Jose, my Father

Jose,
My father , my teacher, my mentor, my everything.
A man who overcame an impoverished childhood too, through his love of The Spanish guitar, become one of the finest guitar makers ever.

His sheer determination and thirst for knowledge about the instrument and its construction led him to build guitars which were aesthetically beautiful but moreover had the colour, clarity and depth of acoustic character that many fine players were seeking.

His unassuming modesty never allowed himself to accept what he had achieved but his selfless generosity to share the knowledge he had gained led him to travel the world giving courses and lectures hoping more people would embrace his craft.
In fact through this teaching I believe many people have gone on to become fine makers in their own right.

He wrote several books and many articles and helped open a museum all for the love of his beloved guitar.

As a 16 year old I entered his workshop to study with him, and I’m not going to say it was easy at first as his exacting quest for perfection was quite daunting, but as time went by he began to trust me more that I understood what he was trying to achieve.
A quote by him always resonates in my mind;
“The difference between a good guitar and a very good guitar is marginal-but obvious“

So finally when he decided to move back to Spain he left me to continue his work. I hope over the years I’ve made him proud with the continuation of the Romanillos guitar for a 2nd generation and if I can be half the man he was in life, and in guitar making, then I will die happy.

Dad I miss you.