Takashi Miura 1980

A guitar that belonged to and was kept by the great master Antonio Marín Montero for 45 years.

At the end of the 1970s, a young Japanese guitar maker had the privilege of working in the workshop of Antonio Marín Montero, whom we consider the most important guitar maker in Granada and one of the greatest in the history of Spanish guitar making. This experience was an incredible honor for the young craftsman, who later pursued his career in Japan, gaining recognition there. In fact, Takashi Miura is one of the very few guitar makers who have had the privilege of being an apprentice of Antonio Marín, working and learning within his workshop. That privilege and gratitude remained deeply within him, and years later, Takashi returned to Granada and to Antonio Marín’s workshop to present him with a guitar he had built with the utmost dedication. It was a gift from Takashi to Antonio, made with great care and gratitude. This very guitar is now before us. It was in Antonio Marín workshop since 1980 till now and has recently been acquired by MaderaGuitarras.com

Mr Takashi actually when he worked together with master Antonio Marín he already had years of experience of making guitars before his staying in Granada.

This 1980 Miura guitar is a high-quality instrument in both construction and sound, with excellent playability. The sound is that characteristic tone of aged guitars — we could call it a vintage sound. A warm, traditional tone. It’s a very friendly guitar, easy to play, and feels incredibly comfortable in your hands. It’s the kind of guitar you always want to have by your side — next to the armchair where you usually relax or play — ready to be picked up and enjoyed for its comfort and traditional beautiful sound. It is also a guitar that could be considered historically significant, as it represents the connection between these two important guitar makers one from Spain another from Japan—and we are now happy offering it to our clients. This guitar has always been in the possession of Antonio Marín Montero, who was its sole owner. It has no repairs or damage and remains in excellent condition.

To discover more about Takashi Miura, in our view one of the finest guitar makers we tried from Japan, please visit here the ‘Biography’ section. You will also find videos featuring renowned professional Japanese guitarists playing Master Takashi Miura’s guitars.

Little is known about Takeshi Miura’s biography here in Granada. Through Antonio Marín, we know that upon returning to Japan, Miura developed a successful career as a guitar maker, earning considerable recognition and admiration. This was also due to the fact that he was one of the very few makers who apprenticed directly under Antonio Marín Montero, working side by side with the master at the same workbench in Granada. Given the time period, he is considered one of the first traditional guitar makers to begin working in Japan.

We had the privilege to contact master Takashi Miura recently and he talked to us a bit more about him and his relation with master Antonio Marín Montero.

These are his own words:

Although his guitars never became widely known in Europe or the U.S., they are well recognized and considered collectible in Japan.

Takshi words:

“After returning to Japan from my first period of study in Granada in 1981, I established my guitar workshop in Sendai, where I am currently based. I later traveled to Granada for a second period of study in 1984.

Since opening my workshop, I have been fortunate to receive strong support and a high reputation from many professional guitarists, and I have continued building guitars consistently for approximately forty-five years…

…”From around 1990 onward, I continued to receive stable orders and pursued further exploration of new materials and structural approaches.

At present, I build guitars such as:

– models that emphasize traditional Spanish construction,

– models that partially incorporate a honeycomb structure, and

– guitars with a semi-raised fingerboard structure.

Since returning from Granada to the present day, I have continued to carry out all stages of the guitar-making process entirely by myself.”

”

These are also some of the professional guitarists in Japan that played with Master Takashi Miura’s guitars:

* **Shingo Fujii** ― Miura Guitar (1996)

Studied for many years in the UK and Spain; winner and prize recipient in numerous competitions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS_Xil298TI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyRh8qlmktQ&list=RDNyRh8qlmktQ&start_radio=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLw2iG7P5WI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGkfHPozC38

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otlL5rRpoUw&list=RDotlL5rRpoUw&start_radio=1

* **Shinichi Iwasaki** ― Miura Guitar (1992)

Studied for many years in the UK and Spain; winner and prize recipient in numerous competitions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyypyBoJXcg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgDlFe7QpZ8

* **Masahiro Masuda** ― Miura Guitar (2020)

Studied at The Juilliard School in the United States; winner and prize recipient in numerous competitions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sizyyaoyqE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-c6CzPedhs

* **Keishi Sumi** ― Miura Guitar (2021)

Studied at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University in the United States, under Manuel Barrueco.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS-94WpX-qc

* **Mitsuo Nagata** ― Miura Guitar (2021)

Studied for many years in the UK; winner and prize recipient in numerous competitions.