Ignacio Fleta 1973 -Not for Sale-
MADERA MUSEUM COLLECTION

This 1973 guitar by Ignacio Fleta represents the culmination of everything a historic guitar can offer. It embodies all the essential elements: an exceptional dynamic range, an impressive palette of timbral colors even more surprising considering that it is a cedar guitar, where normally spruce would excel in this aspect and an extraordinary sound, beautifully notable when played in sul tasto mode, near the fingerboard, where the timbre acquires a beauty and depth that is almost magical.

The playability of the instrument is equally outstanding, both for the left and right hands. You can feel that flexibility while playing in the right hand, turning the execution into a true pleasure, a sensation of fluidity that is rarely found. Many guitars may have some of these qualities, but in this Fleta, they all integrate naturally and perfectly into a single instrument.

What deep, full, and expressive bass notes. What beautiful trebles, perfectly balanced with the basses, giving them the required prominence, standing out. What separation of notes in the chords, what tonal clarity, and what an admirable expressive capacity.

We are dealing with an instrument from the considered golden era of Fleta’s cedar guitars, a period that spans from 1966 to 1976. This is the same period when great guitarists of history, such as Julian Bream, John Williams, and Andrés Segovia, acquired their Fleta instruments, which they later played in countless concerts and recordings. Those unforgettable recordings by Bream, Williams, and Segovia, with which we guitarists grew up, and that incomparable, beautiful traditional Spanish guitar sound on them.

Perhaps the most amazing thing about a guitar like this, and what truly distinguishes it as a unique milestone in the history of guitar making, is that it transports you to another dimension as soon as you begin playing it. The guitar immerses you in the music in a way that few others do. It guides you in interpretation; it transforms the way you play. That piece you’ve been playing for years in a certain way changes in your hands, because you start to discover new nuances, new dynamics, new expressive possibilities that the guitar offers you, and that you naturally incorporate into the music.

Playing a guitar like this is a true privilege. You don’t need to exert effort: you simply let yourself be carried away by the beauty of the sound, the enormous expressive capabilities, and the almost hypnotic comfort that invites you to play effortlessly, entering a state where music, instrument, and performer merge into one experience.

Aesthetically, this 1973 guitar by Ignacio Fleta is also impressive. The craftsmanship of each part is of absolute mastery: the design, the visual balance between all the elements, the harmony of proportions, and the small design details that you gradually discover show a craftsman in full command of his art. The guitar is beautiful in itself and transmits a profound sense of beauty and serenity.

The color of the guitar, that orange/red shellac varnish so characteristic of Fleta, has an intense, powerful personality, as if it emanates all the inner strength of the instrument. The rosette, with its red details and yellow bindings, adds subtle and refined classicism, an elegance that doesn’t seek to be ostentatious but instead seduces with its discretion and depth.

The green external binding around the entire guitar gives a subtle but prominent touch, once again adding personality to the guitar as a whole.

The design of the headstock is another distinctive element: elegant, proportioned, and completely personal, where the guitar maker signs his work in a forceful manner.

Perhaps the best thing is to simply see the photographs of this instrument to appreciate the many details that appear: every curve, every transition, every color and material choice reflects a sensitive, artistic, and perfectionist mind. An instrument that, in addition to sounding wonderful, is a visual work of art.

The condition of this guitar leads me to ask: is this the best-preserved Ignacio Fleta guitar from that era? It shows no cracks, no repairs. Moreover, the fact that Hauser III did a varnish touch-up contributes to the fact that today, you don’t even see any scratches on its surface.

The sensation when seeing it is as if you could travel back in time, enter Fleta’s workshop in Barcelona in 1973, pick up the newly finished guitar, and bring it to 2025 to admire it here in Granada, in our MADERA gallery.

Having a guitar like this in our Museum Collection is a true privilege. It is an instrument of the highest prestige. We consider Ignacio Fleta, without a doubt, to be within the Top 10 of the greatest guitar makers in history, capable of building some of the best guitars ever made.

This Fleta is a banner for MADERA, a symbol that clearly defines the path of excellence we follow in the selection of instruments we offer and make available to our clients. A demanding and passionate path, dedicated to bringing together the best guitars in the world under a shared spirit of respect, love, and dedication to this incomparable art.

Ignacio Fleta (1897–1977)

Ignacio Fleta is considered one of the most important guitar makers in history, a true master whose work left an indelible mark on the evolution of the modern classical guitar. Born in Huesa del Común, in the province of Teruel (Spain), Fleta came from a family of musicians and instrument makers. He initially began by building violins and cellos, and this background in the tradition of bowed instruments gave his guitars a distinctive character, marked by a deep, richly nuanced sound and a remarkably solid structure.

Although he had been building guitars since the 1930s, his style evolved decisively following his exposure to the work of the French guitar maker Robert Bouchet. Bouchet’s influence can be seen both in Fleta’s pursuit of a more refined and controlled voice, and in his adoption of new structural concepts that he adapted to his own vision. This synthesis of his background as a builder of bowed instruments, his musical sensitivity, and his openness to innovation led him to define a very personal guitar model.

The golden age of Ignacio Fleta’s cedar guitars spans from 1968 to 1976. During this period, his workshop in Barcelona produced instruments that are among the most admired worldwide by performers such as Andrés Segovia, John Williams, and Alirio Díaz. These cedar guitars are known for their exceptional projection, superb balance across registers, and dynamic response, making them absolute benchmarks.

Ignacio Fleta is regarded, according to our website Madera, as one of the Top Ten guitar makers of all time. His “Albertone” rating reaches an impressive 9.4, placing him at number 6 among the greatest guitar makers in history who are no longer with us.

Fleta’s influence extends beyond his own instruments to his profound impact on subsequent generations of great guitar makers. Notable among them are Daniel Friederich, who developed his own voice inspired by the strength and depth of Fleta’s sound, and Dominique Field, who found in Fleta’s work a model of acoustic and structural excellence upon which to build his own evolution.

Ignacio Fleta not only refined the modern concert guitar, but also established a standard that continues to serve as a point of reference for contemporary guitar makers.

Famous guitarists used Fleta:

Julian Bream used his 1966 Ignacio Fleta guitar in several iconic recordings, especially in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

In these recordings, you can clearly hear the powerful, rich, and deep sound that his Fleta offered. He also used this guitar in live concerts during the same period.

John Williams played a guitar made by Ignacio Fleta.
His most famous Fleta was built in 1971.

Williams used his 1971 Fleta for many years, especially throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, both in concerts and in some key recordings. The Fleta offered him a powerful, clear, and projecting sound that matched his virtuosic technique perfectly.

Williams praised Fleta guitars for their depth, balance, and projection, and it was his main concert instrument for years before eventually moving to guitars by Greg Smallman later in his career.

Andrés Segovia also played guitars made by Ignacio Fleta.
His most famous Fleta was built in 1969.

Segovia began playing Fleta guitars in the late 1950s and especially appreciated them during the 1960s and early 1970s. His 1969 Fleta was one of his main concert guitars during that period. Segovia admired Fleta’s instruments for their warmth, depth, and nobility of tone, qualities that suited his expressive and romantic style perfectly.