Juan Carlos Huipe
Luthier de Paracho
Paracho luthier
Juan Carlos Huipe is a Mexican luthier based in Paracho de Verduzco. Graduated from Paracho Lauderia School at age of 18 continued working as an assistant to his father Benito Huipe who was named by a great flamenco guitarrist Gino D’Auri (1937-2007) a “great luthier of flamenco”. Currently has his own workshop and makes guitars under his own name. He presents a young wave of guitar makers who come up with fresh and new ideas for designing and decorating guitars.
Unusuall luthier technique
That is what he says about this technique “I moisten the wood with alcohol a little after an almost perfect sanding to set fire, that shows the imperfections and makes it easier to have the perfect surface “.
Guitars made by Juan are already of a very high grade. He makes both classical and flamenco concert guitars. If he makes so good instruments at this age we expect to se him as an internationaly renown master luthier very soon. We hope to have his guitars in our store one day.
Paracho de Verduzco
Paracho de Verduzco (Paracho for short) is a small town located in Michoacán, Mexico. It is located approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of the state capital of Morelia and serves as the seat of the commune surrounding the Paracho commune. It has 37,464 inhabitants.
Paracho is well known both in Mexico and around the world as a center for luthiery (especially guitar making). This is because local artisans are known to create the best sounding guitars and vijuels in all of Mexico. The town is full of music stores that sell handmade stringed instruments. Some of the instruments that can be found in Paracho are: ten-string mandolins, armadillos (concheras) and mandolins, and acoustic bass guitars, as well as regular classical guitars and mandolins, bajo sextos, vihuelas, guitarrones and many more. Many shops and workshops allow visitors to directly observe the guitar-making process.
The nationwide festival “Feria de La Guitarra” takes place in Paracho once a year, usually in the second week of August. It lasts nine days, has its own culture, gastronomy and traditions. From traditional “Lord” to famous guitars, Paracho is rich in culture and traditions.
