Manuel Rodriguez is an extraordinary guitar maker - his life story is as interesting as his guitars, which are built to the highest standards. Many famous musicians and even Holywood icons have ordered guitars from him.
Manuel Rodríguez Sr (1926-2008) learned his craft from his father, who built flamenco and concert guitars himself. He began working for Jose Ramirez in 1939. In 1945, he began building his own guitars at home as a sideline.
In 1955, he finally opened his own workshop in Madrid.
In 1959, there was a big change in his career and he decided to move to Los Angeles, California, where he opened a workshop at 10400 Willshire Blvd. In Los Angeles, he worked with engineers at UCLA to improve the design of bracing, frets, tie-blocks, etc.
During his time in Hollywood, he built guitars for professionals, Hollywood actors, teachers and students. He became famous and his guitars gained an international reputation.
In 1973, he moved back to Madrid and opened a store in Calle Hortaliza.
In 1991, he opened a factory in Almansa, Albacete, to produce a complete line of Manuel Rodriguez guitars. In 1994, the factory moved to Illescas, Toledo.
In addition to all this, he continued to produce handmade guitars of the highest quality until 2008. His handmade high-end guitars, such as the one offered here, had a recommended retail price of $35999.
In many stores they have been sold for more than 20000 USD in recent years.
In addition to all this, Manuel Rodriguez is also the author of several books in which he describes his experiences in guitar making.
This guitar was handmade to 100% in Madrid, Spain, by the master himself, Manuel Rodriguez Sr. The top is made of solid alpine spruce, while the back and sides are made of the most visually stunning rosewood.
The rosewood was hand-selected from Manuel's private stock and has a history as rich as its look and sound. The wood was felled in 1936 after the Spanish Revolution and has been naturally dried ever since.
Manuel Rodriguez Sr. only built two of these remarkable instruments per year, and due to the rarity and unique character of the wood, no two can or will ever look the same. This guitar represents both Mother Nature and craftsmanship at its finest.
The scale length is 650 mm and the nut width 51 mm.
This guitar has a powerful and appealing sound, with brilliant highs and deep, round basses. The tones are rich in overtones, the timbre is deep and of great beauty.
This guitar is probably one of the most powerful of the Madrid instruments, but it also has a very elegant, lyrical voice with a very rich and dense tone quality in all registers. At the same time, it is very clear and balanced - very impressive, with an enormous bite in the attack of every note. A very lovable instrument.
This guitar is in good condition for its age. It plays beautifully with a low action and a straight neck.
It has been well cared for and shows only slight signs of wear and tear, with a very small repair on the left side.
The guitar comes with the original case.
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