Modesto Borreguero 1958 classical guitar - a true masterpiece by one of the greatest luthiers of the last century, a guitar that is undoubtedly one of the holy grails of classical guitars.
Modesto Borreguero was born in 1893 and began his career as a guitar maker at the age of just 12 as an apprentice in the legendary workshop of Manuel Ramírez in Calle Arlaban. There he worked with renowned masters such as Santos Hernández and Domingo Esteso.
After the death of Manuel Ramírez in 1916, Borreguero initially planned to open his own workshop and even had labels printed. However, at the request of Ramírez's widow, he remained in the workshop and continued its tradition together with Hernández and Esteso. While Hernández and Esteso eventually founded their own workshops, Borreguero continued to work there until the workshop was finally closed in 1923.
Determined to continue his craft, he continued to indicate in his labels that he was Antiguo oficial de M. Ramírez (former official employee of Manuel Ramírez). In 1924, he married and opened his own workshop at Duque de Fernán Núñez No. 5, but the difficult economic times made the business difficult. During the Spanish Civil War, he lost his workshop and his wife died, leaving him with two children. Despite these setbacks, he continued on his path and moved locations several times until he settled at Zurita 27 in 1945 and worked there until 1948, becoming increasingly recognized as a master of his trade.
In 1948, he rented space in the workshop of Hernández and Aguado, who were still furniture restorers at the time, at Ribera de Curtidores No. 9. When they saw Borreguero making guitars, they were inspired and eventually started making guitars themselves. In 1952, Borreguero moved to Desengaño No. 4 and began to make his instruments exclusively for the renowned music store Casa Garrido. There he also took over the training of Vicente Pérez Camacho, who later became a respected guitar maker himself. He also taught the young Félix Manzanero, paving the way for him to join the prestigious workshop of José Ramírez III.
This exceptional Borreguero guitar from 1958 is an impressive example of his masterful craftsmanship. It has a spruce top and rosewood back and sides, which creates a tonal depth and warmth. The scale length is 645 mm, while the nut width measures 51 mm, allowing for a comfortable and extremely sensitive playing feel.
The sound of this guitar is breathtaking and has all the characteristics of a top-class concert guitar. It develops a powerful, carrying voice whose voluminous sound unfolds beautifully across the top, back and sides. The basses are full and rich, while the trebles shine with crystal-clear brilliance and create a perfect balance between warmth and assertiveness. In terms of sound, this instrument belongs to the absolute top class and can compete with the legendary guitars of Santos Hernández, Manuel Ramírez and Domingo Esteso - a guitar in a class of its own.
The guitar has been carefully restored and the French polish has been refreshed to preserve both its visual beauty and tonal integrity.
Thanks to its straight neck and low action, it is perfectly adjusted and offers outstanding playability. It is supplied with a non-original hard case.
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