Hernandez y Aguado – 1961 Ex Regino Sainz de la Maza

Description

The two friends Santiago Diaz Martinez, better known as Manuel Hernandez, and Victoriano Aguado Rodriguez got to know each other while working together in a piano factory. After the factory closed, they founded their own company that initially focused on the restoration of furniture and pianos. They built their two first guitars privately between 1945 and 1948, which were also played and examined by Regio Sainz de la Maza. This was a very encouraging experience and the two friends decided to keep on building guitars. In 1948 Modesto Borreguero, who had worked in the workshop of the famous luthier Manuel Ramirez, joined Manuel Hernandez and Victoriano Aguado Rodriguez, and they started to increasingly focus on the making of guitars – with huge success. Famous artists, such as John Williams, Julian Bream, and Atahualpa Yupanqui played „HyA“guitars. With a total production of only 356 guitars, Hernandez y Aguado instruments are among the rarest and most sought-after guitars made in the twentieth century.

This most impressive guitar with spruce top and Brazilian rosewood back and sides (CITES certified) from 1961, number 193, belonged to Regino Sainz de la Maza. It bears the maestro’s initials engraved on the headstock, making it probably Hernandez y Aguado’s most remarkable and important guitar. Regino Sainz de la Maza (1896-1981) was a world-famous Spanish guitarist to whom the composer Joaquin Rodrigo dedicated his most famous work, the Concierto de Aranjuez, which was premiered by Sainz de la Maza in 1940.
Besides, the Spanish virtuoso was a close friend of Hernandez y Aguado and an early promoter of their work. Therefore, it is not surprising that the two luthiers created an extraordinary guitar for him, skilfully engraving the maestro’s initials in the rosewood of the head veneer. A vivid photo from 1972 shows the maestro with this well recognizable 1961 Hernandez y Aguado (courtesy of the Biblioteca Digital Memoriademadrid).

Dating from the golden age of Hernandez y Aguado, this instrument is in fantastic condition, having been highly valued and cared for by its only owner after Regino Sainz de la Maza. Hence, there are only minor signs of play and two unnoticeable cracks (professionally repaired and stable) on both sides of the fingerboard. Sound-wise, this guitar meets all expectations one would associate with such an exceptional instrument. It sounds expressive and present, the treble can easily and beautifully be brought to sing, and even fast and demanding parts come easily with this guitar. The balance between basses and trebles is excellent and overall it is not only a great pleasure to play but also incredibly inspiring.