Antonio Marin Montero　[アントニオ・マリン・モンテロ] Modelo B

Product Description

Neck:Cedro
Fingerboard:Ebony
Finish(Top):Shellac
Finish(Back & Sides):Shellac
Tuning Machines:FUSTERO
String Height(1st):3.2mm
String Height(6th):4.0mm

［Profile］
Antonio Marin Montero was born in Granada, Spain, in 1933. As a central figure in Granada’s guitar-making tradition, he has taught and influenced many younger makers both in Spain and abroad, and is regarded as one of the leading masters of contemporary Spanish guitar making.

He began his career as a furniture maker and, in 1959, entered the workshop of Granada luthier Eduardo Ferrer to study guitar making. In 1961, together with Manuel Bellido, who had also trained in Ferrer’s workshop, he established a joint workshop and began his career as a professional guitar maker. He later became independent and steadily established his reputation.

In 1977, through an introduction by a Japanese inventor, Marin met the French master luthier Robert Bouchet (1898–1986). Bouchet recognized Marin’s talent and subsequently gave him advice on guitar making, visiting Granada and also inviting Marin to France.

Marin had originally made guitars with a strong Andalusian character, but his encounter with Bouchet led him to pursue a broader artistic approach to the instrument. His Boucher model, developed through this influence, came to be highly regarded for both its acoustical qualities and workmanship and became one of the representative models of the Granada tradition.

In 1979, Marin moved his workshop to its present location at the foot of the Cuesta de Gomérez, leading down from the Alhambra toward the city center. His nephew José Marín Plazuelo later joined the workshop, followed in 1989 by José González López, the brother-in-law of José Marín, and in 2009 by his grandson José Antonio Coria Marín, who is currently inactive. Marin retired from guitar making in 2025, and the workshop is now operated by José Marín and José González López.

Many young makers from around the world have come to Granada to learn from Marin and his techniques. Since 2017, the Granada Guitar Festival has also hosted an international guitar-making competition bearing his name.

［Instrument Information］
This instrument is an Antonio Marin Montero Boucher Model, made in 1988, No.370, Used.

Although no model designation is written inside the instrument, its head shape and other characteristics suggest that it can be positioned as a model that would later be known as the Modelo E.

This model reinterprets elements of Robert Bouchet’s guitar making through Marin’s own approach. The combination of Spanish and French characteristics became one of the important features of the model, which developed into a flagship design of the Marin workshop and also contributed to the image of the modern Granada school.

While Robert Bouchet’s guitars are characterized by exceptional density, gravity, and a distinctive dark tone, Antonio Marin’s Boucher models are generally associated with the bright, clear, projecting character commonly identified with Granada guitars. No.370, however, has a notably concentrated character, emphasizing density and restrained power rather than openness.

The attack is strong and dense, with a firm, gripping quality and considerable weight. At the same time, the movement generated within the sound produces a powerful sense of drive. Rather than projecting primarily upward, the instrument produces a concentrated tonal image that responds immediately to the player’s touch.

The instrument also responds sensitively to subtle changes in tone color. This sensitivity is apparent not only in the right hand but also in the touch of the left hand when stopping the strings, creating a strong sense that the player is shaping the sound directly with every finger. The instrument combines this responsiveness with the particular strength characteristic of Marin’s guitars.

The soundboard bracing follows Bouchet’s characteristic design. Above the soundhole, on the neck side, there is one harmonic bar and one short reinforcing brace shaped like a gable. Below the soundhole is another harmonic bar, and a thin reinforcing plate is applied concentrically around the soundhole.

The lower soundboard area has five symmetrical fan braces extending through a transverse bar positioned approximately in line with the bridge, more precisely with the saddle, and continuing toward the bottom of the instrument.

The harmonic bar below the soundhole has two openings, one on the treble side and one on the bass side, each approximately 5 cm long and 3 mm high. The two outermost fan braces pass through these openings and extend toward the soundhole.

The transverse bar, one of the most characteristic features of Bouchet’s construction, is approximately 8 mm wide. Its height is about 10 mm on the bass side and gradually increases toward the treble side, reaching approximately 15 mm at its highest point. The ends of the bar do not contact the sides of the guitar; instead, they curve sharply downward to a height of zero before reaching the sides. At the intersections with the fan braces, the bar is tightly fitted around the braces without gaps.

The body resonance is set slightly above G♯.

Considering that nearly forty years have passed since its construction, the guitar remains in very good cosmetic condition. The entire instrument retains its original shellac finish, with no history of refinishing. There are no major repairs such as cracks or structural modifications.

There are a few small surface scratches around the treble side of the soundhole and below the bridge, but they do not significantly affect the appearance. The back and sides remain very clean with almost no noticeable scratches. The back of the neck shows some light fingernail marks from playing, but these are minor and unobtrusive.

The neck has a very slight forward bow, which can be considered within a standard setup. The frets are in good condition. The neck has a medium-thickness, relatively flat D-shaped profile.

String height at the 12th fret is approximately 3.2 mm on the 1st string and 4.0 mm on the 6th string, with approximately 2.5–3.0 mm of saddle remaining.

The guitar is fitted with Fustero tuning machines, which are currently functioning properly.

Body Weight: 1.57 kg