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I found this guitar locally two days ago. Bought it from its first owner's widow. Apparently they got it first hand in Granada in 1960 and brought it back from holiday. It was then played for a while and then tucked away in its original case and forgotten for 55 years...
It is in all original condition. I removed the strings, cleaned the fretboard using olive oil and high grade iron wool, then had a go at polishing the original French polish, quite resistant afer 57 years of drying.
Posts: 2697
Joined: Jun. 7 2010
From: The South Ireland
RE: Manuel de la Chica 1960 (in reply to sartorius)
Guitar salon international says .....Manuel de la Chica is arguably the greatest builder from Granada to date./....you can read it all for your self ... worth doing a bit of research about the maker and that guitar though ...
Why cant I find a fantastic guitar in an attic somewhere ....
Sounds powerful enough even though the music isnt pushy ... I think you need a bit of Alegrias .. or something ...
ORIGINAL: El Kiko I think you need a bit of Alegrias .. or something ...
Yeps. To my ears this beauty sounds perfect for some nice traditional bulerias with a singer - that A to Bb move is going to kick arse every time. Nice find!!
ORIGINAL: El Kiko A to Bb eh ...? so thats the secret ... gonna try that one later ......and Ive been doing E to F all these years
Your so modest Kiko!! I just found out why you disappeared all that time. You'd joined, recorded an album with, won a Grammy with and embarked on a world tour with thrash titans Megadeth. All that and not a whisper of your huber success here on the foro. That level of modesty is truely outstanding. And the move must be a hell of a boom to your CV. Your future as a solo shreader never looked more secure. It explains why you keep wanting to resolve to open E too.
Posts: 503
Joined: Jun. 14 2014
From: Encinitas, CA USA
RE: Manuel de la Chica 1960 (in reply to sartorius)
Wow what a great find. I was looking on my local Craig's List and found a 1947 Santos Hernandez that was finished by Marcelo Barbero. When I found out the price it was much higher than I expected.
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Ah well, there was a fantastic passion there, in my case anyway. I discovered flamenco very early on. It grips you in a way that you can't get away - Paco Pena
RE: Manuel de la Chica 1960 (in reply to Cervantes)
Sure people check what they have through the Internet. Even the granny who's got something will ask her grandchildren to search the Web for her so real bargains are becoming scarce.
But they do still exist...if you believe it's possible, of course.
RE: Manuel de la Chica 1960 (in reply to sartorius)
Manuel de la Chica (1911-88) gave up cabinet making to become a luthier in the late 1930s when Santos Hernandez was still alive and building guitars. It would have been a really difficult time to start a business in Spain. He retired though ill health in 1973 - too much wood dust I think. At that time several young men (including Manuel Bellido and Antonio Marin Montero) were learning to build at the Ferrer workshop and I believe some claim to have built guitars for Manuel de la Chica at the end of his working life.
Seeing this guitar made me dig out an old stage photo of me with my new (then) 68 Ramirez cedar top blanca and a fellow guitarist who had a very nice spruce/cypress early 60s Manuel de la Chica. We looked so young! Although I thought (and still think) of my Ramirez as an excellent instrument, the spruce de la Chica had the immediacy that I look for in a flamenco guitar and I always measured other guitars against the memory of this one – not many made it! So a fine guitar from a notable luthier. It is sad that it remained unplayed for so many years.
Seeing this guitar made me dig out an old stage photo of me with my new (then) 68 Ramirez cedar top blanca and a fellow guitarist who had a very nice spruce/cypress early 60s Manuel de la Chica. We looked so young!
RE: Manuel de la Chica 1960 (in reply to mark indigo)
London - in the Notre Dame Hall under the French Catholic Church just off Leicester Square. It is now called the Leicester Square Theatre and is a major venue for comedy shows. The old Notre Dame hosted The Who and the Rolling Stones in the 70s before giving way to Punk Rock and the Sex Pistols. Tani Morena, Juan Garcia de Linares and I think the guitarist with the wonderful Manuel de la Chica was called Cristobal Reyes.
RE: Manuel de la Chica 1960 (in reply to sartorius)
I never tried a De La Chica guitar even though I listened someone playing it. For what I saw, they are nice guitars indeed. Congrats to Sartorius. Unfortunately recently this maker is being rediscovered and the price for a guitar like such is going up quite a lot.
RE: Manuel de la Chica 1960 (in reply to sartorius)
First of all, congratulations for the rare fetch! Recently back to a working VPN, I enjoyed listening to the video. It sure sounds like a canon!
Agreed that for an impression of a flamenca percussive palo will be in order for to hear how things be separated and balanced under rasgueados and picados . However, to me sustaining notes played across the neck appear just as relevant to get a notion of dynamics and voice. The later, after all other aspects being alright, to me appearing to be the icing on the cake and what matters the most.
THE one missed-out on guitar that haunts me since ages (from a master in Granada) was literally singing. And trying to circle in its characteristics over time, it seems as if that singing will include such generally appreciated detail like sweet, bodied trebles and strong crisp basses, but before all: singing mids. With them actually sounding as if a middle-aged person chanting ... That appears to be what ennobles to what my heart perceives as 'Spanish as it gets'.
From there, should you be making another clip, it would interesting to hear how specially D, G and A string rise and dwell up and down the fretboard. At best touched from lightest over moderate to strong attack.
I am expecting mesmerizing timbre from this guitar. -Which BTW serves as a nice example to counter that silly myth according to which guitars would be 'wearing out' or loosing life in any way with time.
...guitars would be 'wearing out' or loosing life in any way with time.
Stradivarius violins, although having all been restored over time, are still being played from time to time in places like Vienna where only the best instruments in the world can find their place.
Old instruments just sound different (like it or not) and should only be played with the according repertoire. Pieces llike the Aranjuez Concerto and the music of De Falla, or Albéniz would benefit in public from using an old Fleta or Ramirez. Modern repertoire is another story...
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