Valencian Guitar Making Gently Grows

There's more to life, thank God, than fast food, soap operas and Chinese imports that break down approximately five minutes before you consider buying them.

One place where quality and tradition are kept alive is the Artisan Centre of Valencia situated between the Muvim Museum and the Public Library.

Until May visitors have the opportunity to check out a little known fact, that 80% of Spanish guitars are made in the Valencian Community, and that there are a large number of small family companies that still pursue their trade with love and devotion.

Among the instruments that can be seen and heard are the Valencian guitar, a small 5 string guitar that, like bicycles, come in male and female versions, and with which the tradition Valencian folk songs known as Cant d'Estil, can be played.

Another novelty (in the traditional sense) comes from the Alhambra Guitar Company from Muro de Alcoy, who have developed a guitar with two sound holes, in search of the lost chord no doubt.

You'll think your going back when you see the instrumnts for minstrels constructed by Quiles Guitar Company, a series of lutes based on centuries old designs, or Paterna's Raimundo Y Aparicio 12 string lute, fore runner of Roger McGuinn's 12 string Rickenbecker.

Valencian company Royal Classics guitar strings have made some changes that have received great acceptance over this past year. It is always a challenge to satisfy the increasing demands of today's guitarists. We are witnesses of dynamic moments in guitar construction that uses materials and design that have never been used before are employed to increase the sound qualities and comfort for the guitarist.

The newest addition to the Royal Classics catalogue is the Sonata series. These are three sets of Basspaks that have been designed for more comfortable playing, long life and quick tuning. Guitarists have praised this feature which allows them to change their strings in the morning and play the concert in the evening with complete confidence and a beautiful, fresh sound.

The Prudencio Sanz family of Torrent have been making guitars by hand for three generations.

At the Francisco Bros workshops in Gata de Gorgos, Alicante, The purest of craftsmanship has been combined with the latest technological innovations to create a guitar of truly out-standing quality.Francisco Bross guitars use a combination of the most effective and most used woods in the building of their classical and flamenco guitars.

The lowest tones, as well as the highest, are well balanced thanks to a pine or cedar sound board (in all models except B5) and a perfectly sized rosette. The body, of great quality, is even better in our superior models as we use Indian lignum vitae for the back and ribs.

The Guitarists will find the neck and diapason gentle to the touch and comfortable to play. We use a lovely varnish of polyurethane to give the guitar a unified, harmonious sound. The Francisco Bross anagram decorating the headstock, the label inside the body, as well as the distinctive label of the "Guild of Craftsmen of the Spanish master guitar", all certify its origin and guarantee that the guitar has been built in the traditional, Spanish way.

Francisco Esteve is another three generational company. Based at Alboraya and employing 52 traditional craftsmen in the production of guitars, theyhave also introduced the latest technologies in the pursuit of the best sounds.

Juan Hernández Iranzo was born in Turís (Valencia) Spain in the late 1940's. He began learning guitar making in the Francisco Esteve workshop at age15.  Now, along with the assistance of 3 artisans, he offers a limited number of fine guitars under his own label making use of solid spruce or solid cedar soundboards, ebony fingerboards, and solid back and sides.