Classical Guitars: 1904 Manuel Dominguez (1873-1929) 9 String

For the Francisco Nuñez and Company, Buenos Aires (1870-)

$6,000

Fine to Medium grain Spruce Soundboard and Maple back and sides Deluxe German Tuners. 9 Fan Braces, Cedar single liners attaching the top and back to the sides. Cedar strips vertically placed on the sides. The guitar weighs 1,591 grams = 55.44 ozs. = 3 lbs. 7.5 ozs.

There is a Francisco Nuñez and Co. label over the original, which is likely a Manuel Dominguez label, the headstock being the same. There is a two page biography and photos of one of his guitars in my book, on pages 2,147-2,148. and references on 8 other pages as well.

This is from Domingo Prat's Diccionario de Guitarristas y Guitarreros published in 1934. "A notable guitar builder, Spanish. He was born in the year 1873 in the parish of San Martín de Moreira, municipality of Puenteáreas, province of Pontevedra. Son of a distinguished family, since he was a child he was inclined to worship Catholic, in order for him to follow the ecclesiastical career, which he already had a brother and relatives with the highest positions. unforeseen circumstances They made the boy Manuel move to Argentina with his elders, in the year 1887. He enters the wood industry, distinguishes himself in joinery and in guitars later, one of his teachers being the former builder López y the famous Nuñez; all of them from the enchanted region of Galicia. read, if instructs, and his ability retains a vast culture. Dominguez's talks were entertaining, deep and instructive. as a guitar player he achieved a just renown; he never "dressed" his guitars: he always he presented with the humility of habit and pilgrim simplicity. the guitarist Gimenez Manjon was a fervent admirer of this bohemian builder and also among others, writes (Domingo Prat). A life of constant imbalance prevented the notable guitar builder Manuel Dominguez Cambra, from It will stand out like a glory among the best luthiers. He died in Buenos Aires on December 23, 1929."

I have included a photo of Emilio Bo, from 1918, who played an 11 string guitar made by Manuel Dominguez, it is from page 1,675 of my book. Emilio Bo was a student of Antonio Jimenez Manjon (1866-1919), Emilio Bo's son, Cesar, taught Juan Falu. My colleague, Rico Stover, remarked upon hearing recordings on Youtube of Cesar Bo: "I had no idea of how great a player he was, it's obvious why Eduardo Falu, had his son study with him."

Francisco Nuñez (1841-1919) was a student of Salvador Ramirez of Malaga, who came to Buenos Aires in 1858. Domingo Prat, said in his "Diccionario de Guitarristas y Guitarreros" published in 1934, that some of his guitars were as good and sonorous as the guitars of Antonio de Torres. There are 25 pages on the history of Francisco Nuñez and his company in my book: "ANNOTATIONS FOR THE HISTORY OF THE CLASSICAL GUITAR IN ARGENTINA" 1822-2000, with all the known advertisements from 1899-1960 and even later history, including photos of the 1907 fire that it endured, and a full page photo of the workshop in 1927 with all the employees and also an 11 string guitar, a remnant of the Antonio Jimenez Manjón (1866-1919) influence upon the Buenos Aires guitaristic culture.

10 years ago we had a 1895 Francisco Nuñez 11 string guitar in stock, it had belonged to Carlos Garcia Tolsa (1858-1905), the favorite student of Julian Arcas (1832-1882). See the video of that guitar in this listing.

This comes with original wooden case.

This advertisement below is from page 2,121 from my book: "ANNOTATIONS FOR THE HISTORY OF THE CLASSICAL GUITAR IN ARGENTINA" 1822-2000, 4 VOLS.: go to the bottom of the home page to get to the link to make a purchase of this 2,630 page book, that weighs 21 lbs.

This advertisement for Francisco Nuñez & Co. is from the “Caras y Caretas” magazine of September 12, 1903 issue No. 258 Año V. The translation of the text is: “Why do the guitars of Nuñez enjoy such a high reputation? Because the construction of its minute details and adjustments are to the strictest rules of harmony and acoustics. Why is our brand of strings unsurpassable in their sonority and longevity? Because we follow the maestro’s indications with exactness and we demand the makers that supply us, to calibrate them without any variation. Why is the supply of music that our house possesses, for string instruments, the most select and largest that exists in the country? Because being concentrated in all of the artistic movement of these instrument, the concert artists, the professors and the dillettantes know that in our house they find all the published music in the world brought together. Francisco Nuñez and Company Guitar, Mandolin and Bandurria workshop Founded in 1870 1620, Calle Cuyo, 1628 Buenos Aires We take orders at our annex at 466 Victoria”