Believed to be 1980. Unsigned.
Spanish cypress - very good-looking timber; straight-grained and mostly quarter-sawn. Simple purflings an rosewood bindings. All lacquer-finished.
European spruce - a good top with much medullary ray in the centre area, attractive geometric rosette and rosewood bridge with bone-framed tie-block cap.
Traditional rosewood peg-head
66.5 cm with 19 frets on an ebony fingerboard.
52mm at the nut with 43.5 mm string spacing.
1360 grams
In very good, attractive cosmetic order; much of the guitar surfaces looking like new, no doubt protected by the lacquer finish.
The front has two string dings below the bridge; one on the E; one on the B string. The are about five short crack lines in the top surface; one each with the two string dings an three up on the upper bout edge. As far as can be seen - and on close inspection inside, these appear to be in the lacquer finish only and not in or through the wood.
The name Contreras needs no introduction of course thought his is a Contreras Guitarreria instrument i.e. made in the Contreras workshop; not by the hands of Manuel Contreras himself. Nevertheless it is a perfectly good, serviceable guitar with authentic flamenco character in both sound and lightweight feel. The action is suitably low at 3mm and 2.6mm for 6th & 1st strings and give the right amount of flamenco rattle; not too much. The sound is well-balanced with depth in bass and clear punch in the treble. If you are looking for a good Spanish-made flamenco on a budget, come on down.
Manuel Contreras - Click here to find out more about this maker
+ 44 (0) 1732 453 523
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