Paulino Bernabe　[パウリーノ・ベルナベ] classical　guitar

Product Description

Neck:Cedro
Fingerboard:Ebony
Finish(Top):Polyurethan
Finish(Back & Sides):Polyurethan
Tuning Machines:Vangent
String Height(1st):3.2mm
String Height(6th):4.1mm

[Profile]
Paulino Bernabe I (1932–2007) was a Madrid-based Spanish guitar maker and an accomplished guitarist himself. He studied guitar with Daniel Fortea, a distinguished pupil of Francisco Tárrega.

Bernabe became one of the key figures of the golden age of the Ramirez workshop, serving as master foreman under José Ramirez III from the 1950s through the 1960s. After establishing his own workshop in 1969, he continued to follow the Spanish tradition while developing his own distinctive construction methods and sound concept.

In 1974, he was awarded a Gold Medal at the International Crafts Fair in Munich, marking an important milestone in his independent career. He is also remembered for creating the famous ten-string guitar played by Narciso Yepes.

His son, Paulino Bernabe II (1960–), joined his father as an apprentice at the age of 17 and spent more than 20 years learning and working alongside him. Following Bernabe I’s death in 2007, he took over the family workshop and continues to develop the brand today, combining his father’s philosophy with improved playability and a wider range of instruments suited to modern players.

Paulino Bernabe remains one of the most highly regarded guitar brands representing the Madrid tradition.


［Instrument Information］
Paulino Bernabe I Classical Guitar, 1975 — Used

This 1975 guitar was made just one year after Bernabe received the Gold Medal at the 1974 International Crafts Fair in Munich, shortly after establishing his independent career. It is therefore an especially interesting example of his early work.

Bernabe was one of the most innovative makers to emerge from the Madrid school. His approach is particularly evident in the unusual internal bracing of this instrument. Instead of the traditional Spanish fan bracing, four bars form a distinctive diamond-shaped structure around the bridge, with another bar crossing the center. This concept, remarkably simple yet unconventional, became an important feature of Bernabe’s subsequent instruments.

The design can be seen as a bold reinterpretation of earlier 19th-century guitar construction, in which bars rather than conventional fan braces played a central structural role. Bernabe adapted this idea to create a powerful yet highly balanced modern instrument.

The sound is powerful and well balanced from bass to treble, with a natural emphasis in the upper register. Compared with the drier and more austere character often associated with some of his later guitars, this early example has a warmer, richer and more intimate voice. The firm but rounded tone has a distinctive percussive attack, excellent clarity and sharp response. Notes emerge with strong density and definition, giving melodies a beautifully articulated quality. It is an impressive demonstration of the potential of Bernabe’s early work.

The top has previously been refinished in polyurethane, with minor scratches and dents touched up at that time, and is currently in clean condition. Other areas show only minor playing marks and finish wear. There are no major body cracks or related repairs, although a crack at the neck heel has been repaired. It currently presents no functional problems.

The neck has a slim, flat D-shape with a compact grip. It has a slight forward bow but remains within a normal range, and the frets are in good condition. String height is 3.2 / 4.1 mm (1st / 6th string, 12th fret), with approximately 0.5 mm of saddle adjustment remaining. Original Vangent tuning machines, made in the Netherlands, are fitted and function well.