Classical Guitars: 1932 Enrique Sanfeliu (1882-) SOLD

Enrique Sanfeliu SOLD

$12,000

650 mm Scale, 52 mm Nut. Fine to Medium grain Spruce Soundboard and Rosewood back and sides. Separate kerfing pieces attaching the Soundboard and the back to the sides. 8 fan braces. Two bottom chevrons. Original Deluxe Engraved gears. Original French Polish. Original Bone Nut and Saddle. No cracks in the back and sides. Recently refretted.

The guitar weighs 1,368.8 grams= 48.89 ounces, just over 3 lbs. It's very resonant (This resonance is evident by massive fret wear by the two owners, the 1st owner died 70 years ago, and his grandson recently passed away, making the guitar available. Just talking into the sound hole makes the whole instrument vibrate.) and it has a straight neck. The varnish is all original, it has never been touched up.

Today September 26, 2023 I learned that Enrique Sanfeliu's son Enrique Sanfeliu Pelayo was born in 1909 and died on August 8, 1997 at the age of 88, he had continued the legacy of his father, making guitars into the 1960's. In 2005 I had sold the 1st one, made in 1962, to come into my shop to a player in Japan, the last one in 2021 in my present location. If you look on the internet you may find some stores that have sold more of Enrique Sanfeliu Jr. guitars than those by his father.

More than likely Sanfeliu Jr. began working with his father from 1922 onward, being 13 years of age.

Two catalog images at the bottom of the photo display are from pages 2060 and 2062 of my book: ANNOTATIONS FOR THE HISTORY OF THE CLASSICAL GUITAR IN ARGENTINA 1822-2000, 4 VOLS. AUTHORS: RANDY OSBORNE, HÉCTOR GARCÍA MARTÍNEZ | INDEX BY JAN J. DE KLOE. This is purchasable on the bottom of the homepage of my website.

Enrique Sanfeliu was 50 years of age when he fabricated this guitar.

In 1930 Agustin Barrios played the ornate 1,000 Peso ($1,000) model Sanfeliu guitar, shown on the right of page 2062 from the 1928 Casa America music store catalog.

This guitar cost $650. new, in 1928. At the same time a Chevrolet pickup truck was $450. Due to the fluctuation of the Argentine Peso, in 1932, it cost $462US= C. F. Martin D-45 steel string guitar.

According to Domingo Prat's Diccionario de Guitarristas y Guitarreros (1934): Enrique Sanfeliu was born in Valencia on November 24, 1882. Already as a child he showed a talent for woodwork and was engaged in the construction of small guitars, which he finally gave to other children. After hearing Francisco Tárrega playing at a concert in the Sala de Ateneo Mercantil in Valencia, he decided to dedicate his life to the guitar. Not only as a player, but also as a guitar maker.

He began studying with Manuel Loscos, a student of Tárrega, and his studies awakened in him the desire to build his own guitars professionally. He therefore moved to Barcelona to realize his dream. There he joined the Estruch Hermanos (a famous dynasty of guitar makers) and at the same time began to visit the workshop of the famous Enrique Garcia (a 15 minute walk 3.2 KM: see the map below) to learn from him and his work. Garcia for his part shared his experience with the generosity of a great spirit by advising and teaching the eager Sanfeliu. At the end of Prat's biography he says Sanfeliu is in the vanguard of the most distinguished guitar makers, alongside Altimira, Panormo, Antonio de Torres and the great Enrique Garcia.

Domingo Prat owned the last guitar made by his long time friend Enrique Garcia, Domingo took one of Enrique's guitar with him when he went to Buenos Aires in 1908 and assisted the sales of his instruments and contracts with the Romero y Agromayor music store, this business became known as Romero y Fernandez about 1919.