Domingo Esteso – 1929

Description

Domingo Esteso Lopez was born in San Clemente in 1882. He was one of the most important luthiers of the early 20th century. In the 1890′s, he began his apprenticeship at the workshop of Manuel Ramirez in Madrid. There, he worked along with Modesto Borreguero, Santos Hernandez, etc. In the year after the death of Manuel Ramirez (1864 – 1916), he worked for the widow of M. Ramirez. In 1917, Domingo Esteso opened his workshop in the Calle Gravina in Madrid. In 1926, his nephew Faustino Conde joined the workshop, followed three years later by his brother Mariano Conde and eventually Julio Conde. When Domingo Esteso died in 1937, the three brothers kept building under the name “Vda y Sobrinos de Domingo Esteso. “

The spruce soundboard has matured over the years and shows a lovely patina color on it. Meanwhile, the old and rare Brazilian rosewood back and sides are just amazing to look at. The soundboard of this guitar has been restored masterfully at a very high level of precision, putting this instrument in perfect playing condition. The restoration was probably done at Celestino Fernandez’s workshop. The back is incredibly well-preserved and has only one repaired crack.
Furthermore, the finish was retouched with French polish, yet keeping the original one underneath. Acoustically, this guitar is magical. The deep and dark basses, complimented by soulful and singing trebles, clearly shows Domingo Esteso’s legendary status as one of the best luthiers ever.

Watch the presentation video of this particular guitar below, where you will find a lot of additional information about its playability and sound.