First of all, let me say that I am not in the business of musical instruments. As you may know, as a tenor I am considered an excellent programmer. But perhaps it could be interesting that in our country, because of the tremendous devaluation which rocketeed the dollar from 1.00 pesos to 3.30 pesos (until today), the prices of every local manufacture have dropped dramatically, and there is an invasion of tourists buying everything by the dozen.

Argentina has a noble tradition of guitar manufacturing. After some ideas I posted in other threads, today I visited the oldest and most traditional luthier house in Buenos Aires, the Antigua Casa Nunez, where I bought my guitar two times, and these are some of the findings:

Classical concerts guitars, nylon strings, the highest quality produced:

Model CS70C : red cedar and mahogany, ebony frets and ebony reinforcement, fine marketry. US dollars 596.00

Model Salinas : (jacaranda*) and red cedar, ebony frets, fine marketry, US dollars 438.00

Guitar with mic included:

Model C1JEQ : (jacaranda*) and canadian harmonic pine, ebony frets, anticoupling ARTEC microphone with high quality equalizer, plug and cannon. US dollars 312.00

Diatonic harp (for Kat):

Harmonic pine and walnut, 36 strings, DIATONIC (not chromatic), no pedal. US dollars 1,400.00

Ruggedized guitar cases, made of wood: between 60.00 and 80.00 US dollars.

These are today prices, they may fall as the devaluation continues, or may raise as the producers try to compensate inflation of local costs. You may find more information at www.antiguacasanunez.com (though in Spanish) or may contact me. I will not charge commissions, payments should be arranged with the producer, and you should investigate which are the customs duties in your country for importation of instruments and their cases.

There is a wide range of guitars (and some mandolins, accordions and violins) from the less expensive student's guitar for 100.00 to those mentioned above which are the finest. I tested these guitars, they are really classy instruments and the sound is superb.

(jacaranda * : don't know the translation, it is a dark and fine local wood, exotic in the North, similar to mahogany)

Un abrazo - Andres (Promoting the product of our hands. No more loans! ) :)