Guitar Shopping in Paracho Mexico Dec 2022
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- Опубліковано 19 гру 2022
- Here’s some background on our guitar buying trip to Paracho Mexico. We flew into Guadalajara and rented a car to drive to Paracho. It took about 3 hours and the main highway was well traveled in good shape. There were tolls that we pad for in cash.The secondary roads down to Paracho went through some smaller villages and the roads were a lot more rustic. We traveled by day and felt very safe.
Paracho is a really cool town with a lot of charm. The people were friendly and helpful. There are great restaurants and a market in the town square with amazing street food.
I recommend staying at Hotel Santa Fe. Ask for Maria, she runs the place. She speaks great English and we paid her to guide us around for one evening of guitar shopping. She was amazing and even did some research beforehand to bring us to the best builders for our needs.
I could easily have stayed a week to visit more shops, so if you’re a guitar nut you might want to allow yourself more time.
I bought a guitar from Salvador Castillo and a second from Carlos Piña. I am really happy with my purchases.
Note: Make sure you bring cash or are able to get cash out of the bank in town. We were told cash is king in Mexico and that proved to be true.
Also, when we checked Hotels.com it said Hotel Santa Fe was fully booked. But we called the hotel direct and they still had rooms available.
Salvador Castillo:
www.guitarrascastillo.com
Benito Huipe Guitars:
profile.php?...
Alejandro Granados
/ alejandro.granadoscacari
Carlos Piña
profile.php?...
Hotel Santa Fe:
Address: 20 de Noviembre 791, Centro, 60250 Paracho de Verduzco, Mich., Mexico
Phone: +52 423 525 0185
As a German, who doesn't love far from Paracho and loves his guitars, I can confirm, Paracho is heaven. The Luthiers are world class, and I feel always bad paying the low prices they ask for their master pieces.
She's one hell of a player man. She could make any guitar sing.
Sue Foley, so talented, so beautiful, wonderful player, lovely voice. One of those rare people.
I go there about twice a year and bring guitars to northern California. Always an absolute treat.
Typical white guy always looking to make a profit
I couldnt believe wat my eyes were seeing. Im a fan from Guadalajara, and Im so glad you visit this city. I hope you had a great time here. Im glad you find a great guitar, something you like and a quality made guitar you can play around the world and show to your fellow musicians, so they can see what Paracho has to offer. Also I hope someday you are able to play here in Mexico so I have a chance to watch you live.
Thank you so much for your comment. I absolutely loved Guadalajara and can't wait to return. I also hope I can play a show in Mexico one day.
I just learn today of the existence of that place.
Magical place. Could get lost here for eternity. Each instrument is an exquisite hand-crafted beauty -- reasonably priced too. Adore Sue Foley -- lady plays the two genres I absolutely love -- the blues and flamenco.
Thank you for sharing
Salvador Castillo is very well known and respected. He's one of the few non Spaniards who are known for building flamenco guitars
Yes he is, an Spaniard. An American one.
That highly figured wood is really beautiful but it is very prone to cracking.
cool how you mix diferent techniques.. sometimes very pentatonic and folk and other very classical arpegios and flamenco "rasgueo abanico" cool. You play very nice
Love the video. Thank you! I am proud owner of a 1980's master-grade fully-handmade Paracho-made classical guitar. Mine is beautiful palo escrito (Mexican rosewood) back and sides with spruce top and very toneful. Ebony fretboard. I purchased it about 6 months ago here in SoCal. It had been completely neglected and dehydrated for 35 years so it had big cracks both front and back. (I paid only $25 for it with OHSC). I closed the cracks with hydration and reglued them and then re-glued the bridge which had come off. The saddle was missing, so I made a new bone saddle. Now I play it daily. Happy that I have been able to rescue it. 😀
Thank you for paying tribute to these great skilled craftsmen who still do things by hand instead of the cnc stuff we get. I will share this with my Spanish students at the high school and my guitar class. Those guitar players on the video would do so well here as musicians but unfortunately they may never get a chance. And thanks for your great playing Sue, definitely look forward to seeing you here in Oregon whether it be at the Waterfront Blues Festival in PDX or wherever.
I have visited this town in Ecuador out of curiosity and found it to be similar to Paracho. I found this online to share with anyone interested:
In Southern Ecuador, lies a small village about 30 kilometers east of Cuenca where guitar-making is a way of life. San Bartolome is a picturesque town located on a hill with several guitar shops along the main road. No one really knows when the guitar-making tradition began, but it dates back at least 200 years, and many families can trace their own family guitar-making traditions to a 100 years back or more.
There are about 10 guitar-makers in this town, most of the from the safe family.. When in San Bartolome, one can visit the studios and homes of the guitar makers and see the guitars are made. This offers travellers an opportunity to support these artisans, interact with them directly, learn first hand about their trade, and perhaps purchase a fine handmade guitar to take back home.
I've heard a little about these luthiers' workshops in the village of San Bartolome. Has anyone gone to visit the instrument makers, or bought an instrument from them?
that spruce & cypress Alejandro Granados guitar sounded amazing. I could listen to you play that all day.
Salvador is my favorite luthier and I met Carlos Piña waaay back in 97. Great story, thanks for posting!
I could listen to Salvador play all day. Also I absolutely dig your style of the blues Sue. I got to see you once, and I hope to catch you live again. Thanks for sharing
You're so welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed this.
Great experience b there i like to know what price you pay on the second guitar o like to visit myself AND find one similar thanks
Beautiful !! Absolutely everything, quite beautiful ..
Very Kool. U educated me today!! 😎Never knew of Parache' mecca of world renown acoustic hand built beautiful guitars!! Thanks and U play those licks real nice Susan.. Rock on!! 🤠🌹🌹🌹
But does it djent? Lol. Sorry, bad joke. Great video!
After many (maybe 20?) trips to Paracho I was happy to see those builders that I now count as friends. You must have had some good advance info as you wound up in the shops of some of the best on your first day! Congrats on your new guitars!
You are living a bucket list dream of mine. I refinished with a French polish a beautiful Enos Hernandez guitar from that area. Solid ceder top and solid palo escrito back and sides. For the $150 I paid, I couldn’t be happier.
La primera guitarra tiene un sonido fantastico
The harlequin guitar was quite interesting! Thanks for documenting, your trip, and the beautiful, playable pieces of art! See you soon!
Great, interesting and candid video. Thanks Sue!
They were all beautiful. I especially liked the two tone on at 18:00 just because it was so different. Both the one you bought are excellent. Thanks for sharing the experience.
I have a Tres Pinos classical from Paracho that I got from my dad before he passed. It plays as good or better than an $800 Ramirez (that test was years ago, no telling what the Ramirez is worth now). Stays in tune forever and has a tone from guitar heaven. Warmer than the ones in the video (the "natural yellow" ones -- shares that finish), it has a mahogany neck and top, cocobolo back and rosewood sides, and again, I've never seen a better book-matched back. Everyday my brother and I are amazed at what those Mexican luthiers can do for the price (he comes over often to play it). Not sure what dad paid for it, but it was cheap. In the 80s he and his cousin would go down to the border bars and play for tips, usually coming back with a cheap guitar for sale. He kept the best one and I'm glad he did -- it's a lifer...holy shit! He's right -- this has an ebony fretboard! Just realized that. Thanks, Sue, following you since your first gig at Antone's.
That's amazing. thank you for sharing your story.
Ahhhhh….Mexico ❤
I agree. I love Mexico and can't wait to return.
Thank you Sue. You bring so much to the world of music and my world as a fan. Great piece!
VG sent me here and now I need to go to Paracho!
Awesome!
So cool!
Gonna buy one tomorrow. Only 70$ .they have about 10 in my local music store. Viva México.
how cool, thank you for the ride.
Very cool
Amazing video.
Great video. Just visited Paracho from Guanajuato last week and it was a brilliant experience.
Vicente Amigo had a signature guitar from one of these guys from Paracho.. I cant´remember the name!
Amazing video, and an amazing guitarist. ❤
That's a trip Ive been dreaming of for a long time. You just sold me. Those were some beautiful guitars. I hope they don't crack. Thanks for the video.
You have a hard choice to make...you are not only a versatile guitarist but an inspirational one. I will be watching more of you performances.
I've just seen this for the first time. Lovely clip. Beautiful instruments. Thanks Sue
Fantastyczny reportaż pięknie brzmienia gitar dziękuję pozdrawiam z Polski
Thank you for sharing this Sue. I've long wanted to make this pilgrimage - for now you've provided it vicariously to a degree. Congrats on your new guitars, and I hope your son loves his. My cousin's husband knows many of the luthiers there - he is also a luthier in L.A. He performs with the increasingly popular Alt Latino band "Las Cafateras" - if you haven't heard them, I recommend a listen!
You are so welcome! I hope you do make the journey one day. It's so worth it.
I'll keep an eye out for that band. Thanks for the tip
Hola SF, hace dos meses compre una guitarra Paracho barata de estudio y resultó ser mi mejor guitarra. / Me encantó lo que tocaste 💯👍 Saludos desde la Habana de un bajista rockero.
incrivel , muito interessante Mexico Guitars.......💥💥
What a wonderfull guitar journey - great film thx for posting.
That was a lure to Parecho. Excellent.
You can’t go wrong buying a Castillo
That guitar you are playing at the 12:00 mark is so beautiful and it sounds so great. Very beautiful quality. Castillo outdid themselves with all those guitars…🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤
Beautiful guitars indeed, and you’re amazing playing them as well.
Thanks Sue
I love classical also
I have a Zapeda that I love and I would suggest
From Nicaragua Zapeda is a third génération of luthier
Cant send you a pick but its awesome
Love you Sue and love thoses vidéos
Are you coming to Montréal this summer ? I saw Rouyn Noranda only in Québec !!
Party poeple in Rouyn I assure you
Learn a few swear word for them .... Tabarnak and Calisse
In a phrase ... Calisse vous êtes beau and vivre le Québec libre
1. You are beautiful and the second is a patriotic speech from here .... Viva a free Québec.
Much love ... Rouyn is so far from Montréal ...hope you come at the blues fest in Montréal or Ottawa
Wow! They let you play those guitars with that belt buckle on.
Very cool. We are on the same mission. A Flamenco Blanco for me. Spanish cypress,ebony,and spruce combined is a wonderful thing. The percussive note, not as much sustain but more "air" in the note.
Love your tone on your flamenco negra, you will have to record some tunes wiNegra, Got my hands full with my Mule and Rodebald Hoyer right now though. Thank you for the download. Please come to Virginia and put on some shows this year. Would love to have you. Happy New Year.
Aqui en iowa miro el video.mi gente de mi paracho se extraña
Excellent video.
I have a 2006 Carlos Pina Flamenco cut-away. bought new.
Time for a trip to Paracho.
That first Luthier is a ripping player. They call spruce "pino abeto." And cocobolo is a darn good tonewood. Palo escrito looks good too.
Very Interesting kr
Thanks for watching
Great choice with the Castillo. I've played a few and my flamenco friends all agree his flamenco's are one our favorites and can be compared to Conde Hermanos from Madrid. I play a few Spanish made guitars but my current favorite is a replica of a 1974 Manuel Reyes blanca made by Alejandro Vazquez Rubio from Paracho. His brother is the well known builder in LA - German Vazquez Rubio. I've never been to Paracho but hope to go in the not so distant future. Cheers from Florida!
Cocobolo has a toxicity that will affect you in weird and woderful ways if you work it too much, some people react to it very quickly and others not so much. It is one of the most beautiful woods out there and is not very commonly used in guitars because a lot of wood workers refuse to work with it because of its toxicity. THIS guitar looks phenominal!
also, you can marry me any day, ill clean house and cook, you just play guitar all day :)
win win :)
I'm wondering if there were any regrets leaving behind the very unusual guitar made of the six woods starting at 16:57? Both tops coming from Canadian Spruce and Ava woods with the Mexican Rosewood and Cypress back? Thanks for taking us there.
Dang ur really good on guitar..and cute😊
Muito simpática essa moça.
At the first shop the gentleman played Almoraina. It’s from Paco de Lucia.
Awesome video.. really like the production. I was not expecting such an awesome show..
Would love to hear you play The Third Man theme on one of your acoustic guitars.
Almoraima by paco sounds incredible.
Can you them them to do a video on how they build their Ckassical Guitars?🎸 ❤❤❤
You should try a Guitar build by Carlos Pina. I have one and I love it 🙂
Another type of music with a spanish guitar (no flamenco) is classical, as the composer Francisco Tárrega or Albeniz.
It's awesome an american interested about spanish guitars, if you have the opportunity travels to Spain to test spanish guitars too and make concerts with flamencos players and singers. Sorry my bad english. I suppose you'll never read this commentary, but thanks for this video and for your music.
Great video! Next time rent the ELLLL CAMEEEENO!
Great video! How did you manage the flight with two guitars? Carry on, checked in, or did you buy a ticket for each? I’m visiting family near Paracho and planning on making a trip to buy a guitar.
Thanks for sharing this Sue. I'm aiming to go later this year.
How is Paracho as town to stay for a few months and learn to play the guitar?
Paracho is a great little town. Very beautiful and the people are friendly a helpful. I think you would enjoy it
What price was the last guitar you bought? Thanks for your video
Those Huipe guitars are fantastic! How would you rate them vs the Castillo guitars?
They sound beautiful. I wonder how these guitars compare to something like Fender, Martin, or even Taylor guitars? 🤔
these are much better
Those are all factory made. No comparison.
Y cuanto fue el costo de la primera guitarra que compraste del SR. Salvador??
Spanish suits you well.
This question may have been answered. But how did you get these 2 Guitars back to the United States? I assume that when you bought them the cases were not exactly TSA approved.
Anybody knows the name of the song that she plays with the guitar?
Para turistas anglosajones una traduccion de piezas y maderas de las guitarras para que entiendan las joyas que tienen en las manos no creen?
Si gracias. Las otras joyas son los guitarristas que pagaria para poder ver aqui en los eeuu...
terrible mic whats the point, I can't hear the guitar well.
Muy tosca con guitarras que no son tuyas , espero que por lo menos si hayas comprado aun que sea una .
Le dio unos buenos madrazos con sus nudillos a una pobre guitarra. Compro dos.
Tranquilo rudeboy.. Pago con un video de homenaje a ellos asi que habra mas clientes. Y compro dos.
Hi Sue, very nice video! Do you like Pantera?
Holy molly! You played with my favorite blues guitarist, Buddy Guy! I have an album of his. That is amazing.
Mama, we made it to UA-cam 🥲