Andrés Marvi – Spain

Modern Spanish masterpieces with captivating qualities, recommended by Robert Ruck…

When Robert Ruck says ‘take a look at this guys guitars’, well, I listen! And that is how I ‘discovered’ Andy Marvi. Robert was in Spain enjoying a Flamenco course when he met Andy Marvi. Bob was so impressed with his guitars that he brought one back for me to see, and I sold it immediately to a highly impressed client. It was a Flamenco guitar, much like the Marvi Gerardo Nunez plays on his DVD. The next guitar I was able to receive was a refined and rich sounding Classical, which also found a new home almost immediately. With the likes of Goran Krivokapic enthusiastically playing a Marvi at the time, I decided I should head off to Spain to meet the person who was building these wonderful guitars.

Andrés has been building (and playing) guitar for decades and although he was born in Gernany, since 1988 he has lived in a small Spanish village near the guitar mecca of Granada. His style has been influenced by Romanillos, Jose Lopez Bellido, and Yuichi Imai as well as the Yague from Barcelona. The resulting blend of these styles, as interpreted and expanded by Marvi himself routinely produces comments such as this: ‘ During (this) six year period, I have had the chance to play on a large variety of different guitars, made by different Luthiers, including almost every top luthier in the world. I could not find any guitar that I would want to play on more than my Marvi guitar and I am absolutely convinced that Marvi guitars are amongst the best one can find anywhere. I have never heard a guitar which has such clarity in sound in a great dynamic and colour range and yet, with volume and the duration of sound unusual for guitar.” – Goran Krivokapic

Anthony Graham Devine, Aniello Desiderio, Goran Krivokapic, and Gerardo Nunez all play or have played Marvi guitars.

Marvi builds a raised neck (ca. 4mm) that is constructed so that it is continuous to the sound hole for more sustain, timbre and responsiveness above the 12th fret, and allowing for increased stability at the junction of the neck and body. The sides are doubled, usually with a Maple inner lining, with a neck reinforced with an ebony bar. He uses a 7 fan bracing pattern ala ‘Torres’ style and finishes his guitars in French Polish of shellac. I am very pleased to be Andre’s exclusive US representative, and I am highly grateful to Robert Ruck for the introduction to this excellent builder.