Santos Hernandez 1924

The guitar maker

Santos Hernandez was Madrid’s great maker from the first half of the twentieth century and foreman of the Manuel Ramirez workshop in 1912, when Andres Segovia was famously given his first Ramirez concert instrument by Manuel.

It was with this guitar, generally agreed to have been constructed by Santos, that Segovia played continuously for some twenty five years and laid down the foundations of his legendary career. It is now in the Metropolitan Museum, New York.

Description

The Santos Hernandez here was constructed in 1924 and is a most important historical example in completely original condition owned by one family since new (!).

There are some cracks, as one would expect in an instrument of this age, and these have been expertly repaired.

The finish, most rarely, is the original one of Santos.

The materials are first rate with the finest spruce and darkest choice Brazilian rosewood. Even the silver machines heads (of exquisite quality) the nut and bridge are all original.

The musical qualities of this instrument are even now, after 100 years, quite remarkable. The sound is still very lively with great clarity, focus and balance. Most of all, the expressive qualities are quite unique.

The superbly crafted neck is absolutely straight and string height and playability most comfortable.

A great concert instrument!

Provenance

I purchased this guitar from Andrés Perea Ortega on November 15, 2023, in Madrid.
Sadly, I learned of his passing just one day later, on November 16.

Andrés shared that this guitar was originally bought by his father, Anton Perea, in 1924 at the workshop of Santos.
Interestingly, it was around the same time that his good friend, Andrés Segovia, also acquired his Santos guitar.

Due to the Spanish Civil War, the family went into exile in Bogotá, with a brief stopover in Brussels.
During this stopover, Anton recorded live with this guitar at the national radio broadcasting station NIR-INR.

Andrés is fondly remembered for his erudition, his work as an architect, and his virtuosity with the guitar.