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i'm new to the forum, been lurking for a bit- find alot of good stuff here.
wanted to drop in and say i have 2 of Salvador's guitars (blanca and a negra) and they are incredible.
I play flamenco professionally here in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and have gone to Paracho many times to check out guitars. The best flamencos in my opinion are made by Salvador Castillo. Having played some of the best (Conde,Reyes,Gerundino,Ramirez,Green...) i feel his guitars are right up there, and more within my budget!
I too have owned Ramirez, Bellido, and Manuel de la Chica's top model (Chica's student models were noticeably less impressive). I think Salvador's guitars are the equal of any of these. When I was in college I worked in the musical instrument restoration lab at the Smithsonian for 4 years, and my boss had the enviable job of researching classical and flamenco (and steel string acoustic) guitars at government expense. He visited the Kohno factory at its peak, the Ramirez shop, all the Granada makers, Valencia, Seville, Madrid, Barcelona, Almeria, Paris, Hauser, Martin, and even Paracho (which, at the time, was only making student/studio models). He thought Chica's best was as good as anyone in the world in 1967, and I know for a fact Salvador is just as good. I still own a Ramirez and a Chica, and can put them side-by-side with new strings on and compare. And I've tried a lot of guitars (I also play professionally). But I've never played one I like better than the 2 Castillos I own. They are stunningly good -- and I am lucky enough to be able to afford what I want in a guitar. Yes, Castillo's guitars are less expensive now, but it won't be long before Paracho's best builders are recognized as world class, and Castillo is the best of them. I bought a top-of-the-line Bellido for $800 in the early 70's before he became known (I lived across from his shop for 3 months in the old Hostal California on Caille Ganivet) and that was a good investment then. Castillo is a good investment now. I think there are a lot of people out there who will regret not noticing him early enough to get one at a today's prices. It's like buying stock in Microsoft in 1973. Sure, today we all know Conde and Ramirez make good guitars. Anyone can learn that, even non-guitarists. But it takes judgment to find the best before they are recognized. Castillo is just one of many really good makers out there. If his stock were trading publicly, this would be in his prospectus: his guitars have gone up almost $1k in the last 2 years. Doubled. And he doesn't make student models. At all. Only commissions. Tony A.
Escribano- sorry we didn't make a connection when you were here! Definitely get in touch if you come back. Be good to hang out and we could even make a trip to Paracho if interested...
Tony A.- sounds like you know your guitars, and you are absolutely right- won't be long till Salvador is recognized as a world class luthier, with some of the best flamenco builders around. He'll have a long waiting list soon!
I plan to get more of his guitars as they keep getting better and the 2 i have are maturing beautifully. I have a blanca (spruce/cypress) and a negra (spruce/indian) both with tuning machines although i had a couple of his with pegs and they were beautiful as well. All of his guitars really have alot of character. He's the one in paracho who really gets the flamenco sound, when i first walked into his shop he had Camaron on the cd player!
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