Antonio Morales delicately glides a small plane over a sheet of Canadian cedar, the thin golden shavings curling with precision. “The wood is from the 1960s. My mentor, George Bowden, brought it to Mallorca,” Morales explains. “When Bowden passed, he left me all his tools, materials, and machines,” says the craftsman from Extremadura. The aged cedar, dried for decades, is ideal for crafting guitars.
With a respectful sweep of his hand, Morales presents his workshop — his sanctuary. “It was only through him that I discovered the world of proportions and vibrations. Without him, I would never have become a guitar maker.”
While his love for woodworking began in childhood, inspired by his grandfather, it was the world of stringed instruments that captivated him. “I love building guitars and the intricate craftsmanship that comes with it,” Morales, now 69, says with a smile.
“My work is incredibly diverse,” he continues, his long white hair tied in a ponytail. “It’s both a craft and an art — it goes beyond just making things. Mathematics plays a crucial role, too. I always carry charts based on Pythagoras’ formulas,” says Morales, who moved to Mallorca at 15. “The concept of the monochord comes from Pythagoras. Everything that vibrates follows this principle.”
Morales explains that his work goes hand in hand with his life philosophy. “I practice Tai Chi. This Chinese martial art is about connecting movement, energy, and vibration — much like with a guitar.”
For Morales, guitar making involves a personal understanding of the musician. “I need to know the player in order to tune the guitar to them,” he explains. By observing the musician’s finger movements, he fine-tunes the instrument so that it feels tailored to the player, achieving the clearest sound possible.
Morales’ craftsmanship is further validated by his work for the legendary flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucía (1947–2014). “That was a whole new level. My skills grew significantly because of it,” Morales recalls. De Lucía would tell him what he needed from the guitar, never specifying details but simply saying, “You’ll know what to do.” Morales strove to meet his expectations until the very end.
The unexpected passing of de Lucía during a tour left Morales heartbroken. “We had spent years working on the perfect guitar, calling it ‘La Maestra,’” he says with a touch of sadness. “Unfortunately, Paco never played it.” The guitar traveled the world and became iconic, but Morales still believed it was not perfect.
Despite this, Morales remains driven in his lifelong pursuit. “I will never stop searching for the perfect tone, the perfect sound, and the perfect guitar.” He produces around ten instruments each year, though he keeps his earnings per guitar private.
Morales sees his journey as almost spiritual. “It’s like searching for the Holy Grail or the horizon — always out there, just beyond reach,” he says. “I always say, the best guitar is yet to come. Even Bowden, my teacher, died believing the next one would be the best. I carry that belief, too. I love it. This is my life.”
His work has gained support from the tourism industry, with the project backed by Europe’s leading tourism group, Tui, and its Tui Care Foundation. The foundation, established in 2016, focuses on supporting sustainable projects in tourist destinations. Through cooperation with local communities, the foundation aims to promote social development, education, and prosperity through sustainable tourism.
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