José Rodríguez Peña, guitar maker in extinction

He prefers to be called a guitarist rather than a luthier and considers Cordoba to be one of the main cradles of the best guitar craftsmen. There are very few left who make this instrument with their mastery, and there seems to be no generational replacement.

In March 2023, the Junta de Andalucía granted him certification as a master craftsman, the highest recognition in his profession by the Junta and which accredits that the master has the appropriate knowledge and practices in the craft trade.

It is never too late, but José Luis Rodríguez Peña has been making guitars in this way in his workshop in Cordoba since 1971. His fame and prestige is worldwide, and his clients are proof of this: Paco and Pepe de Lucía, Los Panchos, Vicente Amigo, Alejandro Sanz, Paco Serrano and Miguel Barberá, among many others.

Guitars with soul

He started building guitars at the age of 12. He put the strings. In his beginnings in this trade, he met great craftsmen such as Manuel Reyes and Miguel Rodríguez, whom José Luis names as his main influences.

In 1971, he decided to have his own workshop in his homeland, Andújar, and years later he would work in the same workshop where he still works every day, located in a central area of Cordoba. He explained to the newspaper Córdoba Hoy that he rents the premises. “This profession doesn’t give you much to do,” he told this newspaper’s interviewer. His daughters have not followed in his footsteps, so it seems that José Rodríguez sadly has no successor to prevent his wisdom from being lost.

Behind the guitars of José Rodríguez

José Rodríguez Peña makes high quality handcrafted guitars, both classical and flamenco. Among his techniques are the use of the stump varnish or gluing with rabbit glue. His instruments are numbered and exclusive, because as he himself says, no two guitars are the same.

The fundamental work in the manufacture of these pieces begins with the wood. The master craftsman reports that thismust have optimum drying conditions of at least 10 years. Among the fundamental parts of the guitar is the top, but without disregarding the sides and the back, which are of great importance in its final sound. Therefore, the selection of the inner timbers to be used in the harmonic bars and so on is very important.

Once the guitar has been built, lacquering is very important for the sound of the guitar, which should be done with shellac and a lacquering knife. In José Rodríguez’s video below, you can see a wonderful report on the steps involved in making a unique guitar.