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Manuel Viudes ex collection: Marcelino Lopez Nieto (1931-2018)

$8,000

576 mm Scale, 48 mm Nut. Medium grain Spruce Soundboard and 3 piece Rosewood back and sides. Original Bone Nut. Original French Polish. 17 Bar Frets. The guitar weighs 838 grams, or 1 lb and 14 ozs.

Today, December 17, 2021, I have added photos showing the restoration of the back and new tentalones (kerfing pieces) added in order to seal the back onto the sides. Notice the extreme thinness of the sides, this indicates how much this guitar will sing when the restoration is finished.

There is a biography of the luthier with a photo of this guitar in the hardcover book: "Guitarreros de Madrid. Artesanos de la prima y el bordón". by Luis F. Leal Pinar, published in 2008, now almost out of print.

This guitar was partially restored by Marcelino Lopez Nieto, who kept it in his collection until he passed away. We had to finish the restoration when it arrived, no frets, loose back, missing kerfing pieces to properly attach the soundboard and back to the sides.

This guitar was built 4 doors away from the Arcangel Fernandez workshop on the same street, but 80 years before the student and assistant of Marcelo Barbero was an active luthier creating incredible instruments.

Throughout history 130 guitar makers worked in Malaga, 89 in Granada, 125 in Barcelona, 52 in Cordoba, 350 in Valencia, 100 in Sevilla, 90 in Cadiz since the beginning of lutherie in Madrid hundreds of years ago, at least 315 guitar makers had shops there, some were blocks away from their competitors some were right next door or just further down the block. In researching the acquisition of the rare Manuel Viudes guitar, I learned that these were his neighbors: Manuel Nieto y Peñalver (1805-1872), worked at calle Santa Isabel, 12, Madrid, but his son Miguel Nieto y Ureña (1846-) in 1879, worked one door away from Manuel Viudes at calle Jesus y Maria 32, Manuel Viudes being at calle Jesus y Maria 30, and Arcangel Fernandez 80 years later 4 doors away.

Manuel Viudes ex collection: Marcelino Lopez Nieto (1931-2018) Manuel Viudes ex collection: Marcelino Lopez Nieto (1931-2018) Manuel Viudes ex collection: Marcelino Lopez Nieto (1931-2018) Manuel Viudes ex collection: Marcelino Lopez Nieto (1931-2018) Manuel Viudes ex collection: Marcelino Lopez Nieto (1931-2018) Manuel Viudes ex collection: Marcelino Lopez Nieto (1931-2018) Manuel Viudes ex collection: Marcelino Lopez Nieto (1931-2018) Manuel Viudes ex collection: Marcelino Lopez Nieto (1931-2018) Manuel Viudes ex collection: Marcelino Lopez Nieto (1931-2018) Manuel Viudes ex collection: Marcelino Lopez Nieto (1931-2018) Manuel Viudes ex collection: Marcelino Lopez Nieto (1931-2018) Manuel Viudes ex collection: Marcelino Lopez Nieto (1931-2018) Manuel Viudes ex collection: Marcelino Lopez Nieto (1931-2018) Manuel Viudes ex collection: Marcelino Lopez Nieto (1931-2018) Manuel Viudes ex collection: Marcelino Lopez Nieto (1931-2018) Manuel Viudes ex collection: Marcelino Lopez Nieto (1931-2018) Manuel Viudes ex collection: Marcelino Lopez Nieto (1931-2018) Manuel Viudes ex collection: Marcelino Lopez Nieto (1931-2018) Manuel Viudes ex collection: Marcelino Lopez Nieto (1931-2018) Manuel Viudes ex collection: Marcelino Lopez Nieto (1931-2018) Manuel Viudes ex collection: Marcelino Lopez Nieto (1931-2018) Manuel Viudes ex collection: Marcelino Lopez Nieto (1931-2018) Manuel Viudes ex collection: Marcelino Lopez Nieto (1931-2018) Manuel Viudes ex collection: Marcelino Lopez Nieto (1931-2018)
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