This is the classical guitar I bought from Hector Escobedo Hernandez in Paracho, Mexico. It could be worth thousands more, except Hector, and his brother Jaime, is not an internationally known luthier. This is true for most of the better guitar builders in Paracho. The town produces tens of thousands of guitars a year, yet Paracho's commerce and fame are, for the most part, nonexistent. Builders continue to make instruments in the same way they always have, adopting very few modern methods. Paracho is the town time is slowly forgetting. It could be lost forever some day.

The guitar is concert quality at a student price. It was individually hand-crafted in the traditional Mexican-Spanish style. It is light in weight and produces a medium volume sound. The sound on this type of guitar tends to get even better as the wood settles and dries over time. The action and intonation is excellent. Fingering is smooth up and down the fretboard. The case is good quality and has a sponge handle (minor exterior damage at the head - thank you 'international airlport'). The interior is felt cushioned and the guitar fits snuggley inside it.

Materials:

Top: Canadian spruce
Back/side: palo escrito (Mexican Rosewood)
Neck: Mexican cedar
Fretboard/bridge: Mexican granadillo

Note: Some photographic reflections have added colour distortions to the images.