Classical Guitars: 1905 Hijos de Melchor Moya (1827-1891)

Hijos de Melchor Moya Sanchez in Almeria, Spain

$30,000

655 mm Scale, 50 mm Nut. Domed Fine to Medium grain 4 piece Pine Soundboard and Pine back and sides with Rosewood inserts, Maple Sides. All original French Polish, it never had a single swipe added to it. Ebony Pegs. Rosewood Lute style Bridge. This Guitar weighs 943.4 grams = 32.97 ozs. = 2 lbs. 1 oz. The soundboard is attached with separate kerfing pieces, and the back with a single liner attached to the sides. The sides are 2 13/16" wide. The upper bout is 10 1/8" = 261 mm wide and the lower bout is 13 9/16" = 342 mm wide. The Guitar is refretted with Nickel Silver replacing the brass.

According to my late colleague, Jose Romanillos, this Lute style of bridge was still employed by Antonio de Torres' and his contemporaries José Pernas, Miguel Gutiérrez and Giménez de Soto in the 1850's.

This instrument was fabricated by Juan Moya (1859-) and his brother Andrés Moya (1861-). They and their father, Melchor, were friends and colleagues of Antonio de Torres, who lived about 5 miles away (7 km) (see the map at the end of this listing), during the Segunda Epoca of his career. This fact is mentioned in Domingo Prat's "Diccionario de Guitarristas y Guitarreros", published in 1934. Melchor Moya founded his guitar workshop in 1848, at the age of 18 years old. A video will be provided after the restoration is completed.

This was fabricated by Juan Moya Martinez (1859-) and Andres Moya Martinez (1861-). These are the sons and pupils of Melchor de Moya Sanchez (1827-1891), who founded his workshop in 1848, according to one of his guitar labels.

Four years after their father, Melchor, passed away the Moya Hermanos won a first prize Gold Medal in 1895 at a provincial exposition. This has been stated on their labels since that time, in the earlier periods of their careers there was an image of the medal on the label. We see the images of the medallion awarded them on this label.

According to Domingo Prat on page 380 of his "Diccionario de Guitarristas y Guitarreros", published in 1934: Juan and Andres Moya Martinez became friends with Antonio de Torres when he returned from Sevilla and opened his earthenware and glass shop in Almeria and the Moya Hermanos followed his guitar making school, with the philosophy that he shared. These two families lived about 7 Km apart, if you look at the map below, a 1 hour 45 minute walk, or less by Horse and Carriage.

The Moya Hermanos have been influential and are certainly still an influence in Almeria having taught Miguel Gonzalez Abad (1906-1989) who then taught his son, the well-known luthier, Juan Miguel Gonzalez (1947-).

There is a photo of Almeria from 1908 at the end of the photos.

In 2017, David Collett, at Guitar Salon International, speaking to the Virtuoso Classical and Flamenco guitarist, Pepe Romero, said: "These are even rarer than (Vicente) Arias or Francisco Gonzalez guitars", and Pepe Romero, while holding an 1894 Hijos de Melchor Moya guitar, replied: "These are probably the rarest of the rare."