Ivan plays a Juan Hernandez guitar (model: Concierto). It is a spruce top instrument, and from what I recalled - when I test-played it with him about a year back - it is a really beautiful sounding instrument.
Now, you may wonder why I have to "recall" the sound. Don't I get to hear it every week during our rehearsal sessions? Yes, indeed I do. But the truth is, every guitarist has their own feel, own perception (not to mention individual technique also affects the sound/tone production to a large extent!) about the sound from a guitar. To me, I am only able to relate how this guitar sound, relative to another guitar which I have played. It is rather meaningless to listen to a guitar sound that I played (say, on guitar A), then listen to another guitarist play guitar B, and then go, "Guitar A sounds better/worse than guitar B".
* Some fellow Genus members (of my "era") might remember Professor Manji from the Niibori Academy. He was the visiting professor at our Genenis Camp many years back. I distinctly remember, till this day, that he picked up one of our lower-range Alto guitars (definitely one of those hopeless TE300), and played it so effortlessly to make it sound like an NA20 or better! So there!
Well, back to Juan Hernandez, Ivan's guitar luthier (did I mention that the headstock design looks gorgeous? :P ). Anyway, here's a little excerpt from his website:
Juan Hernández--Constructor of Guitars.
Made in Alboraia (Valencia), Spain
Juan Hernández Iranzo was born in Turís (Valencia) Spain in the late 1940's. He began learning guitarmaking in the Francisco Esteve workshop at age15. There he became an "oficial" (sort of a certified guitarmaker) and later he became production manager. For many years he has been involved with the construction of the deluxe models made at Esteve. Now, along with the assistance of 3 artisans, he is proud to offer a limited number of fine guitars under his own label made of very good woods and constructed with care and expertise.
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