Description
The Alhambra Mengual y Margarit Serie NT Classical Guitar is a truly world-class concert instrument. Its tone is absolutely beautiful and its power and projection are at the top of its class. It is built in a very small workshop that is its own independent operation from the rest of the Alhambra facility. In this workshop, master luthiers Javier Mengual and José Margarít build this guitar from start to finish with the utmost care and artistry. (Click here to hear the pronunciation of "Alhambra".)
Medley of "Torija" (F.M. Torroba) / "Prelude, Fugue and Allegro" (J.S. Bach) / "Sounds of Bells" (J. Pernambuco) played by David Stevenson
This is the next in line above the Linea Profesional. The Linea Profesional is an excellent guitar, but the Mengual y Margarit guitars are really a significant step above. They are truly luthier-built and it really shows in the sound. They have that sound quality of a luthier-built guitar that is hard to categorize, but definitely real and incredibly beautiful. The improvement in sound is considerably greater than the $1,000 increase in price from the Linea Profesional. I've had people compare them to guitars priced at $7,500 and prefer the Mengual y Margarit guitars.
The top of the Mengual y Margarit Serie NT classical guitar is thinner than standard and French-polished, giving it very powerful volume and superb projection. It features a Torres bracing pattern, which gives it a beautifully full traditional classical guitar sound and very rich tones in all registers and volumes. The NT has thicker sides and back than standard (3mm vs 2mm), giving it more volume and sustain.
Top: Solid Red Canadian Cedar
Back/Sides: Solid Indian Rosewood
Bracing: Torres
(For a lattice-braced version of this same guitar, click here to see the Serie C.)
Fingerboard: Ebony
Neck Wood: Spanish Cedar with Ebony Reinforcement
Neck Type: ErgoNeck
Scale: 650mm
Nut: 52mm
String Spacing at nut: 42mm
String Spacing at bridge: 58mm
Nut & Saddle Material: Bone (Extra saddle included)
Tuning Machines: Schaller (Made in Germany)
Finish (top): French Polish (gives the top maximum resonance)
Finish (back & sides): Polyurethane (provides improved durability)
Strings Installed: Royal Classics Sonata
Hardshell case included
Made in Spain
MEASUREMENTS
Upper Bout Width: 11.375" (11 3/8")
Lower Bout Width: 15.0"
Upper Bout Depth: 4.0"
Lower Bout Depth: 4.125" (4 1/8")
IMPORTANT: This guitar features a 12-hole bridge. This design puts the strings at a higher angle relative to the saddle, allowing a greater transfer of energy into the top of the guitar at the saddle. This gives this guitar extra volume and resonance. It is very important that the strings are tied properly to prevent slipping. For instructions on how to tie the strings, please see the video below:
Recommended Strings: This guitar comes with Royal Classics Sonata Extra Hard Tension strings installed. These are not bad strings, but don't allow the guitar to live up to its full potential. For this guitar, I recommend Savarez Alliance set 540J. These strings provide great volume and resonance. Being Carbon, they are a bit thinner in diameter than nylon strings. The tone is brighter and not as mellow as nylon strings. If you want a softer sound, nylon may suit you better. If you would like to have strings installed other than the ones that come with your guitar, you can add the Strings Installation Service to your order..
-Geoff Ferdón, owner of XGuitars
Customer Reviews
I recently purchased the Alhambra Mengual y Margarit Serie NT guitar and could not be more pleased. It is a big step up from the Linea Pro which I had been using. As the product description says, "it's tone is absolutely beautiful and it's power and projection are at the top of its class." The sustain is remarkable. The tone gives me chills. What more is there to say. The setup was perfect and Geoff, as always, was a joy to work with. He bent over backwards to provide what I needed to make a decision and the after-sale advice on care of the guitar was very helpful. I would not buy a guitar anywhere else. I also got the BAM case. It is rather expensive but worth every penny. I have always had a problem keeping the humidity in my cases stable, even with Boveda inserts. With the BAM case the humidity was closer to what Boveda said it should be, probably because the case is airtight and the padding material isn't the fuzzy faux fur that is often used (more surface area).
Just got my Mengual and I'm not sure I have adequate words in my vocabulary to describe my experience with this guitar!
First, and foremost, the sound of this beauty is indescribable; it is profoundly beautiful and makes me feel very special when I play.
It is absolutely beautiful, fits into the body as if it was made for me, and me only, and it makes me sound like a better guitar player than I am!! Who could ask for more? If you are looking for the one and only guitar you will ever need, this is it!!
Moving along the ergonomic and beautifully wooded and fretted neck, is like moving on satin.
AND, I must mention that Geoff is THE BEST!! We were discussing various instruments and he would not make a recommendation until he played them side by side.
If you are concerned about buying a guitar online, put your fears aside; XGuitars is THE BEST!!
Well what can I say,Geoff is very knowledgeable about all these guitars and my NT is fantastic, came on time packaged with the strings I wanted and sounds super nice … Xguitars is the best
I had an excellent experience with Xguitars. Geoff was vey helpful in my decision process and I can’t be happier with my new Alhambra guitar and the accessories Geoff recommend. I highly recommend Xguitars.
Stan
I recently purchased an Alhambra Mengual y Margarit Cedar NT from XGuitars. It was my first time purchasing an instrument of this caliber online, and at this price point I was concerned whether it would be a safe purchase. After reading all the customer reviews and researching the instrument I contacted Geoff at XGuitars. He was very patient as I had quite a few questions concerning many aspects of this instrument (from tone, polish, string tension, comparisons to other guitars at this price point, etc.). Needless to say Geoff made me feel very comfortable and I felt ready to move forward with the transaction. I wanted to write this review after I physically received the instrument this week to give you an idea of the shipping & actual instrument. I opted for the 3-day UPS shipping. The packaged arrived on time and was carefully packaged to prevent any issues or damages. The M&M Cedar NT is a real beauty. The construction and sound of the guitar exceeded all my expectations and I am truly satisfied with my purchase. I recommend spending a bit more on the NTK case upgrade. I also purchased a tuner and humidipak to ensure that the guitar is stored at the right temperature and humidity. So, if you are searching for a quality instrument from a reputable online dealer I highly recommend XGuitars and especially working with Geoff for your purchase. Thank you so much Geoff for a memorable purchase experience. I have no doubts I will be considering XGuitars for my next purchase!