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The Spanish luthier Pedro Maldonado was born in Loja, Granada in 1929.
While still a little boy, he developed a
great affection for the guitar. At nine, he was already cutting
wood in the shape of guitars in his father's carpentry shop. Because
of the Spanish civil war, his education was interrupted, and he was not
able to finish school until 1946. In 1950, after doing his military service, he went to
Granada and there apprenticed the luthiers Manuel de la Chica (1911-1998)
and Miguel
Robles (1902-1970) , crediting the later guitar maker as being his primary teacher. Miguel Robles
had been a disciple of Benito Ferrer (1845-1925), and had later worked for
José Ramirez II (1885-1957), and briefly for Santos Hernández (1874-1943). Although Pedro was never a formally student
of the luthier Eduardo Ferrer, they became close friends while he was in Granada, and he benefited
enormously from his advice. In 1959, he established his shop, "La Casa
Maldonado" in Loja. Five years later, he moved to Malaga where he has continued to
develop his art, specializing in fine handmade classical and flamenco guitars.
Maldonado's stature is such that Luis F. Leal Pinar devotes an entire chapter in
"Guitarreros de Andalucia" (2004) to him. The currently works with
his sons Pedro and Luis, also born in Loja in 1959 and 1961
respectively. They each began working with their father at fifteen. Maldonado's
flamenco guitars have the duende and soul that flamenco players seek, and are
used by Vicente Amigo, Pepe Romero, Manuel Cano, Sergio Lara, Diego
Vargas, Strunz and Farah, and many more. His classical guitars are
likewise exceptional instruments. Elliot Fisk, one
of Segovia's favorite students, has purchased two guitars from Pedro Maldonado. |