Succession

Prudencio Saez III is now at the helm of the talented clan of guitar makers who have been building instruments by hand since 1963, near the city of Valencia on the east coast of Spain.

Although they describe their workshop as a place where time appears to have stood still, it’s clear that the artisans and luthiers who are fortunate enough to form part of the family firm have not been resting on their laurels for nearly sixty years: they may still be producing handcrafted instruments using the unhurried techniques of their founding father, but they have put the intervening years to very good use. Today, they are nothing short of experts in their field.

As well as classical guitars (professional, semi-professional and studio models), flamenco guitars (professional and studio models), cutaway, requintos and the Cuban tres, their extensive catalogue also features mandolins, lutes and bandurrias.
And they are masters of all.

Dominic from Massachusetts, USA, ordered a Prudencio Saez 3-FP (G18) flamenco negra earlier this year. His personal review offers a unique insight into the Prudencio Saez experience.

Dominic – Massachusetts, USA 

Hello again Manuel,
I’ve had the Prudencio Saez G18 for almost two months now and the experience of playing this guitar keeps getting better and better with time. I researched many guitars before finding this model and I am very pleased with its beautifully rich sound and with the great craftsmanship is exemplifies. The woods, details and rosette all add to my appreciation of this guitar. My flamenco playing skills have been improving with frequent practice and thus the guitar responds with more and more richness. This guitar will be played often and cherished for a long time to come. 
Thank you again for your assistance with the purchase, it shipped incredibly fast and was very well packaged.
Please also send my compliments to the artisans at the Prudencio Saez factory! This guitar certainly has a great soul. 
Gracias,

All in good time

Thank you, Dominic. It gives us no greater satisfaction at GFS to hear that a valued customer and fellow musician is enjoying some serious playing time. That’s the bottom line. And the reason why a top of the range solid wood instrument sounds better the more you play it is that the vibration of the wood is what allows it to ‘age’. The sonic properties of rosewood in particular are famed for improving over time, so your Prudencio Saez 3-FP will ultimately reach a sublime tonal equilibrium, making it a sound choice of wood for the back and sides.

Striking it rich

The beauty of a handcrafted flamenco instrument from Prudencio Saez is that every step in the construction process, from selection of woods, to the final polishing of the instrument, is in the hands of artists and musicians who are themselves passionate about the instrument and the materials used to make it. The choice of spruce for the soundboard is literally the top choice here: the amazing tonal qualities of this wood include the warm rich tone that Dominic mentions, which is especially responsive to the powerful fingerpicking techniques of flamenco.

The devil is in the detail

Prudencio Saez are renowned for going that extra mile, when it comes to designing and building their instruments. True to form, the Prudencio Saez 3-FP gives you an awful lot of bang for your buck. Dominic notes details such as the rather lovely rosette. Other extras include a saddle made of bone and features that are not so visible, such as the fibre reinforcement in the neck.

Heart and soul

So, our heartfelt thanks to you, Dominic for your very useful feedback: we are in full agreement that the Prudencio Saez 3-FP has a truly great soul. And we will certainly pass on your compliments to the good people at Prudencio Saez.