1930 Santos Hernández Guitar with Segovia’s Autograph

by Jeffrey R. Elliott

Originally published in American Lutherie #115, 2013



A few years ago, after I had all but ceased accepting repairs in order to concentrate on my own commissions, I was asked to do a repair that I just couldn’t turn down. The owner had inherited a 1930 Santos Hernández classical guitar, which hadn’t been played in decades, and wanted to put it on the market. Universally recognized as one of the most revered of Spanish makers (so much so that he is simply referred to as “Santos”), Santos Hernández has long been one of my heroes of lutherie, and as I was confident that I could do what it needed, I gladly accepted.

Santos Rodríguez Hernández (1874–1943) began building guitars in 1890, apprenticed to Valentín Viudes, and in 1895 joined the workshop of Manuel Ramírez where he refined his craft alongside Manuel for twenty-one years, and eventually became foreman. When Manuel died in 1916, Santos ran the workshop for Manuel’s widow for another five years.