José Luis Romanillos (1932 - 2022)

United Kingdom

José Luis Romanillos is undoubtedly one of the greatest luthiers of our time. Born in Spain, he moved to England in 1956, where he worked in a furniture factory and crafted his first guitar. In 1969, a friend introduced him to the legendary British guitarist Julian Bream, marking a fateful encounter. With Bream's enthusiastic support, Romanillos began dedicating himself fully to guitar making.

The British newspaper Daily Mail described his guitars as "the Stradivarius of the guitar world," while Italy's Sei Corde hailed him as "the greatest living string instrument maker." Esteemed musicians such as John Williams, Sergio Assad, Kaori Muraji, Sergio Abreu, and Antigoni Goni are among the many masters who have performed with Romanillos' instruments.