If you have strolled through the main neighborhoods of Granada such as El Realejo or Albaicín you will have come across several artisan workshops. Some are related to local crafts such as the technique of inlay or fajalauza pottery, but we can tell you that there are more than 50 workshops focused solely on another very specific discipline. We are talking about the luthier workshops, dedicated to the manufacture of classical guitars. Such is the fame of the luthiers of the city of the Alhambra that prices can reach more than 8000€ per instrument.
This detail was noticed by our student Antoni Aparicio, in one of his last projects in the Official Degree in Product Design. In the words of our student: 'Being one of our final projects, the briefing allowed more freedom (...). I had always wanted to do work related to the world of lutherie and I decided to go into it'.
In his research process, Antoni interviewed guitarists, mostly newcomers, and realized that there was a 'serious problem in making plane or bus trips without the instrument being at risk or being a tedious chore'. It was then that Antoni decided to focus on the portability of this instrument, thus creating 'Palo': the redesign of a classical guitar designed for travel.
During the work process Antoni had serious complications with the manufacture of the prototype, as the use of real materials in this type of instruments such as ebony, sapele, mahogany and maple require technical knowledge and high quality tools. In addition, the use of sapele wood is highly dangerous, as its sawdust can cause sparks, which required strict safety and hygiene standards to be followed when working with this material.
Among its characteristics we can highlight its size. It has been reduced to a minimum, maintaining the usual scale in this instrument, which eliminates an adaptation process, making the instrument usable from the first moment it is acquired. In addition, its solid body makes it more resistant, which combined with a bolt-on neck allows again to further reduce its size, if necessary.
On the other hand, it uses an electronic amplification system that makes it possible to use it with headphones or loudspeaker, thus increasing its possibilities of use. As defined by Antoni: "Palo is the adaptation of an element of Granada's culture to a nomadic lifestyle".
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