Marcelo Barbero hijo　［マルセロ・バルベロ・イーホ］ Aura Original Model

Product Description

Neck:Cedro
Fingerboard:Ebony
Finish(Top):Shellac
Finish(Back & Sides):Shellac
Tuning Machines:FUSTERO
String Height(1st):3.0mm
String Height(6th):4.0mm

[Luthier]

Marcelo Barbero Hijo was born in Madrid in 1943. His father, Marcelo Barbero I (1904–1956), was one of the great Spanish luthiers of the 20th century. After his father's death when he was just 13, Barbero Hijo became an apprentice in the workshop of Arcángel Fernández (1931–), who had established his own workshop in 1957. Fernández first sent him to train at the workshop of José Ramírez III, where he learned the fundamentals of guitar making. By the age of 17, he had already built his first guitar.

Returning to Fernández's workshop, Barbero Hijo devoted himself to his craft with exceptional dedication and a spirit of constant inquiry. Guitars bearing the label Para Casa Arcangel Fernandez were, in fact, entirely handmade by Barbero Hijo himself. Despite being sold under his mentor's workshop name, these instruments rivaled Fernández's own work in quality and have become highly prized among knowledgeable guitar enthusiasts.

From the late 1990s, he also began producing guitars under his own label. His work continued to mature in refinement and quality until his untimely death in January 2005. His sound, characterized by a firm, slightly dry tonal quality with remarkable sustain, reflects the finest traditions of Spanish guitar making passed down from his father and mentor. His later instruments, in particular, have earned lasting recognition as outstanding examples of the Madrid school.

[Instrument]

This is a used 1996 Marcelo Barbero Hijo classical guitar, No. 24, bearing his original label. It represents a significant stage in the career of this true heir to the Madrid tradition, who had long produced exceptional instruments under the Arcángel Fernández workshop label, credited simply as Par Marcelo Barbero Hijo.

The headstock design follows the lineage established by his father, Marcelo Barbero I, and continued by Arcángel Fernández. The bracing system also reflects this tradition, originating with Barbero I, with roots extending back to Santos Hernández, and further refined by Fernández. The soundboard features two harmonic bars, one above and one below the soundhole, along with a circular reinforcement surrounding the rosette. Six fan braces occupy the lower bout, supported by two closing bars, a small reinforcement patch beneath the central brace, and a broad bridge plate. The resonance is tuned to G-sharp.

Barbero Hijo's guitars share with those of Fernández a dense, richly sustained sound, a spacious resonance, excellent tonal cohesion, and expressive restraint. While Fernández pursued these qualities with almost uncompromising rigor, Barbero Hijo's instruments offer a more gentle and intimate character without becoming overly sweet.

This particular guitar is especially appealing for its surprisingly direct response and natural, woody resonance, reminiscent of the earlier Spanish tradition of Santos Hernández. Its sound is bright yet balanced, with clearly defined notes, a solid tonal center, and a wealth of musical expression.

The instrument has been fully refinished in shellac. The soundboard originally showed numerous scratches and signs of wear around the fingerboard, soundhole, and arm-contact area, while the back of the neck also exhibited wear. Some traces of the previous condition remain visible as subtle differences in color, but the guitar is now in very clean condition. There is no history of crack repairs. The neck and frets remain in good condition, and the neck has a medium-thickness, flat-backed D-shaped profile.

String height at the 12th fret is 2.9 mm on the first string and 3.8 mm on the sixth, with approximately 1.5–2.0 mm of saddle adjustment remaining. The guitar is fitted with tuners by Fustero, the long-established Spanish maker, which are functioning properly. Body weight: 1.54 kg.