flamenco guitar makers the cashimira brand is still going strong today.

Jose Antonio is quoted as saying: - "It is not just the assembly of pieces of wood; it goes beyond that, it is an art that achieves a special sound. It gives soul to the instrument that in the right hands will produce extraordinary sounds and musical possibilities".

The woods they use are slowly seasoned until the time when they are dry enough to be used in flamenco guitar manufacture. The luthier models of cashimira are amongst the most beautiful around with approximately only 300 of these produced a year whilst the Cashimira workshop makes around another 1700 each year.


Conde Hermanos Flamenco Guitars
Domingo Esteso first set up shop in the year 1915 and thus the Conde Hermanos dynasty was first formed.  Domingo Esteso’s nephews were then fully trained by him in the art of flamenco guitar making. Then in 1960 the Conde brothers took over their uncle Domingo’s shop and set up as ‘Hermanos Conde Sobrinos de Domingo Esteso’.
Many well established flamenco guitarists have used Conde Hermanos Flamenco guitars, Mario Escudero and Paco de Lucia to name but a few.
Conde Hermanos’ reputation for using the highest quality materials and their years of experience of manufacturing flamenco guitars have allowed them to produce a range of flamenco guitar which produce a beautiful flamenco sound for those who love to play flamenco guitar..
Through their wonderful tradition continuing with the Conde Hermanos dynasty Felipe and Mariano Jr now run the shop, building flamenco guitars the way they should be built.

Jose Ramirez Flamenco Guitars
From the time when José Ramírez I installed his workshop in Concepción Jerónima nº 2 at the end of the nineteenth century, the shop has sold Ramírez guitars through four generations.

José Ramírez III changed the situation when, due to the increasing demand for guitars at the beginning of the 1960's, he moved his workshop to General Margallo street. There he taught new artisans, leaving the establishment in Concepción Jerónima solely as shop open to the public.

At the beginning of the seventies he opened a larger shop in front of the old, in the number 5 of Concepción Jerónima. The little shop remained closed until the end of the eighties, when José Ramírez IV and his sister Amalia decided to restore and reopen it.

In 1995 they were obliged to abandon the venerable establishment due to the impossibility of renewing the lease. They bought a new space in the same area (see plan) where, in addition to acquiring a guitar, one can view part of the Ramírez family's guitar collection, including examples not only made by the Ramírez dynasty, but also, amongst others, Antonio de Torres, Santos Hermández, Dionisio Guerra, Francisco Simplicio, and Manuel Muñoa.

Ricardo Sanchis Lopez Flamenco Guitars
Everything started in 1915 when Ricardo Sanchis Nacher found the Sanchis Carpio shop of guitars. He started working with the Valencian guitar makers and during military service made friendships with Domingo Esteso who later founded Alhambra guitars, Casa Ramirez and Casa Gonzalez as well as Ricardo Sanchis Carpio.

Sanchis Carpio has obtained results in its instruments that characterize to the flamenco guitar with their brilliant flamenco sound and the classical guitar by the clean, clear and powerful sound.

The fourth generation, David and German Sanchis Lopez sons of Ricardo Sanchis Lopez follow the flamenco guitar tradition and are currently constructing their own models with the help of their father in the same workshop in Valencia.

The method with which Ricardo Sanchis Lopez produce their guitars remains the same as it was a century ago in the small workshop of Ricardo Sanchis Nacher. All handmade, the quality of the guitar and the woods is of the utmost importance, the natural way in which Ricardo Sanchis Lopez process their woods brings out the full sound of the flamenco guitars they manufacture.

Other Flamenco Guitar Manufacturers

These are but a few of the flamenco guitar luthiers there are plenty more out there for you to take a look at. One of the best resources around can be found at Zavaletas guitars. These include descriptions of the following flamenco guitar makers on his website: Please click on the following links to be directed to his website to find out about the following flamenco guitar makers:

Manuel Adalid Marcelino López Nieto Angel Benito Aguado Casimiro Lozano Carrillo Juan Alvarez Pedro Maldonado René Baarslag Miguel Malo                              Santos Bayón Ruiz Felix Manzanero Jesús Bellido Antonio Marin Montero Paulino Bernabe José Luis Marin Valeriano Bernal Francisco Santiago Marin Amalio Burguet José Marin Plazuelo Juan Miguel Carmona Pedro Martínez Peñalver Vicente Carrillo Rafael Moreno Rodriguez Hermanos Conde Francisco Montero Aguilera Pedro de Miguel Juan Montero Aguilera Andrés Dominguez Guerrero J.A. Pantoja Martin Antonio Duran Antonio Raya Ferrer Eduardo Duran Ferrer Antonio Raya Pardo Ana Espinosa Rodriguez Manuel Reyes José Manuel Fernández José Romero Aarón García Ruíz Manuel Romero Macías Juan Miguel González Rafael Romero Barroso José López Bellido Ignacio M. Rozas Manuel López Bellido José Ruiz Pedregosa Bernd Martin Arturo Sanzano