Pedro Maldonado Guitars – Legacy and Innovation

Pedro Maldonado (1929–2020) was one of the great flamenco guitar makers of the 20th century. He trained under Manuel de la Chica and Miguel Robles in Granada before opening his own workshop in 1959. Today, his guitars are built by his son, Luis Miguel Maldonado Ruiz (b. 1961), who began working alongside his father in 1976. Over more than four decades, Luis absorbed the depth of his father's craft and continues the Maldonado legacy with the same dedication to sound, quality, and tradition.

Maldonado guitars have been played by many renowned flamenco artists, including Vícente Amigo, Pepe Romero, Manuel Cano, Sergio Lara, Diego Vargas, and Strunz & Farah, among others.

As prices for top-tier handmade Spanish concert guitars have soared in recent years—often beyond the reach of working musicians—I brought this concern to the Maldonados in 2015. The challenge: could they create an affordable, luthier-built 1a concert guitar without compromising tonal excellence?

The result is the Andalucía model. Built with the same master-grade, aged German spruce tops used in their highest-end instruments, the Andalucía delivers professional concert sound at a more accessible price. Its design is intentionally restrained: no elaborate mosaic rosettes, marquetry, or carved headstocks—just clean, elegant aesthetics. It features a durable lacquer finish in place of French polish to keep costs down without affecting sound.

The Andalucía Cutaway is a true handmade flamenco guitar, offering the power, bite, firm basses, and brilliant, vibrant trebles that serious players expect, along with the low, fast action that flamenco demands.