Teodoro Perez, 2016

This 2016 Teodoro Perez is the Concierto, the fully French polished model that sits at the top of the Perez line. Number 1147 is built in the tradition of the Madrid school, with the master maker's technique and the careful selection of high quality materials that define the finest work from that workshop, from the seasoning of the woods through to the French polish finish. Perez came up in the workshop of José Ramírez III before going on to establish his own shop in Madrid, and that lineage is unmistakable here.

This is the first Perez to come through our shop, and from the first notes it was clear that it was something special. For anyone drawn to a genuinely organic Spanish sound in a guitar that is also easy to play, this is an instrument that delivers. It has an explosive, powerful voice that loves to be pushed, and it very much reminds us of the guitars of Paulino Bernabé Senior in the way it carries real weight in the bass without ever overwhelming the trebles. It also brought to mind some of our favorite Madrid guitars, the great Ramírez instruments with their commanding basses, and, from outside Madrid, the solid, beautiful Spanish voice of Miguel Rodríguez.

At ten years old it has been played and enjoyed, and it wears the honest marks of that. As an all around Spanish concert guitar it is very hard to fault, and for a player who wants an instrument to explore and keep learning from, it is a wonderful choice.

The character here is very Spanish, organic and explosive, with the deep Madrid basses you hope for from a guitar built in this tradition. There is real power down low, but it never swamps the top. The trebles have a beautiful sparkle and shimmer, they project extremely well, and the first string in particular is exceptional: it simply sings. This is a guitar that rewards commitment: the harder you lean into it, the more it gives back, and the volume it can produce is genuinely surprising. It can take real pushing, yet it answers just as readily to a very gentle touch.

What surprised us most is the richness. There is a depth and warmth to the sound that does not make you feel like you are playing a spruce top guitar at all. The main air resonance sits at G, and the whole instrument feels deep and full around that pitch.

String by string, the guitar is even everywhere and highly expressive. The third string is a particular pleasure, exciting and eager to be shaped, changing color readily with the attack. The fourth is rich, with a satisfying edge of aggression when it is asked for, and the fifth can turn remarkably silky. Sustain is excellent throughout. This is what a Spanish guitar should sound like.

Playability is a highlight. The neck is nice and full in the hand, a little more on the D shaped side, with reinforcement down the center, and it is set up with a very low action. At a 650mm scale with a 52mm nut width, it sits in a familiar, easy format. Action measures 3.5mm on the bass side and 2.75mm on the treble side at the 12th fret, measured from the top of the fret to the bottom of the string. At 1,655 grams it feels just right in the lap, neither a featherweight nor an anchor.

The guitar is built with a spruce top and Indian rosewood back and sides, finished entirely in French polish, which is what distinguishes the Concierto within the Perez range and accounts for the separation and clarity in its voice. The rosette is beautifully done, an intricate mosaic in greens and reds that catches the eye immediately. Underneath the top is a four fan brace design, the fans running fairly parallel to one another, with a single bar set diagonally on the treble side.

The headstock is the classic Perez design, faced with an Indian rosewood veneer and fitted with high quality Alessi machines from Italy on beautifully worked base plates. Position markers sit at the fifth and seventh frets. Inside, the label carries the maker's Madrid address, the Concierto model name, the number of the guitar, and the year 2016.

Specifications

Model: Concierto

Number: 1147

Bracing: Four fan braces with a diagonal treble bar

Finish: French Polish

Neck: Full, slightly D shaped profile

Fret Markers: 5th and 7th frets

Action: 3.5mm bass / 2.75mm treble at the 12th fret

Headstock: Indian rosewood veneer

The guitar is in very good condition overall, with the honest wear of an instrument that has been played over the past ten years. There are nail marks here and there, one small ding on the top on the bass side very close to the binding, and some scratches in the upper bout and near where the guitar rests on the leg. The French polish on the back shows some wear and light scratches where the player's chest rests against it, and there are a few small marks on the sides. All of it is normal playing wear, and the instrument presents beautifully and plays effortlessly.