1989 Manuel Reyes “Flamenco Blanca”

This guitar, a Blanca, is from the same ‘era’ as Vicente Amigo’s famed 1988 Reyes. Vicente was kind enough to let me ‘pluck a few strings’ on his Reyes one time, and between that ‘live’ sense of his 88 and the recordings we all know, I have a good sense for how his guitar sounds. It sounds like this one.

Superb playability, raspy buzzing crazy Vicente style basses with clear, full, round sustaining trebles, one of those guitars you just want to sit and noodle around on to see what gift it is going to give you next.

It is in remarkable ‘like new’ condition, almost as if it has been in a case unplayed for the past 31 years, with only a few tiny marks below the golpeadore, otherwise in pristine original like new condition. There is a light exposed ‘film’ around the golpeadore, not worth mentioning other than it exists. I spoke to Manuel about this and he confirmed in the 80’s he had some golpeadores that would ’shrink back ‘ a little from the edges and produce this look but that it is a non issue and really not even noticeable without looking for it.

After all the Reyes guitars Manuel made for me, and the many I have had in the shop, I can’t think of a more pristine, exceptional sounding more perfect Reyes than this, it is in a word ‘flawless’.