Agustín Gaytán, 2026

A rosette rarely stops us before the first note; this one did, and the guitar behind it kept every promise. When Agustín Gaytán first wrote to us about his instruments, a single photograph of this rosette was enough to make us curious about everything else. That kind of clarity in a maker's eye tends to run through the whole build, and here it does.

This is a 2026 Agustín Gaytán in 640mm scale, with a cedar top over a very dark, top-grade set of Brazilian rosewood. It is the first Gaytán we have handled, and it arrives as the opening chapter of our exclusive North American representation of his work. Gaytán builds in Santa Cruz, California, after formative years at Hill Guitar Company and co-founding Lambdin-Morello Guitars, and this guitar carries that discipline in every joint and edge.

The 640mm scale is paired with a 51.5mm nut and a slim, comfortable neck, which together make this an exceptionally easy guitar to play without giving up any of the voice of a full concert instrument. It was completed in August of 2026 and came to us with a setup we did not even have to ask for.

Sound & Character

Play one chord and the first impression is balance. Nothing leaps out of the texture, nothing hides, and there are no modern artifacts to play around. It is a fully traditional guitar in voice, natural and open, and it carries a surprising amount of volume for its size.

The first string is focused and clear, with a satisfying halo of overtones that never becomes overwhelming. The overall character is focused but relaxed; the guitar is not on edge, and neither is the player. The second string is round and vocal, and the third string is silky. The upper register holds its clarity well up the fingerboard.

The basses are the kind we look for in a guitar: chunky, full, and rich with sustain. The fifth string is open and generous, and the sixth has real power with a distinctly Spanish flair. The main air resonance sits at G, a friendly, natural placement that keeps the low end sounding rich without ever going muddy.

Whether it is the design, the 640mm scale, or both, vibrato comes almost for free on this guitar, and the instrument is unusually responsive under the fingers.

Playability

The action came set just under 3.5mm at the sixth string and 2.75mm at the first, extremely low, and the guitar plays cleanly at that height. The medium-tall frets and slim neck profile make the left hand feel effortless, and the fingerboard appears to carry a slight radius. Between the short scale, the 51.5mm nut, and the fully compensated nut and saddle, intonation is excellent and the guitar plays beautifully in tune across the neck.

The cedar top is built in a fully traditional manner: a seven-fan bracing pattern in spruce, with two closing braces in the lower bout. The Brazilian rosewood back and sides are exceptionally dark and beautifully figured, and the entire instrument is finished in a French polish that is simply spectacular; every surface and edge looks perfect.

The rosette is the signature. It is an all-wood design built from individually cut tiles, each one shaped and set by hand into the cedar. The photograph below, taken in Gaytán's workshop as this rosette was being set, shows just how much labor sits in that single ring.

The bridge follows the same thinking, with a lighter wood at the tie block and a carefully compensated saddle that steps back sharply at the third string. Lighter-toned bindings and purflings frame the body, and the distinctive headstock carries Rubner tuning machines, which turn smoothly with no play in the gears. The label is signed by the maker and reads Santa Cruz, California.

Specifications

Back & Sides: Brazilian Rosewood
Construction: Traditional, seven-fan spruce bracing
Finish: French Polish
Action: Just under 3.5mm at the sixth string, 2.75mm at the first
Tuners: Rubner

Agustín Gaytán, known to friends as Gucho, was born in Argentina and began as a player, learning the folk music of his home country before turning to Latin American repertoire, classical technique, and composition. Woodworking came later, first as a furniture maker after training at a woodwork school, where he developed a deep respect for materials, hand tools, and precise craftsmanship.

Those two paths met in lutherie. He began building guitars in Buenos Aires in 2012 and moved to the United States in 2016 to work at Hill Guitar Company, where years of building instruments day after day in a focused shop refined both his technical skills and, in his words, his ability to listen. He later co-founded Lambdin-Morello Guitars before turning to a personal line of handmade classical guitars under his own name.

Gaytán produces a limited number of guitars each year. Every instrument begins with a conversation about the player's musical goals, ergonomic needs, and aesthetic ideas, and much of the guitar's character is shaped through careful control of the top, including thickness, bracing layout, and final tuning. He builds traditional instruments as well as doubletops, and offers elevated fingerboards and other refinements on request. More on his work can be found at gaytanguitars.com.

This guitar is brand new, completed in August 2026 and in mint condition.