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The heelblock seems to be cut off to straight, no stamp on the heelblock? Are ther stamps at the inside of the guitar, under the soundboard? A carved stamp at the back of the headstock? Probably late 90Ties as far as I can see from the little amount of pictures. Than it is probbably not finished by Gerundino himself i think
1990 is supposed still from him, maybe with some help, but perfect guitar. I had one from 1990, and one from 1967 played a lot from the 70ties too. The 1990 are a bit bigger sounding with more sustain, I liked my 1990 the most.
It's not made by Gerundino himself if this is the question. It can be good sounding (it often is) but hardly the same as a guitar made by the man himself. The bracing and the plantilla are the same as Gerundino's late guitars and so different from the company produced guitars from '98 on. In my opinion this guitar has been made entirely (or for the most part) by a luthier based in Almeria.
Just my 2 cents: I still own an '86 Gerundino and I used to own a late one like this and a 98 one: obviously I can't know how good is actually your guitar, and I base my opinion just on the guitars I have experience of etc.
Exact match of the coloring, front, back, sides and back of the neck with a small faint stamp back of the headstock. Also the repairs match. Only discrepancy is the listed nut width.
I know this doesn't prove it was made by G.F. but it will do for now.
Does it really matter to you? For what purpose? Yours is a “late Gerundino”, but not as late as those completely outsourced to a shop. It’s a luthier made guitar but in the 90 Gerundino wasn’t productive so it’s probably partly or totally outsourced, the neck is pre-carved, the rosettes are made somewhere else etc. The problem in this grey area is consistency: If the guitars sounds good, that’s it. If the 2 transverse bars are made of cedar, and you have a large burn stamp in the inner foot, the guitar is more likely built by the man himself. To me your guitar looks more like a Cruz-Berga or a Rodriguez Orozco or a Gonzales.
It’s a luthier made guitar but in the 90 Gerundino wasn’t productive so it’s probably partly or totally outsourced, the neck is pre-carved, the rosettes are made somewhere else etc.
In 1995 he made 4 guitars, 1996 3 guitars y se jubiló. 1997 fué operado de cáculos y fractura de femur. Any guitar later than 1996 was not made by Gerundino.
His son makes guitars and claims that he spent much time in the taller and so learned by watching. This claim should be taken with a pinch of salt.
Somehow the name Gonzalez always turns up but we should remember that the family Gonzalez make great guitars and were friends of Gerundino from the beginning. In those days, Almería was a pueblo and lleno de luthiers, following Torres.
The pictures of Gerundino in the little book about him say more than many words. Also it’s to be said that the luthiers of Almeria (Torres aside) are in debt with Eladio Fernandez . The dad of Miguel Gonzales used to work for Gerundino and Eladio as the other luthiers I mentioned but Gerundino was clearly ahead at he time. Miguel hijo didn’t do too much in the eighties: Eladio involved these luthiers more and more when Gerundino couldn’t be consistent. Gerundino’s son has stolen with his eyes the job but then he took a different path; later he was helped by Cruzberga to catch up. I am not enough familiar with the guitars he makes.
In 1995 he made 4 guitars, 1996 3 guitars y se jubiló. 1997 fué operado de cáculos y fractura de femur. Any guitar later than 1996 was not made by Gerundino.
His son makes guitars and claims that he spent much time in the taller and so learned by watching. This claim should be taken with a pinch of salt.
There you go with the salty fingers again. Always with the salt 🧂