Hernandez y Aguado - 1966 - No. 319

About the luthier

Manuel Hernandez, originally Santiago Diaz Martinez, was born in 1895 in Valmojado, near Toledo. Just two years later, in 1897, Victoriano Aguado Rodriguez was born in Madrid. Their paths crossed in Madrid, where they worked in a piano factory. Their profound friendship led to the establishment of their own business, which initially specialized in the restoration of furniture and pianos. Their talent in guitar making was serendipitously discovered when the passionate guitarist Victoriano Aguado Rodriguez crafted two guitars for himself between 1945 and 1948. These guitars caught the attention of Regino Sainz de la Maza, the guitar professor at the Real Conservatorio in Madrid at the time, who encouraged the duo to further hone their skills.
When they later collaborated with Modesto Borreguero, who had previously worked with the renowned guitar maker Manuel Ramirez, they delved deeper into the craft of guitar making. Their success was monumental: Hernandez y Aguado guitars were sold globally, even to Thai Queen Sirikit. Legendary musicians such as John Williams, Julian Bream, and Atahualpa Yupanqui chose “HyA” guitars for their performances.

About the guitar

This 1966 masterpiece, numbered 319, stands as a testament to the remarkable craftsmanship of its creators, a renowned guitar-building duo whose instruments are celebrated globally. In very good condition, this guitar features only a minor repaired hairline crack on the soundboard’s lower bout bass side, meticulously fixed with three small cleats that testify to the skillful restoration. It possesses all the hallmarks that make these instruments highly sought after: great expressiveness, fantastic sustain, and perfect intonation. Such a combination of exceptional sound quality and careful preservation makes this guitar a rare find, offering collectors and musicians alike a unique opportunity to own a piece of musical history. Another interesting aspect of this guitar is that it was owned by a single individual, a former student of Alirio Diaz and Antonio Lauro, who purchased it directly from the HyA workshop.