Esteve Guitars (Guitarras Francisco Esteve, S.A.) are built in Alboraya, Spain a Mediterranean town outside of Valencia.
Manuel Adalid, Jr. (Director of Esteve Guitars) Francisco Esteve (one of the founders)
Established in 1957 by Francisco Esteve, Manuel Adalid Sr., and Antonio Monfort, the Esteve workshop currently employs 50 artesans who handmake guitars, laudes, bandurrias, and mandolins. Since its inception the Esteve workshop has followed traditional construction methods. All of their guitars are handmade by the Spanish method which includes an integrated neck-body construction and fan bracing. The attention to quality shows in all of their models from their student guitars through their deluxe concert classicals. For many years, Esteve guitars have won awards for their beauty and sound. In 1999, once again they were awarded the Premio a la Artesanía (Artisan's Prize) in Valencia, a city with many excellent guitarmakers. Currently, the Esteve business is run by Manuel Adalid, Jr. , the son of one of the original partners. Manuel Jr. has decades of hands-on experience in this trade. In addition to running a workshop of 50 guitarmakers he even personally travels to Asia, and the Americas in search of quality woods and attends several trade shows.
Fernández Music is pleased to be an authorized importer of Esteve Guitars for the United States.
Esteve Guitars imported and distributed by Fernández Music are inspected, detailed, and set-up for best playability personally by Ron Fernández in California. See the photo essay on our custom set-up at the start of our web site.
Photo of "Fernandez Valencia" Model
ESTEVE (pronounced Eh-ste-veh) GUITARS have solid tops and traditional Spanish integrated neck-body construction. Unless otherwise noted these guitars feature a Western Red Cedar (aka Canadian Red Cedar) soundboard. Each guitar imported and distributed by Fernandez Music has a real bone saddle, real bone nut, deluxe tuners and my custom set-up & fret dressing.
Classical Guitars by Esteve
January 2009 Retail Prices
"Fernandez Valencia", Laminated African Sapelly, dark wood binding, rosewood fingerboard, with deluxe tuners, $625
3ST40, 1/4 size model of the 4ST (40cm scale), $795 with deluxe custom size case
3ST48, 1/2 size model of the 4ST (48cm scale), $795 wth deluxe custom size case
3ST53, 5/8 size model of the 4ST (53cm scale), $795 with deluxe custom size case
3ST58, 3/4 size model of the 4ST (58cm scale), $795 with deluxe custom size case
R. Fernandez 40, Solid cedar face, laminated Mongoy back and sides, upgraded tuners, bone saddle & nut, rosewood fingerboard with deluxe tuners, $625
Mongoy (AKA Ovankol) back of R.Fernandez 40
R. Fernandez 40-4864, Same as R. Fernandez 40 with 48mm nut, 640mm scale, with deluxe tuners, $649
Face of R.Fernandez 40 and R.Fernandez 40-4864
1 (previously1GR01), Laminated dark-stained African mahogany (Sapelly), white wood purfling on face only, rosewood fingerboard, simple bridge without string block ornamentation, with deluxe tuners $695
3 (previously 1GR03) Laminated dark-stained African mahogany (Sapelly), white wood purfling, purfling on front and back, white strips on string block, with deluxe tuners $795
3E (previously 1GR3E), Laminated Mongoy or African Sapele, dark wood purflings, rosewood fingerboard, with deluxe tuners $795.
6PS, Laminated Rosewood, simple ornamentation, rosewood fingerboard, deluxe tuners $895
R. Fernandez 60, Solid Cedar face, laminated rosewood back and sides, bone saddle, deluxe tuners, $895
5 (previously1GR05), Laminated Walnut, double special purflings, rosewood fingerboard, with deluxe tuners, $925
7 (previously1GR07), Laminated Rosewood, double special purflings, rosewood fingerboard, $995
75 or 7SR Solid Rosewood back and sides, ebony fingerboard $1395
R. Fernandez 70, Solid Rosewood back and sides, ebony fingerboard, upgraded tuners, bone saddle and nut, $1395
Back of R. Fernandez 70
R. Fernandez 70-4864, Same as R. Fernandez 70 but with 48mm nut and 640mm scale, $1495
R. Fernandez 70-4864, Cutaway with 48mm nut, 640mm scale, $1595
Face of R. Fernandez 70-5265 Cutaway
R. Fernandez 70-5265, Cutaway with 52mm nut, 650mm scale, $1595
For more photos and information about R.Fernandez Models press here: R.Fernandez Guitar Models
Hand Assembled by Individual Artisans
8 Solid Rosewood, ebony fingerboard, neck reinforced with ebony insert, the 1GR08 has a different rosette than the 1GR9C, simpler purfling outlining the back, good but different tuners than the 1GR9C, and a slightly different internal bracing--$1595
9C (previously 1GR9C), Solid Rosewood, unique fan bracing, ebony fingerboard with ebony insert, Discontinued.
9C/B replaces the 9C--it has some carbon fan bracing. We feel that this new bracing makes the guitar louder. $1995
Photo of Esteve 9C (previously 1GR9C)--Solid cedar face and solid rosewood back & sides.
See the next section, Esteve Deluxe Classical Guitars, for more refined models.
Prices subject to change without notice. All items subject to availability. Prices FOB Irvine, California.
If you have any questions, email me: ron@fernandezmusic.com
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