Guitarras Zepeda

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• Jeff Dwyer

  15 May 2017

  This review is long, but it all needed to be said.
  
  Stunning! That's the best way to describe Sergio Zepeda's work. I heard of his shop in Masaya, and dropped in unannounced about 6 months ago. I had no idea what awaited me. Sergio was out; one of his small staff treated me to a tour of his luthier's shop. Chisels, mallets, planes, sturdy benches, sticks of hand-cut purfling, guitars in progress, and the aroma of hand-mixed finishes, bunks of seasoning planks, wood shavings, and the spicy-sweet Nicaraguan farm fields greeted me. I was transported back to a time when an instrument was a product of hand-sawn select woods and the artisan's tools and skills, not plywood, metal jigs, plastic, and computers.
  
  Sergio arrived and we discussed every aspect of choosing a guitar. The man is an encyclopedia of the craft, a master luthier. Fluent in English (and Spanish of course), he answered every question I had. His passion for creating instruments was clear in the way he talked, explaining the details of woods, necks, shapes, internal bracing, bridges, and materials. I was extremely lucky in that he had a high end dreadnought (called 'Country guitar' in his catalog) in the shop that was exactly what I was looking for. I played it, and he made a couple of fine adjustments for me. He warranties his guitars for life; look for that anywhere else! He told me to bring it in anytime and he could swap bridges, fix any scratches, make adjustments, prep it for travel, whatever was required, for free! He doesn't just make them, sell them, and leave them. Each guitar comes with a lifetime relationship to Sergio.
  
  It has only grown into a better guitar over the 6 months. It is loud, warm, extremely accurate, and the sound is absolutely balanced across all strings. I've played old Martins, Gibsons, you name it, over 50 years of playing. This guitar is the equal or better of any guitar I have ever played, and I have to say it is the most beautifully detailed and finished guitar I have ever seen. If I didn't love playing it so much, I'd hang it on the wall as fine art.
  
  Just as another indication of what a sweet guy Sergio is, he called his own taxi driver, paid my fare, and sent me way across town to the best coffee shop in Masaya, which had awesome Nica food and coffee and was conveniently close to the bus station. This day goes into my memory banks with 5 stars.

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• Ivana Valent

  06 January 2017

  We bought an ukulele from Guitarras Zepeda, it's an awesome fabricated piece of masterclass instrument. We are comparing this legendary product to a huge amount of instruments in local shops, and there is nothing comparable, what we could find. Master Sergio Zepeda and his team, they are carfting first class handmade instruments. Make your own opinion. This small piece of art will accompany us for a long while. And yes - everybody is asking us about its origin. So do yourself a favour and purchase at that store! It's 100% worth it!

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• Toni Damota

  13 November 2016

  Hi folks,
  I bought at Zepeda's a classic guitar, I'm thinking it's a high-end model.
  Please be aware that this man and his team are an awesome traditional workspace. Never ever before I saw luthier making guitars with such a passion and so much motivation. Everbody is asking me back home, where did I buy that incredible beautiful guitar. The designs are very much with character and Sergio Zepeda seems to be one of the last great grandmasters worldwide! I am very happy that I found that craftman during my visit in Nicaragua. You should visit Guitarras Zepeda , once you are in Nicaragua! I will re-visit for sure! Thank you very much for giving this instrument to my life! Bytheway: I play the guitar already for 9 months. It's everything alright! I have a humidifier like Zepeda told me and I bought a very expensive hardcase for it (back home). No cracks, no problems. Nothing negative to mention. The guitar still looks like new and I believe that in that condition it feels it will hold a century! Hope I could write here my impressions exactly with detail. I wish everybody of you a great experience in Masaya. many greetings, Toni

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• Johann Von Stralow

  25 May 2016

  I started to practice with a Uke made by Guitarras Zepeda three months ago. Since then, my skills have improved at a much faster pace, thanks to the quality of the instrument and the precision with which it was crafted. I would recommend the same Uke to everyone who appreciates high quality and passionate handwork, a lovely piece of art. Thank you! (Berlin/May/2016)

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• Emily Rountree

  21 May 2016

  We have purchased several guitars from Guitarras Zepeda and have never had a bad experience. The guitars are beautifully made and have withstood the test of time. They are all high quality instruments at a reasonable price. We recently ordered a ukulele from the website for the first time, and it arrived in good time and in perfect condition. We would highly recommend Guitarras Zepeda to anyone looking for beautiful handmade instruments.

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• Omar Suazo

  13 January 2016

  Amazing guitars,since I began as a musician Untill today 20 years later Zepeda guitars are still building great guitars and other instruments like Ukuleles(I own one and it's great),besides that if you need a repairing job or any kind of assistance Sergio and his staff are there for you!!.

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• Gaël Wogenstahl

  31 January 2013

  -When I heard about hand-made guitars and ukulele in Masaya I had to go and check it out. Zepeda Guitar is a family business run for more than 60 years building all kind of string instruments from standard or personal design. The quality of the work is awesome and the prices are ridiculous in comparison.
  I bought a made-to-order ukulele using their standard design but I chose the wood. They made a fantastic job using patterns in the wood to create a nice design and the result is as good as the sound!
  If you're looking for a great home-made instrument don't miss this place!

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