The Hermanos Sanchis Lopez, David and Herman are the son’s of Ricardo Sanchis Carpio (b. 1937). The grandson of Ricardo Sanchis Nacher (1881-1960) a talented luthier with close ties with the shops Manuel Ramirez and Domingo Esteso who founded the Sanchis firm in 1915. Ricardo’s father died when he was but 18 months old, and so he was brought up and trained as a guitar maker by his grandfather. Aside from this informal instruction, Ricardo has a masters in guitar construction (1970). Although Ricardo remains active, and continues to build a high end line of guitars, David and Herman have taken over the workshop’s day to day operation, and build guitars under their own label.
Although shop employs a number of craftsmen, and has some machinery used mill wood and for applying finishes, most of the work is still done by hand, by individual craftsmen, using traditional methods. The Sanchis shop is modern in the sense that it is specially designed to control humidity and to provide the optimum conditions for building guitars. As his factory is located within minuets of the warehouses which supply wood to all of Spain's guitar makers, routinely he is first to select woods from new shipments. Ricardo Sanchis also has developed his own secret formula of French polish--without oils that dampen the guitar's vibrations--that gives his guitars superior acoustic characteristics and aesthetics.
The Hermanos Sanchis Lopez are now making a Barbero model based on the flamenco guitars of Marcelo Barbero for us exclusively. Marcelo Barbero (1904-1956) was trained by José Ramirez II. When Santos Hernandez died in 1943, his widow asked Marcelo to complete some guitars that Santos left unfinished. Although Santos had been very secretive, Barbero was equally astute-- and the flamenco guitars he built after this are magical. The Hermanos Sanchis Lopez are fine luthiers in their own right, and this guitar offers both a true flamenco duende and great playability.