Alhambra also offers high-end signature guitars, entirely handmade

PROFESSIONAL MODELS 2013
MADE
IN
SPAIN
A new concept of
sound and playability
José Mª Vilaplana
Son of José María Vilaplana Vilaplana, equally luthier, and one of the
founders of Manufacturas Alhambra, has an extensive experience in building
guitars since he started in this exciting profession of Luthier at the early age of
16.
After gaining experience in various tasks within the company, at the age 28,
coinciding with the move to the new facilities, a new workshop was built to
reach two different objectives: first building their own guitars which were
marketed under the José María Vilaplana name and secondly, the development of
new models, testing, prototypes and special orders, such as guitars of 8 and 10
strings.
Within the range of experiments, some of them are already part of the Alhambra
Guitars museum and we have to mention, in a special way, guitars with lower
hole, double hole, double top and double internal side. Equally, there are many
bracing designs with different sizes and arrangements.
José Mª Vilaplana
His first instruments were built with 656 mm. scale and it was
quite normal to get orders to build guitars with 660 mm. scale.
Over time, although he still allowed orders with 660 mm. scale,
the scale was standardized and now it is 650 mm.
As an expert, he knows how important is the influence of the finish on the sound
and he has always treated carefully the finish on his guitars, using a mixed finish in
which the early stages were done with a brush, by hand, in order to cover the wood
pores and achieve uniform surface on which to apply. In a second phase, another
finish is applied by a varnish gun. In that way, all parts of his guitars are varnished
while the top which is still varnished with the traditional Shellac.
His good taste to make everything perfect together
with an exquisite finish of his guitars makes
possible to please the most demanding professional
guitarists.
His knowledge has been passed on to the
current Luthiers generation.
MAIN FEATURES
-
Bracing design inspired in Torres System.
-
Special design of the kerfed lining.
-
Top selected by José Mª Vilaplana based on the tone. Available
in Red Canadian Cedar (Thuja Plicata).
-
French Polish on top. (In the future, available under request full
guitar).
-
Machine head Rubner.
-
Back and sides: Indian Rosewood (Dalbergia Latifolia).
-
Spanish Cedar neck (Cedrela Odorata).
-
Ebony fingerboard (Diospyros Crassiflora).
-
100 % wood.
José Miguel Moreno
José Miguel Moreno (Spain) began his musical studies with his
father. He developed his career as a self-taught person, specializing
in historical performance with original instruments of that time or
reliable copies.
He is unanimously considered in this field as one of the largest global
benchmarks nowadays. He has performed at festivals and music centers
in Europe, Australia, Asia and America and his numerous recordings
have received the most important awards provided by the critic and
specialized magazines.
Apart of this successful career as a guitar performer he has been
making his own instruments, especially traditional folkloric
instruments like Vihuela and lute. This knowledge and spirit
brought him to develop new inventions in order to look for the
perfect sound.
His studies of sound engineer allow him to judge the improvements
he was introducing in the different instruments he was making. The
join with Alhambra is giving him the possibility to make such
developments much faster, with more consistency and world wide
diffusion.
MAIN FEATURES
- Top selected by José Miguel Moreno based on the tone (wood sound
projection). Available in Red Canadian Cedar (Thuja Plicata).
- Lattice bracing adjusted by José Miguel Moreno to optimize power
harmonic throughout the frequency range.
- French Polish on top. (In the future, available under request full guitar).
- Machine head Exagon.
-Back and sides: Indian Rosewood (Dalbergia Latifolia).
-Spanish Cedar neck (Cedrela Odorata).
-Ebony fingerboard (Diospyros Crassiflora).
-100 % wood.
Mengual & Margarit
Javier Mengual joined Alhambra Company in August 1972 when he was 16 years
old.
As soon as he started working, he felt curious about many of the different works
done in the guitar manufacturing process, so he got a higher degree in the different
areas of the company: Sawmill (where every single piece is crafted), varnishing,
sanding and polishing process are familiar to him.
In 1988 Jose María Vilaplana was looking for someone else to work into his
personal workshop. There, he learnt from Jose Maria Vilaplana and he started to
wholly make the guitars at the Luthier level.
Since then, almost 25 years has passed and all of them have been getting
experience and knowledge from hundreds of professional guitarists.
Mengual & Margarit
José Margarit joined Alhambra in 1970. He was working in the last steps of the guitar manufacturing process until
the year 1995 where he joined the Jose Maria Vilaplana workshop, to help Javier Mengual during the illness Mr.
Vilaplana had. He was selected within more than 90 workers for his fine work and he immediately got completely
adapted to his new role into the company.
In May 2004, Javier Mengual and José Margarit started signing their own Alhambra Luthier guitars as “Mengual
& Margarit”.
Now, they joined the new challenge of renewing the
professional models of Alhambra with the guidance of Mr.
Vilaplana and the advice of Mr. Moreno.
He is in charge to teach the new Luthier generation in
Alhambra.
As a result of such project, they have introduced their own
character and knowledge in the New Luthier “C” model.
MAIN FEATURES
- Lattice bracing design.
- Model developed based on the evolution of the José
Miguel Moreno model.
- Top available in Red Canadian Cedar (Thuja Plicata) or
German Spruce (Picea Abies).
- French Polish on top. (In the future, available under
request full guitar).
- Machine head Rubner.
- Back and sides: Indian Rosewood (Dalbergia Latifolia).
- Spanish Cedar neck (Cedrela Odorata).