This Manuel Contreras dates from 1983, the time Manuel
Contreras I was in charge. Cedar topped guitar and Brasilian
rosewood sides and back. A 655 mm scale is provided and
of course an ebony fingerboard.
These kind of coloured rosette was most used on guitars
made by Manuel Contreras around these times. However,
the exact rosette as this one we haven't been able to find yet.
The soundboard has been provided with a traditional 5 fan bracing.
These 2A class guitars seems to posess a bit more the traditional
Madrid (Jose Ramirez) sound and I can confirm that but only
the real beauty of its' sound was detactable after I removed the
rather crudely placed scratchplates (even layer on layer on the
higher string side) and the exchange of the badly modelled
bridgebone. Absolutely handbuilt but not by Manuel Contreras
himself. The guitars that have a hand signed label are the
premium concert guitars but often built by Ignacio Rozas
or Jose Antonio Lagunar, who both later built guitars
under their own name.
A beautiful piece of wood has been used for the back and
sides which makes this instrument a beauty. Strange move
remains the use of Brasilian rosewood sides and back. A
narrow grained top with one well repaired crack beneath
the bridge completes this instrument.
A non signed label which could point towards a guitar
second to their top model (2A) and most likely made
by one of his workmen. The models of lesser quality
all are provided with another label: starting with "Guitareria"
and not "Luthier'. This one is absolutely handbuilt anyway.
We fond a similar model on the Dream Guitars site. That
guitar built in 1984 has been presented as a Concert guitar
and it simply is as the correct headform is there, though
not the feather inlay the 1A models are equipped with.
The inlay work is similar to the Contreras presented here
though my guitar is equipped with a cedar top and the
guitar on the Dream Guitars site has a spruce top.
The immediately remark to be made by seeing this picture
is the presence of the central feather inlay which is said to
be only present on the concert models! An extensive interview
around the guitars of Manuel Contreras in the Orfeo magazine
nr. 3 is confirming this.
The head furthermore looks the same as on the 1A model.
And of course the Fustero tuners and the inlay in the head
that can be found as well on the 1A model. However the
outer ends on top of the heads are normally a bit sharper
on the later Doble Tapa models but the earlier ones do show
more similarities. The outer heelform isn't the same
as on the double tapa models of the mid eighties.
A nice shot of the Fustero tuners that are hand engraved
as was done by this company from Barcelona on their
higher end tuning machines. Take a look at the worm
gear which is riveted on these tuners. This Lyre model
can also be found on the Jose Ramirez case 1A models.
A shot of the back that still is in pristine condition.
The soundboard shows some play wear but nothing
serious. We compared this instrument with the somewhat
later double tapa models and the plantilla (contours)
of the body differs from these models which can mean
two things. As in a small workshop like Manuel Contreras
had the use of only one soundbox model would be most
explainable. What is of relevance is the comparison
between a slightly earlier signed Contreras and this one.
On the sides the use of Brasilian rosewood becomes
even more obvious. Nicely matched as was common.
The use of this Brasilian rosewood for a non signed guitar
is of course remarkable. There are no markings inside this
instrument so the mystery is still there but anyway:
Playability is great and the sound can concur that of
a signed instrument from the Contreras workshop.
Probably Contreras worked the same way as Jose
Ramirez did: If there were any flaws on the 1A meant
guitars they were labelled 2A or not signed. On this
guitar the "flaw" could be the ebony used for the
fingerboard, in fact third quality because of the small
spots that can be detected at various places. It doesn't
affect the sound in any way of course
is of course remarkable. There are no markings inside this
instrument so the mystery is still there but anyway:
Playability is great and the sound can concur that of
a signed instrument from the Contreras workshop.
Probably Contreras worked the same way as Jose
Ramirez did: If there were any flaws on the 1A meant
guitars they were labelled 2A or not signed. On this
guitar the "flaw" could be the ebony used for the
fingerboard, in fact third quality because of the small
spots that can be detected at various places. It doesn't
affect the sound in any way of course
Some nail wear to see on this picture.
On the left in the lower bout a nick that can be restored.
Do not use clear lacquer at once on the bare wood as that
colors much too dark. I use oil paint to match the color
of the soundboard and afterwards level the dent with
super glue that mixes nicely with the surrounding
lacquer. From the left side of the string tie block to
the bottom of the guitar there is a repaired crack and
it was already there when I bought the guitar some
15 years ago (?)
Antonio Dotras Cordoba
I recently obtained this guitar for very little and not
that I'm in need of a guitar I'm allways curious to
learn more about several makers. As Antonio Dotras
Cordoba, based in Barcelona has been mentioned in
the Jose Romanillos dictionary it awakened my
interest in this instrument. It has not been built with
the highest grade of materials nor has it been finished
with the utmost care but its' sound was remarkable
already though there is a lot left to be done.
The headform is almost universal what made me think
it to be a cheaper imported guitar from Valencia. You can
think of Hijos de Vicente Tatay or other Valencian makers
but the plantilla is bigger. In fact the soundbox is longer.
This instrument is equipped with a 3 piece fan bracing.
Probably the soundboard has been kept a bit thicker and
there is where something is left to be done but we
need to do that with care.
As the soundboard will be thinned around the edges
the guitar as a whole will be stripped and entirely
lacquered. The neck profile can be adjusted and the
fingerboard will be stripped from its' paint as well
and provided with nickel silver frets.
The bridge is OK and not even that roughly modelled.
The soundboard shows us a not really quarter sawn
piece of wood. One crack in the upper right end but
that is not a very tricky spot.
As I allways collect parts of old guitar tuners this is
no big deal but probably I will mount some better tuners
on this guitar and reshape the head a bit. As for the label
it says: A. Dotras Cordoba - Calle San Pablo 28 what
makes it easy to place in time as Dotras had his workshop
on the Calle San Pablo 5 from 1920 untill 1957.
In 1957-58 he was at Calle San Pablo 28 and around
the year 1963 Vicente Carillo Cantos and his wife
Gabriela Casas Fornier went to work for Dotras
Cordoba in Calle Ancha, Barcelona
Here the guitar has been entirely stripped but it is
becoming allready clear that not all the damaged spots
can be cured as they are too deep in the wood.
The guitar hasn't bee treated that well maybe because
it was "just" a student guitar so in order to give it back
"some of its' glory" we had to reshape the head and
the two vertical sleeves for the tuners.
The insert for the crack has been made here.
For most guitar players it would be reassuring
but in fact very little could have happened if
we had left it the way it was.
By putting the guitarhead against the wall the earlier
damages occurred but making the head slightly thinner
we can start shaping the head all over again.
And indeed, most of these guitars were lacquered
in a quick way. This time 8 layers of thin Alkyd spray
paint were applied to get this result. The scale of this
guitar is 645 mm. The width of the topnut: 52 mm.
The own frequency of the soundbox lies on an A
which means 110 Hz.
And surely you can comb your hair in the shiny back.
When the lacquer has been hardened out it is always
possible to polish the back to a less shiny appearance.
The rosette is fresh again and I've added an extra 19th
fret that simply is in need for some demanding pieces.
The old original tuners were worn out and had too much
play so to make it playable the addition of new tuners
was the best solution.
No this is not the label in the guitar here above. I've added
it to show that there were 3 different labels when Antonio
Dotras Cordoba was situated in the Calle San Pablo 28 which
is a bit strange as the Romanillos dictionnary states him
to be on this adress only in 1957-58. But three labels in
such a short time is a bit astonishing.
A signed and dated label could be a sign of superior
quality instruments as can be seen here above.
The label presented here above is also present in the
guitar I described allready. But you can see here a
more complex rosette and most likely an ebony
fingerboard which points towards a concert instrument.
Being very enthusiastic about the first A.D.C. I was able to
buy a second one on an auction in England. Some features
appeared to be the same but the quality of the soundboard
on this one is a little bit higher. On the other hand there is
no fan bracing in this instrument. So only a ladderbracing
but a still straight top. As the components were undamaged
I decided to have it a full relacquering job as the beauty
of the back was allready apparent.
The back can be admired here. Also walnut can
have its' qualtities in figuring once nicely matched.
Again a nice guitar but soundwise lesser than the first one.
And with a little bit of pain in my heart I parted from this
guitar though I know it received a good home!
The outer heel is a part of the back certainly has
advantages as the guitar is less able to deform
regarding neck to body construction.
I've levelled the fingerboard a bit and lowered the quite
high standard bridge as a heavy bridge has a negative
influence on the sound. In order to make a better angle
over the bridgebone a string saver has been used for
the first string.
The copper frets have been changed for nickel
silver new ones. And the slight damages on the
fingerboard in the lower positions have been
cured by shaving it towards the head.
In this case I left the headform the way it was.
It was nearly undamaged as can be studied here.
I think these tuners to be somewhat older so the guitar
could have been built at the end of the fifties.
A small crack in the fingerboard left but is has been
stabilized in the meantime. The well known Calle
San Pablo 28 label. From 1957 / 1958 on A.D.C.
was situated there. I was disappointed at first
with the sound result. But having it under tension
while I was on holidays and playing the guitar
after that period of time I was astonished about
the sound result: Much, much better. These in-
struments deserve attention as the Telesforo
Julve guitars allready do in recent times!
Francisco Esteve ELEC model
This particular model has been built by master luthier
Manuel Adalid in collaboration with Francisco Esteve.
It is the top of the line electric cutaway guitars in their
collection. All solid woods and acoustic a really
surprising tone. Spruce top, Indian rosewood sides
and back, a cedar neck that is provided with an ebony
fingerboard. This is a cedar topped guitar and so is
its' sound. Scale on this guitar is 655 mm.
The back of the neck has been reinforced with an ebony
layer. The outer heel on this guitar was still more rounded
as the later examples that also have another bridge.
Not the most expensive Fustero tuners but they work
surprisingly well. On the most expensive Fustero tuners
the base plate has ben hand engraved. You are able to
eetact that as the cutting is simply sharper and moreover
the knobs are riveted on the axes most of the time. The
high end Fustero tuners were mounted on various top
concert guitars to mention Jose Ramirez III the clase
1A guitars and most of the top end Manuel Contreras
guitars. Fustero was famous for their beautiful engra-
vings rather than their supreme tuning qualities.
Clearly visible is the ebony fingerboard and the finely
executed binding. For better playability the neck will
be refretted in the future and before that the fingerboard
will be shaved off a bit towards the head in order to get
a better angle over the bridgebone and a better tone!
The later ELEC models have an ebony bridge which is beautiful
but in fact a bit too heavy. On this guitar, that has been imported
in England by the Juan Teijeiro Music Company, the bridge is
executed out of Brasilian rosewood. Only in small characters
the name of Francisco Esteve has been mentioned on the label
though it clearly says: ELEC and has been dated 1989.
Want to know more around this brand and in general
about the Valencia made guitars, just check this site:
www.guitarrasvalencia.wordpress.com
Francisco Esteve Concert Model
Definately a Francisco Esteve Concert guitar that could
be built by Manuel Adalid but with a rather disturbing
label as this guitar was made for the Spanish Guitar Centre
in Newcastle upon Tyne in Great Britain and thus bears
their label. Superior craftsmanship as can be admired
in the shaping of the rosette but also inner woodwork.
We received a message from the Francisco Esteve company
(with many thanks to Sergio Camargo who did efforts to
ask Mr. Manuel Adalid about this instrument.) With the
treatment of shellac the French polishing method is ment.
I was quite certain but I wanted to verify with Manuel Adalid about this instrument.
“This guitar is how you can see a concert instrument, the best thing that I was doing
in Esteve's workshop at the time. It's a concert guitar because of the constructive
details that you correctly pointed out. These were made for the English house, the
Spanish Guitar Center”. We believe that all of it is finished in shellac, top and body.
It is possible that the overhead is from Palosanto de Río as well. It's a guitar on
which more than one luthier intervened and in which D. Manuel Adalid father
(and the eldest: Manuel Adalid Lazaro ) did part of the work on it. It is artisan
and entirely by hand. Today it would resemble a 60th Anniversary model, the
most elaborate thing we do of concert models but with a soundboard with a
classic traditional system.
and entirely by hand. Today it would resemble a 60th Anniversary model, the
most elaborate thing we do of concert models but with a soundboard with a
classic traditional system.
The recommended retail price of the model new 60th Anniversary is about
6000 euros depending on the place due to taxes and rates of each country.
You have a wonderful instrument and we hope you enjoy it. It seems to be
in good condition.
Take good care of yourself and kind regards
Sergio Camargo (Esteve Guitarras)
The round label looks a lot like the Tatay labels of that
time. Probably no coincidence as Esteve worked for the
Tatay company. Built in 1973 it is their 75th guitar
that year. Most likely numner 75 in this range.
At the bottom right the same rounded label can be seen
that is presented this guitar. As was common these companies
often worked for Music shops and even other makers.
Here, the refinished back is presented. We had contact
with the Esteve company and they claim among others
that these guitars were shellac treated so most likely
with the so called "French polishing" technique. Over
the years the shellac has died out too much and the
back showed some ugly spots (here beyond)
A beautiful back (and sides) this model is provided with.
It could even be Brasilian rosewood but we're not sure yet.
The upper picture has been taken after intensive French
polishing work that was needed to put it back in its'
old glory again. And thereby: It is a keeper. Remarkable
is that the finish gives a kind of "yellowish" appearance
over time. In order to keep things as original as possible
I've kept the sides and front the way they were.
A nice executed Rozette completes this furthermore
flawlessly built instrument. Inner woodwork is simply
of top quality. The golden Spanish Guitar Centre
label is sticked at the bottom. The soundboard is
strengthened with a traditional fan bracing and the
sound is as can be expected from a Valencian maker:
"Woody" and with a kind of springyness and lots
of volume and tone colour.
This head has been covered with a Brasilian rosewood
veneer layer. This has been confirmed by Manuel Adalid.
And information in an E-mail says that both father and son
Adalid worked on this guitar which is special of course.
Both front and back have been French polished
again as there were several damages to cure.
Want to know more around this brand and in general
about the Valencia made guitars, just check this site:
www.guitarrasvalencia.wordpress.com
Another "Francisco" labelled guitar
Even a more beautiful Manuel Adalid product we
were able to buy. This example is in near mint condition
and dates from 1971 as the label states.
A stunning back as well but a bit a too thick a neck to
be honest. I shaved this neck to make it more comfortably
playable. Lacquer work on this one is in a near mint
condition. The soundbox frequency lies on a G (98 Herz.)
