Mariano Conde guitars represent an artisanal tradition dating back to 1915, keeping alive the legacy of the old Conde Hermanos house, successors of Domingo Esteso.
The handcrafted manufacturing of Mariano Conde guitars follows a meticulous seven-stage process that takes between 3-5 months of waiting-construction time, potentially extending to 1 year or more depending on the workload and orders at the time of commission, preserving a tradition that spans more than a century.
First: wood selection
Construction begins with a rigorous selection of noble woods that have undergone a natural drying process for 15 to 90, even up to 100 years. The following woods are carefully chosen:
- Top: German spruce or Canadian red cedar
- Sides and back: Sycamore, Mahogany, Indian Rosewood, Cypress, Madagascar Rosewood, Maple, Cocobolo, Brazilian Rosewood, Golden, Koa, Ebony
- Fingerboard: Ebony
Second: parts manufacturing
All guitar components are meticulously crafted:
- Neck and headstock carving
- Cutting and calibrating the top, back, and sides
- Bending of the sides
- Internal bracing system elaboration
- Bridge manufacturing
Third: gluing and assembly
This crucial phase requires absolute precision, including joining the sides to the back or top, placing the bracing system, and assembling the neck with the soundbox.
Fourth: sanding and finishing
Progressive sanding with different grains and polishing of all surfaces to achieve a perfectly smooth surface.
Fifth: varnishing
A traditional finish is applied including wood sealing, multiple layers of shellac or nitro, and intermediate polishing between layers.
Sixth: setup
Precise adjustments are made:
- Carving of nuts (head and bridge) in cow bone
- Fret leveling and crowning
- Installation of high-precision tuners
- String height adjustment
- Preliminary tuning and acoustic testing
Seventh: customer delivery
The process culminates with final quality control, definitive tuning, and instrument documentation including certificate of authenticity.
Production details
The limited production of approximately 30-50 guitars per year ensures attention to detail and maximum quality in each instrument. Each guitar is fire-branded with the initials “MC” and contains a handwritten interior label stating the model with its serial number and year of construction, certifying its authenticity as a true masterpiece of Spanish lutherie.
The resulting sound quality is characterized by its depth and projection, with intense and lively notes, especially suitable for flamenco and classical music.
