The Hands That Shape the Spanish Guitar

A master luthier reveals how Granada's guitars are still made by hand, as they have been for centuries — and the morning ends the way all good mornings here do: over tapas.

Granada has been building guitars since the 16th century. The workshops tucked into its old-town neighborhoods have shaped the sound of classical and flamenco music for generations, drawing concert performers and collectors from across the world. But what you won’t find anywhere else is a visit to one of these workshops. This experience takes you inside one of Spain’s oldest guitar workshops, dating to 1875. You’ll meet one of only two female master luthiers in all of Spain, Ana Ferrer, an award-winning fourth-generation artisan. Your guide, who serves as your dedicated interpreter throughout, draws out the stories behind the work: the family history, the musicians who have played these instruments, the quiet decisions that most visitors would never think to ask about. You’ll follow the full arc of how a Spanish guitar is made — from the initial selection of tonewoods chosen for how they resonate rather than how they look, through the hand-fitting of the braces, to the final stringing that gives each instrument its voice. The workshop also makes castañuelas, the hardwood percussion instruments at the heart of flamenco, carved and tuned entirely by hand. Seeing both crafts side by side gives you a fuller sense of what it means to build something this way, in a city where the tradition runs this deep. The instruments that leave this studio are sought by musicians and collectors around the world, and now you’ll understand why. After the workshop, a table is waiting at a nearby tapas bar. Over a drink, savor local tapas as you reminisce about what you’ve just seen and heard.