Bill Glez was born in 1970 in Havana, Cuba. He migrated to the United States at 23 years of age. In 2003 he began a carpentry and wood flooring business in Miami, Florida, which is successful and still active today.
In 2015 He got inspired to build his first guitar for his daughter that was studying music at the time. After much research he started making his first guitar. The knowledge and skill acquired working with wood for so many years in the past served as a base for his new profession as a guitar maker. After making his first guitar it became a passion. In 2017 he decided to get professionally trained, enrolled in a Guitar making course, making, and studying traditional construction techniques in Malaga Spain by Master Guitar maker Pablo Requena. After finishing his apprenticeship, he set up his own workshop in Miami, Florida.
He builds his Guitars in the Spanish tradition, using only carefully selected premium woods. His instruments are entirely handmade and finished with Shellac finish Method. His guitars have been praised craftmanship and for having a charming, balanced, rounded and clear sound.
His guitars have found new owners around the World. Renowned Classical guitarists have chosen to own Bill Glez Classical guitar such as Rafael Padron, Rene Izquierdo, Iliana Matos, Nikita Nedelco, Jim Stoud, Juan A. Peña, and Alberto Puerto. As well as popular famous musicians such as Amaury Gutierrez, Jose Luis De la Paz, Albita, Luis Enrique and Lulo Perez.
It is often said that the arts feed the soul, Bill Glez has a strong commitment in contributing to the local arts community. He believes in supporting and encouraging artists in their creative endeavors increases the community’s appreciation and participation in the arts. He has participated in and donated classical Spanish guitars to the first prize winner of FIU Miami International Guitart Festival and Florida Guitar Foundation Competition at the University of Miami.
At his local workshop in Miami, he also offers guitar repairs and a guitar making course.
Born in Malaga, Spain in 1968, Pablo Requena has become a very well sort after guitar maker due to the high quality of his instruments, both classical and flamenco guitars. There are many well established professional players who own his guitars. A few examples are Paul Gregory, John Mills and the late Amy Winehouse.
Requena’s guitars are known for their brilliance in tone, while retaining warmth and expression. They are extremely comfortable to play and are made exquisitely, showing a great attention to detail.
Pablo Requena has also become one of the leading teachers of the art of guitar making. He runs his one month guitar making courses in Malaga, Spain where many of his students have gone on to become guitar makers themselves. www.guitarmakingcourse.org
BIOGRAPHY
Tomaś Sańchez was born on September 1, 1973 in a town south of Madrid called Ciempozuelos.
At the age of 14 he began working in a cabinet making workshop where his skills in wood grew until today, at the age of 20 he began to study music with a guitar and in 2003 with 3 more friends they founded a rock group called "Pokara", eĺ as a solo guitarist and recording a studio album with the famous label Foque.
The summer of that same year (2003) he took a Spanish guitar construction course in Coŕdoba with the master guitar maker Paco Santiago Marín from Granada where he was able to express his skills with the tools in the construction of his 1st guitar.
The first years of learning as a guitar maker were spent building guitars for family and friends, currently he makes excellent quality guitars using 1st grade woods and traditional artisan techniques, carrying out all the advice of guitar makers such as Antonio Sańchez, from Ciempozuelos ( Madrid), Jerońimo Penã, from Marmolejo (Jaeń) Jose Romero, from (Madrid), Ańgel Benito, from (Madrid), Arturo Sanzano, (Madrid), Manuel Caćeres (Madrid) and his own teacher Paco Santiago Marín.
At the present moment
, great artists such as Antonio Rey, El Perla, Rafael Anduj́ar and many professionals dedicated to flamenco guitar play his guitars.
Born in Granada in 1974, after completing pre-university studies and several technical courses in joinery and carpentry, he joined the woodworking sector at the hands of a family business with a long tradition in carpentry and joinery, a stage that lasted 20 years.
At the same time, he always had a great interest in music, for instruments and musical groups, which gradually immersed him in the observation and repair of instruments, especially in relation to his skills as a carpenter.
In 2013, he decided after tackling some larger jobs that required precision, specific tools and broader knowledge, he took the step to specialize and acquire training from expert guitar makers in the construction of Spanish guitars in a traditional and artisan way. He achieved this from the hand of Stephen Hill and Pablo Requena in their guitar building courses at the European Institute of Guitar Making (EIGM). The residence in Granada has allowed him to have relationships with many builders of this city from whom he has acquired a lot of knowledge and influence in the traditional construction of Granada. Later he became a member of the Professional Association of Guitar Players of Granada as a member, http://www.guitarrerosdegranada.com/ This association implements a strict quality control both in the product and in its construction, which must follow traditional and artisanal methods. This group of builders has also been a great influence on him. Holder of the second prize or (silver medal) of the prestigious "Antonio Marín Montero International Guitar Builders Competition" in 2017.
Accredited and Registered in the registry of Artisans of the Junta de Andalucía, complying with all the requirements demanded in these registries, as a maker of traditional instruments.
In 2018 he collaborated with the Granada Science Park in the research and construction of reproductions of historical instruments together with the Luthier Aarón Rodríguez in the exhibition Play & music.
Participant in numerous guitar festivals as an exhibitor and collaborator, Petrel Guitar Festival, Valencia Guitar Festival, Granada Guitar Festival, etc..., it is worth noting the most intimate collaboration with the International Guitar Festival Guitar de Ronda, where he has been one of his most important collaborators and participants and especially with his director and professional guitarist Paco Seco who has contributed especially to the development of his instruments.
Today his instruments can be seen in such prestigious stores as GSI, (guitar salon International, USA), Grand salon Guitare (Montreal, Canada), Dan Zeff Guitars (Los Angeles, USA), Ronda Guitar House, (Spain) , etc.., He is also sponsored and appointed as a reference luthier by the Royal Classics String (RC
String)http://www.royalclassics.com/catalogo_luthiers.htm?idioma=es
Occasionally, he has dedicated himself to giving master classes on the traditional guitar and its construction, and to training and perfecting new luthiers by scheduling construction courses.
He leaves in the inkwell guitarists, guitar teachers, specialist varnishers and numerous friends who in one way or another have helped him to be here.
The union of his love for the guitar plus his long experience in the wood sector made him make the decision to unite these worlds and build guitars, but in this case his interest in the crafts of his land, the traditions, its history and the long romance that this city has in which it lives with the guitar and culture.
THE GUITAR BUILDER SERGIO VALVERDE CASTILLO: Sergio was born in Barcelona in 1976, of Andalusian
parents, at 14 he and his family moved to Granada, and since then he has always remained in Andalusia.
He always felt attracted to woodworking, a hobby passed down from his father who was a carpenter by profession.
In 1998 Sergio learned cabinetmaking at a workshop school in Adra (Almerı́a), then he worked as a carpenter
and in 2002 he set up his own workshop in Mecina Bombaroń(Granada).
Due to his love for music and musical instruments, he decided to learn to build guitars and in 2014 he attended an
intensive course given by the teacher Stephen Hill and his collaborator Pablo Requena. The course was a very intense and
positive experience, to the point that Sergio decided to bet everything on this new trade, he transformed the workshop to
dedicate himself exclusively to the construction of guitars and other traditional string instruments such as the lute and
bandurria.
In 2017 Sergio won the first prize in the “Antonio Marı́n Montero” Guitar Builders Contest held in Granada.
This award was of great help to give himself
meet internationally.
Throughout these years as a guitar builder, Sergio has been able to learn from various masters such
as: Stephen Hill, Pablo Requena, JesuśBellido, Manuel Bellido, Julio Castanõs....
Sergio's guitars are based on the Torres system, but their structure and design also evolve slowly in response
to the experiences shared with the musicians. This relationship between musician and
builder is very important.
All the parts of his guitars are built by hand and with their own design (rosette, bridge...). In his
work he seeks perfection and the beauty of simplicity.
The woods he uses are always of the best possible quality, for this he constantly travels to Madrid,
Valencia... looking for the best, and letting them dry for several years before using them. Sergio
currently receives commissions from many countries. He is also dedicated to teaching guitar
construction courses
Since 25 years ago, the guitar has been my personal instrument, with I have learned personal and musical knowledge. since I was a child I had the desire to dedicate myself to a job related to music and crafts. I had the opportunity to restore some vintage guitars and this let me to thoroughly investigate the instrument. The next step was to start building traditional hand made guitars, applying the utmost respect and passion for this profession.
This is reflected in his instruments with exquisite finishes and beautiful sound. Ángel also builds copies of traditional 19th century instruments related to the folk music from the southeast of Spain.
He has learned from great recognized guitar masters as; Paco Chorovo, Carlos Juan Busquiel, Stephen Hill, Oscar Muñoz and Pavel Gavryushov . With whom he has learned a very solid foundation and has acquired various construction methods. His inspirations from him come from great references such as Antonio de Torres, Hermann Hauser, José Romanillos, Daniel Friederich etc.
Gómez de Guillén has participated in the best guitar festivals in Spain such as; Ronda Guitar Festival, Petrer Guitar Festival, Valencia International Guitar Festival, L'Hospitalet de L'Infant International Guitar Festival, etc. His guitars by him are part of the first prize of the Ciudad de Mula International Guitar Festival.
He also participates in the fourth edition of the Icon Talents project in Caravaca de la Cruz. In 2021 he was a finalist in the “Antonio Marín Montero” International Guitar Construction Contest in Granada , and his guitars appear in prestigious stores worldwide.
Each guitar that I build is a personal challenge, to achieve the best possible sound and quality, always choosing the best materials and high-quality woods.
Vitor Belmonte (Cartagena 1985) formado en la música en el seno de su propia familia, de tradiciones flamencas, esta radicado en Almeria desde el año 2014. Hio de un almero metalúrgico, su capacidad para el trabajo artesano de los materiales y su incursión en las técnicas de la carpinteria ,le llevan a plantearse el reto de la construccion de instrumentos... En 2016 entra en la escuela de luteria "Cuerdas vibrantes" que dirige Carlos Gonzalez y se inicia en la quitarreria con Pavel Gavryusnor. Desde 2018 tiene establecimiento propio en Nijar, done trabaja actualmente, frecuentando el taller del también Guitarrero-Ebanista David Egidio, y ampliando sus co sus conocimientos en el ambito de la guitarreria historica con el maestro Joaquin Pierre, Si en el aspecto de la formacion ortodoxa como tocaor. Vitor no ha dejado atras ninguno de los recursos especiticos del flamenco, tampoco ha renunciado a explorar y colaborar en el contexto de otras músicas, como el Jazz. Idêntica actitud se ve refleiada en la produccion, de su taller artesano: los instrumentos que surgen de el toman destos de modernidad en su diseno. sin aban donar la racionalidad constructiva de los quitarreros de antano, con la importancia de la obra de lores como referente de su sonido original. En 2017, junto a la cantaora almeriense Lidia Plaza, compone la banda sonora del documental LA NOVIA (bods de sangre) y tiene en preparacion en su taller el estudio de un modelo de guitarra flamenca de tablao, basado en instrumentos de principio del siglo XX firmados por los Moya.
I was born in Yecla (Murcia) in 1982. Since I was a child, I have always loved music and anything connected with it. I received violin lessons at the Villena conservatory (Alicante) under the tutelage of the violinist Arpad Babarczy, who aroused my interest in music. Since then, every instrument put into my hands, including the guitar, took on a much deeper appeal. At that time I began to work in a cabinetmaking workshop, where I learned woodworking and the use of tools. Later, driven by my passion for craftsmanship and love of the guitar, I became interested in the art of building handmade guitars. This search led me to move to Madrid in 2003, where I learned the trade from the well-known guitarist Arturo Sanzano. A year later I joined the workshop of José Ramirez, one of the most internationally prestigious firms in the construction of handcrafted guitars, achieving the position of luthier first class in four years. At the end of 2012 I decided to start a new workshop in the city of Murcia, inspired by almost a decade dedicated to the creation of handcrafted guitars.
Hand-crafted Spanish guitars made with fine tonewoods. There are a variety of models available. Please inquire for specific model availability. LuthierBillGlez@gmail.com