About the luthier

Juan Manuel Garcia Fernandez was born in Granada in 1974 and belongs to a generation of guitar makers shaped directly by the city’s long standing guitar making tradition. He began his training in 1991 in a guitar construction course led by Juan Miguel Carmona. In the following years he continued his formation with Manuel and Jesús Bellido, before completing his training primarily under the guidance of Rafael Moreno, whose workshop and friendship had a lasting influence on his development as a maker.

In 1994 Garcia Fernandez co founded the cooperative workshop “La Granadina” together with four colleagues. The initiative operated until 1997 and formed an important early stage in his professional career. After the cooperative ended he established his own workshop in La Zubia near Granada, where he worked until 2005. Since then he has continued his activity from his current workshop located in the historic Realejo district of Granada.

Alongside his work as a luthier, Garcia Fernandez has always remained active as a guitarist. This dual perspective has shaped his approach to instrument making, combining practical musical knowledge with close observation of the instruments that pass through his workshop. His work is firmly rooted in the Granada tradition while reflecting decades of continuous experience within the city’s guitar making community.

About the guitar

This guitar from 2026 follows a traditional construction concept and combines a spruce top with Madagascar rosewood back and sides. The instrument reflects the Granada school in its immediacy of response and clarity of articulation while presenting a tonal character that also reveals a broader, more rounded voice.

The bass register develops with notable depth and resonance, creating an airy foundation in the sound. The trebles share this open character and remain clear and well separated even in complex passages. This balance between registers allows the guitar to maintain definition while still producing a full and resonant tonal body.

A particularly striking feature of the instrument is its dynamic flexibility. The guitar responds quickly to the attack and allows the player to increase intensity without losing control or clarity. Combined with its comfortable playability, the result is a responsive concert instrument capable of producing a wide range of colours while preserving the transparency associated with the Granada tradition.

Juan M. Garcia Fernandez

Juan M. Garcia Fernandez - 2026