Mexico's Master Guitar Makers
Mexico's Master Guitar Makers
The now-iconic white guitar from the Disney film, “Coco,” was created in Paracho, Mexico, where almost every shop sells guitars. Our writer tracked down some master luthiers who make the real thing.
Dear Friends,
Welcome to August! Summer is flying by, and while our small team takes some time off, we’ll be bringing back some of our most popular stories from the Archives.
This week’s feature is a perennial audience favorite. And like most of our long-form narratives, it contains several layers of bonus material that you might have missed, even if you’ve seen the story before. For example, there’s an illustrated sidebar on The Evolution of the Paracho Guitar, as well as this short video of master luthier Guillermo Rubio at work in his shop:
We hope you’ll enjoy “Mexico’s Master Guitar Makers,” written by Laura Fraser and photographed by Andrew Sullivan. We also have an audio version of this story, narrated and produced by Adriana Morga. It’s available on our free website, or wherever you like to get your podcasts.
Thank you for reading and sharing our stories, for supporting our work with a paid subscription if you can, and for being part of the Craftsmanship community. We couldn’t do this without you.
Sincerely,
The Craftsmanship Team
Our latest Substack exclusive:
In our latest Secrets of Mastery episode, you’ll hear from Andy Graham, a Bay Area-based musician, instrument maker, patent-holder, and inventor of new instruments—such as the electric stringed didgeridoo, the slapstick, and the nixa wobbler, just to name a few—Graham takes us on a brief but fascinating tour of sound.
Listen to: "The Joy of Experimentation," with Andy Graham
New on our website:
Uniting Navajo traditional songs with the dynamic currents of contemporary jazz and jazz improvisation, the trumpet master, Delbert Anderson (Diné/Navajo), weaves a vibrant tapestry of sound.
Read our latest multimedia profile: Hitting All the High Notes: Delbert Anderson Trumpets On, written by RoseMary Diaz.
Craftsmanship Magazine focuses on master artisans and innovators whose work informs our quest: to create a world built to last.
In addition to our Substack offerings, you’ll find a rich archive of in-depth reported features, audio stories, photo essays, Field Notes, and documentary shorts on our free website—along with community resources like our Artisans’ Directory, our guide to U.S.-based craft & folk schools, and much more.