2020 Fructuoso Zalapa "Romanillos" SP/KW

This model is a tribute to one of his previous teachers, Jose Romanillos. The structural elements such as bracing, doming, thicknessing, shape of plantilla, etc. are as "exact" (in Zalapa's words) as he can get to a Romanillos guitar he was able to study during his time with Romanillos. The aesthetic details, most notabley in the head shape and inlay work in the purfling and rosette are in the Romanillos style, but not an exact copy, rather Zalapa's take on Romanillos. But still close and certainly inspired. This tribute has a stylish, firm quality of sound - across all registers, each note is perfectly separated from the next, with great clarity among voices even when all 6 strings are being played together. Materials are striking including a very dramatic set of Mexican Kingwood with a flash of contrasting sapwood at the bottom of the back and a stripe along the sides. Fructuoso has layered it internally with cypress on both back and sides, much like the makers of the Madrid school. This gives the guitar added power and a focused quality of sound, making it suitable for any sized concert hall. Playability and setup are easy on the hands and players looking for a slightly smaller build will find this guitar especially comfortable. Overall a great guitar by any standard.