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The Spanish luthier Paulino Bernabé was born in
1932. Like many well-known luthiers, Bernabe started out as a cabinet maker. Unlike most
guitar makers--who can not play the instruments they build-- Bernabé is an accomplished
guitarist. At seventeen, he began four years of study with Daniel Fortea, one of Tarrega's
pupils. It was during these years that he developed a growing interest in guitar
construction. In 1954, he started as an apprentice in the workshop of José Ramirez.
During the years that Andres Segovia started playing Ramirez guitars, Paulino was head artisan
and foreman of the Jose Ramirez workshop. Ramirez guitars of the 1960s bearing PB initials are
highly sought after by collectors. In 1969, he left the Ramirez to set up his own
workshop in Madrid. He is a not only a very fine craftsman, but an experimenter who has developed
his own strutting system and construction methods. The sound of Bernabé's
concert classical guitars are
distinct from those made while working for Ramirez, being noticeably less sweet. With
robust basses, and strong trebles, his guitars are not only tonally rich, but
uniquely powerful, clear, and focused, with great sustain, projection and punch.
Because of these qualities his classical guitars are widely used by many concert guitarists and
recording artists, such the late Narciso Yepes. In 1974, he received the Gold
Medal at the
International Crafts Exhibition in Munich. In the early, 1980s, he moved his
workshop from his store to his home. Since then he has worked he has worked side by side
with his son, Paulino, who he describes as his best and most faithful disciple. Bernabé is not
only one of the few living luthiers in Spain included in Summerfield's
list of the finest guitar makers since 1800, his work is avidly sought
after by players and collectors alike. |