Marcelo Barbero 1970 Classical Guitar

Sean,

I have a Sherry-Brenner Barbero from the same era. Some years back I did some research on its origins. Here's what I learned: Sherry-Brenner had these guitars built in a shop in Japan, and then stuck in the "Marcelino Barbero - Antigua Casa Madrid" labels, thereby representing them as being made by the son of Marcelo Barbero. (Marcelo Barbero could not have made a guitar in 1970 since he died in 1955 or 1956, I forget which. There is a Marcelino Barbero who I believe made a few flamenco instruments while working in the shop of Fernandez, but that may be incorrect.) Around 1972, this misrepresentation was discovered by a customer. There may have been a lawsuit. In any case, the labels were removed from the remaining instruments in stock and they were sold at sharply reduced prices. (I own one of the "label-less" Barberos from 1970.)

This all was a bit of a scandal. Sherry-Brenner often sold these instruments through guitar teachers. Somewhere in Ohio -- perhaps U. of Akron -- a guitar faculty member lost his job for selling a student a guitar represented as being made by the Barbero family.

How do I know all this is so? Well, some is information I gleaned from Nelson Winter, a guitar teacher at U. of Michigan who used to work for Sherry-Brenner. But I also have some independent confirmation that Barberos are not Spanish instruments. Richard Brune -- perhaps the most knowledgable person in the classical guitar field -- did some work on my "Barbero". He knew the scoop about these instruments, and pointed out several construction features (such as how the nut sits against the fingerboard) that are distinctively Japanese. Further, the internal bracing of these instruments is a dead on copy not of Barbero's style, but of the Ramirez 1A.

Incidentally, Jim Sherry (of Sherry Brenner) is not the best person to ask about the provenance or value of these instruments for obvious reasons of self-interest. I took my Barbero by his shop on Michigan Avenue in Chicago in 1990, and he dissembled (lied outright, in fact) about it being made by a Spanish builder who worked in the Ramirez shop. He also claimed it was worth $3900 back then. (By the way, I think Jim Sherry is still alive, contrary to another post.)

The Sherry Brenner Barberos are of the same general family as the Hernandis (as well as several other fictional builders like Federico Garcia). Note that the labels in these later instruments state "Final Assembly - Japan".

What is your Barbero worth? A lot depends on the condition and construction. Some of the Barberos are all solid wood guitars, and with some work on the fingerboard and a new set of tuners are hard to distinguish from a Ramirez 1A of the same era. I have one of those, and Brune appraised it at $2500. He has a similar instrument for sale in his shop (a "Lorca"), and is asking in the mid-2K range. There were, however, Barberos made without solid woods on the sides and backs, and those are less desirable and less valuable.

On the positive side, if you have a solid-wood Barbero what you really have is a guitar almost as good as a Ramirez 1A at a fraction of the cost. My is a splendid instrument with a big sound.

If you intend to play it regularly, I'd suggest having a good classical luthier look it over. The top bracing was a relatively soft wood, and the top can "dish" between the soundhole and the bridge. This can affect the alignment of the fingerboard, and make the action really high. Further, the original fingerboards were virtually flat. They are much nicer when given a gentle radius. A good luthier can do both for you.

Good luck!

Ray

I finally started school at the Art Institute of Atlanta for Audio Production in 2011, and decided to take up guitar so that I would be of more use with musical compositions. I talked to my dad, and he gave me his 1972 Antonio Hernandis Grade 1, that he bought new back in 1972. I was looking at the stat sheet for how Grade 1s were built - straight from their www.guitarsofspain.com website's guide sheet - and all of the wood types are different. Would this guitar also be one of the "knock-offs" built between '69 and '71? I have been skeptical of its value since I first looked at their website (especially since the materials listed did not match), but I am still trying to get more information about the guitar. Any help that can be provided would be greatly appreciated.

I recently purchased a 1969 hernandis 12 string, the label has no wood types but does say No. 2 1969. it also says casa sherry-brennerm madrid.

several questions i had new tuners , strings and pegs put on the guitar, it came with none. the finish is excellent, and the tone is starting to get real good as the strings stretch out. I have been told by jim sherry that there were never many of htese made.
Is it rare or collectable? I got it from the original owner, it has always been in a hard case the neck is very straight. the luther who put it back together for me said it was made in spain. any way to tell? is it valuable/ it seems to sound better every day.
any ideas????

Let me make it clear. If you own a Sherry Brener guitar you should not even call it a Barbero because it has about as much in common with a Barbero like a Shark with a Lepard. A real Barbero would cost you as much or even more than a Ramirez 1A and it would sound at least as good if not better. I have never played a Sherry Brener guitar to be honest. They might be good copies but they are a copy produced somewhere in Sushi land. Sherry Brener made quite some bucks with those copies just because everybody wanted a Barbero. This business plan obviously worked fine for him but it is actually a deception.

I also have the 1969 Marcelino Barbero solid wood,
cedar top, rosewood sides and back. I’ve recorded a number of
Albums with it over the last 30 years and it is a
wonderful sounding instrument. The instrument would probably be worth
$1700 - $3200 to a player not a collector depending on its condition, playability and sound quality.
I used to have a Contreras that I sold, lots of intonation issues and was very difficult and stiff to play. this guitar ran circles around it on how it played and how musical responsive and dynamic it is.

I was recently visited a boutique guitar shop and played
countless Spanish guitars by famous Spanish builders in the 5K to 20K range.
I can honestly say that my little Japan made Marcelino Barbero in a blindfold test would’ve been in the top five.
I love mine and will probably never part with it.

From what I have learned about the instruments over the years, supposedly Sherry Brenner used all Spanish woods, bought and milled in Spain. Then had them assembled in Japan, maybe it was cheaper labor that way, but his intent was always to build a low cost high quality Spanish style guitar. I think he definitely accomplished that, it’s how he went about marketing them where he made a bad decision. I understand that there’s a number of jazz finger style players that own this guitar, Lenny Breau used to play one as does Phil Sheeran.