Marcos Domato - 2025 Concierto

About the luthier

Marcos Domato has been building guitars in Vigo since 2015. His connection to the classical guitar began at home, where his father, a classical guitarist, filled the house with playing and recordings. Although he did not pursue formal studies on the instrument, he learned from his father and soon became fascinated by the construction of the guitar. A course in viola da gamba making at his local Arts and Crafts school introduced him to the craft, and his first guitars were built using a plan for an Antonio de Torres model given to him by his teacher.

In 2019 he completed an advanced course in Madrid with Javier Castaño and José Salinas, which helped him refine his construction, his finishing techniques, his acoustic understanding and his design approach. In his workshop he builds each guitar entirely by hand and in small numbers, combining traditional methods with selected modern techniques. He chooses woods responsibly and increasingly seeks local materials, always giving priority to acoustic properties and aesthetic coherence. His goal is not quantity but quality, and each guitar is conceived with attention to balance, presence and comfort, shaped by both discipline and personal character.

About the guitar

With this guitar from 2025, Marcos set out to raise the quality of his work. The soundboard is Canadian red cedar of striking quality, shaped with seven fan braces in a traditional pattern and supported by careful structural decisions in the upper bout. The neck is made from curly Honduran cedar with an ebony fingerboard. The sides are doubled with Indian rosewood outside and a thin maple lamination inside, and the back is Indian rosewood with a beautifully figured ziricote central piece. The entire instrument is finished in French polished shellac. Each wood was chosen not only for its appearance but also for its acoustic potential, reflecting Marcos’s intention to build guitars with a traditional voice and refined presence.

The sound has a warm and calming character that appears immediately under the fingers. The tone is smooth on the surface and gathers strength as phrases unfold. The basses are strong and steady, giving the instrument a generous foundation, while the trebles open with a clear and singing quality. Although the voice is rooted in tradition, the guitar creates an enveloping resonance that makes it feel alive in the hands. It responds easily, and the body seems to participate in the vibration, creating a sense of quiet immersion for the player. The overall impression is of a powerful yet gentle instrument that invites expressive and lyrical playing.

Marcos’s aesthetic inspirations are evident in both sound and design. His decorative choices favour elegance and balance, drawing influence from significant builders of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The rosette echoes patterns seen in historical and contemporary work, and the overall concept reflects the legacy of Torres, Hauser and Santos Hernández, while also taking into account ideas from contemporary makers such as Richard Reynoso and Marco Bortolozzo. The result is an instrument that stands firmly in the classical tradition and speaks with sincere personal expression.