Elvis Pajares - 2025 - Double top "Wayra" No. 90

About the luthier

Elvis Pajares is a talented luthier from Namora, Peru, who continues a long family tradition of guitar making. Deeply inspired by the great Spanish masters, Antonio de Torres, Francisco Simplicio, and José Luis Romanillos, as well as by the innovations of modern double-top designs, Pajares combines classical heritage with a contemporary vision of sound and structure. Guided by his intuition and curiosity, he has achieved remarkable results by exploring both traditional and modern concepts of the guitar. For the past three years, he has collaborated closely with guitarist and teacher Rodrigo Herrera, whose experience as a pedagogue and concert performer has played a fundamental role in the design of his most recent instruments.

About the guitar

This 2025 guitar, No. 90, is a double-top model named “Wayra”, a Quechua word meaning “divine wind.” The model was developed in collaboration with guitarist and teacher Rodrigo Herrera, based in Italy, and is notable for its all-wood double-top construction. Unlike most double-top designs that incorporate synthetic materials like Nomex, this guitar uses a thin core of Canadian red cedar, sandwiched between two outer layers of cedar. The bracing follows a traditional layout with seven fan braces made of spruce wtih a Bouchet style bar. Tonally, “Wayra” is remarkably warm and colorful, with a soothing and lyrical character. It retains the expressive complexity of a traditional instrument while offering increased responsiveness and dynamic range. The guitar can produce gentle, rounded tones but becomes surprisingly bright and powerful when pushed, making it a versatile choice for both lyrical and energetic repertoire. The visual details are equally refined. The Indian rosewood back and sides give the guitar a rich, classical appearance, and the neck is made from well-aged curly cedar, offering both stability and a unique visual character. The use of entirely organic materials speaks to Pajares’ philosophy of avoiding synthetic components in favor of an uncompromised tonal experience.