Francisco Simplício

Francisco Simplício, considered one of the best luthiers ever, was born in Barcelona in 1874. He started his career as a luthier in 1919 with the guitar maker Enrique Garcia, after leaving his previous job of cabinetmaker for the prestigious firm of Masriera Vidal de Barcelona.

Francisco Simplício is regarded as Enrique Garcia´s only student and heir. His instruments stand out for their sound quality with a specially sweet timbre, and the exquisiteness of their ornaments and the down-to-detail making. Regarding the latter, we could remark their rosettes, and in many cases, the carving on the head.

It is worth mentioning how from Enrique Garcia´s death in 1922 to 1925 approximately, Francisco Simplício continued making guitars using Enrique Garcia´s label, signing as “Enrique Garcia´s only student and heir”, which helped to consolidate his reputation as a guitar maker before starting to work as a luthier using his own name. Nevertheless, he kept using his mentor´s workshop all along his career (100 Paseo San Juan)

All along his life, Francisco Simplício made 336 guitars under his own name between 1922 and his very death on 14 January 1932, every guitar having been made in 100 Paseo San Juan.