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2007 Paulino Bernabe "Especial"
Top: Well aged Spruce Sides & Back: Double sides and back, inner lining Indian Rosewood, outer lining Brazilian Rosewood Scale: 650 mm • Origin: Spain • Tuners: Rubner (Germany) Price: SOLD |
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Paulino and I selected the woods for this Especial together on one of my visits to him in Madrid. Once I received the finished guitar it immediately found a home here in the USA where it has been enjoyed by the owner for the past couple of years. Unfortunately for the owner however his business and family commitments ended up leaving him with no time at all for guitar and he reluctantly came to the conclusion that playing guitar was just not going to happen for him at this time in his career. So he decided to let me find a proper home for his Especial. He cared for the guitar well, and aside from a couple of unobjectionable and small marks on the top it is in mint original condition. As I have noted before the Especial that Paulino builds is perhaps the best value. The Especial offers perhaps 80% of what you expect from an Imperial or Royal, but for about 50% of the cost. For those that demand every nuance power and character combined with the oldest and most beautiful woods, well an Imperial or Royal can not be surpassed. But the Especial brings much to the table that the two top models do at a more attainable price for many of us. Like the Royal and Imperial the Especial utilizes doubled sides, in this case an outer of Brazilian Rosewood and an inner lining of Indian Rosewood. The Especial uses a similar but slightly different modified fan brace system that the Imperial/Royal which produces superb volume akin to many lattice/double tops but while retaining that beloved and characteristic Spanish Bernabe sound. The soundboard and back and sides are aged at least 25 years, scale is 650 and tuners are Rubner. This Especial has a clear precise voice with crisp clean articulate trebles and strong supportive basses. As an added plus the owner kindly priced this guitar several thousand dollars less than an identical new Especial would cost.
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