Some fascinating guitars being built here in Guadalajara

[Jim Soloway]

These guitars are being built in the Centro district of Guadalajara by Carlos Topete and Ernesto Caro. All nylon strings, they're building what I would describe as very much cutting edge designs. I have no idea what the prices are but I'm hoping to visit their shop in the next week or two.

Here's a link to their website.

Inicio

And a few photos

[Jim Soloway]

And a couple videos

From their website (includes some nice live performance)

And live at NAMM

[Jim Soloway]

And a couple more

[Woody Sound]

Cool. I wonder what kind of set-in pickup that is in the first pic, on a nylon guitar (?)

[bmw2002]

Those are beautiful, especially the Model MX. I wonder if the top/sides are mahogany? Thanks for sharing and will be very interested in your report, if you're able to visit.

[sgosnell]

The top picture doesn't look like a nylon-string. The tuners aren't typical for nylon, and the strings appear to be ball-end. I think that's a steel-string archtop.

[pcjazz]

That's great Jim. I was in Mazatlan and Oaxaca City a few weeks ago and went around the music shops asking about locally-made instruments, but found only indifferent beginner-level guitars in loud colours. Your finds look more promising by far! Looking forward to more information when you visit the maker.

[pcjazz]

That's great Jim. I was in Mazatlan and Oaxaca City a few weeks ago and went around the music shops asking about locally-made instruments, but found only indifferent beginner-level guitars in loud colours. Your finds look more promising by far! Looking forward to more information when you visit the maker.

[Jim Soloway]

I just got a response. They have samples in their shop and I'll be going to play a few some time this week. The prices are almost absurdly low. In Pesos, the acoustics start at $6500 (about 325 US) for the DS to a high of $40,000 (about $2,000 US) for the MX. The electrics are $18,500 (about $925 US) for the archtop and $25,000 (abut $1,250 for the NS).

[xavierbarcelo]

Have you checked out Robert de la Garza’s guitars in Monterrey? They look absolutely stunning (but much more expensive, for the looks of it)






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[Jim Soloway]

Have you checked out Robert de la Garza’s guitars in Monterrey? They look absolutely stunning (but much more expensive, for the looks of it)


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Thanks. I hadn't seen his guitars but they all look beautiful. Maybe I'll shoot him a message as well.

What I was actually looking for was a local tore that sold Paracho guitars. I thought that it might be nice to pick up an inexpensive nylon acoustic if I could buy it locally. Caro y Topete showed up in the search because Ernesto Caro is originally from Paracho and I just fell into their site. I've always like the unconventional and Carlos Topete's designs are certainly that and best of all, I can get to their shop of a bus for 7 pesos.

[xavierbarcelo]

My pleasure, Jim! The designs on your OP are fantastic and the prices more than appealing! I wish I could visit Mexico and take some of those guitars! Best of luck!


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[DRS]

Cool!
I have been looking for a nylon string with a cutaway. Still 12 fret but with a slight radius on the fingerboard to make playing a little easier. All solid wood. Something like a Cordoba GK Pro negra but they are $2,300 up here for a guitar made in China. I will explore these builders. Is CITES and issue if they ship to Canuckistan?

[LtKojak]

Wow! Those guitars in the videos all sound different, but have one thing in common: their clarity in complex chordwork, and the ability to "cut-through-the-mix" so to speak. Exactly what I value the most in nylon-string guitars.

At those prices, I wouldn't hesitate to get one... and they look extremely "sexy", so to speak as well!

[mr. beaumont]

Oh wow...those are really cool.

[Jim Soloway]

Have you checked out Robert de la Garza’s guitars in Monterrey? They look absolutely stunning (but much more expensive, for the looks of it)






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I've had a back and forth conversation with Roberto this morning. This guitar is currently with a dealer in London named Alnico 5. It's priced at 4800 pounds. He has a semi for $2400 US and it seems to go up from there. So more but not outrageous.

[Larry M]

Oh wow...those are really cool.

+1 with Mr. B.

[Jim Soloway]

Cool!
I have been looking for a nylon string with a cutaway. Still 12 fret but with a slight radius on the fingerboard to make playing a little easier. All solid wood. Something like a Cordoba GK Pro negra but they are $2,300 up here for a guitar made in China. I will explore these builders. Is CITES and issue if they ship to Canuckistan?

I'm not sure. The biggest problem with CITES seems to be rosewood and that's not in play but I don't really know the rules to enough depth to give you a certain answer. I'll ask them about when I go see them later this week and get to you with their answers.

[DRS]

Thanks, Jim

[Jim Soloway]

Just wanted to let you all know that I'm going to be at their shop on Wednesday afternoon. They have some of the nylons in stock and they have an archtop underway that's not spoken for.

BTW, from other searches I've found that they've also made some Gypsy Jazz guitars in the past.

[Woody Sound]

The top picture doesn't look like a nylon-string. The tuners aren't typical for nylon, and the strings appear to be ball-end. I think that's a steel-string archtop.

Ah, I see now. Thanks.

[Jim Soloway]

Thanks, Jim

BTW, I did a bit of looking yesterday and found that they have a US distributor and at least one US dealer (Westwood Music) so if there are CITES issues, they must have already dealt with them.

[Gitterbug]

The photos and videos prove that wherever there is a culture of live music, there are great, imaginative luthiers and other instrument-builders keeping the best of the tradition and pushing the envelope at the same time. Too bad their capacity and reach are limited, so the instruments will not command the reputation and investment value they would deserve, as opposed to highly-touted industrial brands. As well, instruments made in the tropics rarely do well in the harsher Northern climates. I was in Cuba recently, experiencing that rich musical heritage as a tourist. While the stringed instruments and amps of most street musicians had seen better days, some bassists were using locally made electric upright basses that looked and sounded absolutely great. At larger venues, the PA systems were state-of-the art -- appropriate, being State property anyway. With the wife around, had to restrain myself from digging deeper.

[Jim Soloway]

I spent some serious time at their shop today. I am not at all a nylon player and I was both fighting the action and getting lost because of the lack of side dots coupled with the 12 fret neck but I had a great time. I played three of their mid-range guitars (including one with the barbetta preamp). "Mid-Range" is relative term and honestly, their prices are generally so low that it's really priced like a low end guitar rather than a custom instrument. $10,500 pesos translates to about $550 US including the case. I also played their flagship concert guitar. It was wasted on me but it was stunning and just sang when the builder played it. That was $45,000 pesos (about $2300 US).

These guitars all have the same body form. They're about standard depth but they're relatively small (about 14.5" at the lower bout). I found them very comfortable and they certainly didn't lack for volume or tonal depth, especially the concert model. They also have a new model approaching in a few weeks with the same body but an all new lattice bracing system.

The only thing expensive was the Barbetta pre-amp (like all electronics in Mexico). It took the price up to $18,500 pesos. More of an issue than the price, I really didn't like what the pre-amp did to the acoustic tone and neither did they. It made the guitar noticably heavier and less lively.

They had an archtop in process and only two or three weeks out from completion. They also had one in for repair so I had a chance to see one that had some serious hours on it (but not play. It had no bridge or strings on it). Very nice and again, a lovely size (about 15"). The one negative was a lack the lack of side dots (which they consider a bit sacrilegious).

I've come into some unexpected money recently and other purchase ideas had fallen through. I also really like the idea of having a guitar guitar by Mexican craftsmen in my new home town. The real debate for me was whether to get the archtop, the midrange acoustic or, if I wanted to be a real sport, go for both. Ultimately I decided to put down a deposit on the archtop (on the condition the he put in side dots ... top dots were absolutely out of the question). I'm still considering the mid-range acoustic but that's something they almost always have available whereas the archtops are more uncommon so I can always do the acoustic later if I'm so inclined.

BTW, really nice people and incredibly accommodating. The principals do not speak any English but they have an apprentice who's reasonably fluent and willing to help. They were willing to not laugh too hard at my pathetic (but improving Spanish) and when it got really dicey we able to talk phone to phone using Google translate.

That's it for now. I'll have more in two or three weeks when the archtop comes home.

[Tal_175]

I'm normally a traditionalist when it comes to guitars and find modern designs contrived. But these are genuinely cool guitars. Very tasteful designs.