Francisco Simplicio / Manuel Ordonez – 2019

This beautiful guitar has the peculiarity of having an original top built by Francisco Simplicio (1874-1932). It is therefore an instrument of historical importance. In fact, the top was built by Francisco Simplicio according to a patent applied for by the guitarist and professor Antonio Sinopoli (1878-1964). It has an asymmetrical, eight-fan bracing, with the braces shaped and hollowed out like bridges, which makes the structure much lighter. Moreover, the history of the soundboard is quite interesting: it went from Francisco Simplicio to his student Enrique Coll (1894-1978) and then entered the collection of Marcelino Lopez Nieto (1931-2018). In 2019 this unique top was used for a guitar by the luthier Manuel Ordonez from Granada. It is therefore a guitar of great historical value and an absolutely enchanting concert instrument.

This guitar, whose rosette has a special shape and is placed quite high on the soundboard, is not only specially designed but also has a unique sound quality. In fact, the sound is between that of the Barcelona guitars of the early 20th century and the more modern classical guitar as we know it today. The playability is fantastic, especially for the right hand. The treble voices sing with a very round sound that blends perfectly with the deep and surrounding basses. The unmistakable elegance of Francisco Simplicio’s guitars and their charm can be found in this special instrument.

Luthier: Francisco Simplicio / Manuel Ordonez Construction year: 2019 Top: Spruce Back and sides: Amazonas rosewood Scale: 656 mm Nut: 51 mm Weight: 1644 grams Air resonance frequency: A