ONLINE BIDDING for La Inédita – a rare guitar made in 1935 by Santos Hernández begins today Monday 19 May 2025 at Bonhams Paris at 2pm.

The estimated selling price is €125,000–185,000

This rare guitar was made by Santos Hernández (1874–1943) specifically for Andrés Segovia, in his workshop at 27 Calle de la Aduana in Madrid, but never reached him.

Since the 1970s, the guitar has been owned by Plácido Arango Arias (1931–2020) – a Spanish-Mexican businessman, philanthropist and renowned art dealer. The guitar is ‘exceptionally well preserved’ and so also was the story of why the guitar never reached Segovia, as Plácido Arango Arias explained to his son Paco Arango:

upon completion, instead of personally visiting Santos Hernández’s workshop, Segovia merely requested that the guitar be delivered to his hotel. This deeply offended the master luthier, who felt slighted and decided not only to refuse to sell it to Segovia but also to store it away untouched, ensuring no one else could play it.

What is remarkable is that Regino Sainz de la Maza was one of the few to have played this instrument in 1945 and his response was recorded:

La Inédita constitutes the culmination of Santos’s marvelous talent

and is the best instrument of this type known to date.

For decades, the guitar remained in the Santos Hernández workshop, which was run by Esperanza Ruiz – the niece of Santos Hernández – and her husband. It was in the early 1970s that they decided to sell some of the Santos Hernández guitars that were still in the workshop. Word of the sale reached the Spanish art dealer and gallery owner Fernando Guereta – he founded the Galería Fernando Guereta in the 1960s (later known as Galería Betty Guereta), who then advised Plácido Arango Arias to purchase La Inédita – but it was not so straightforward.

Over lunch with Esperanza Ruiz, Santos Hernández’s niece, Plácido Arango Arias negotiated the purchase of several other of his guitars, but initially she refused to sell La Inédita. Long negotiation was required until she finally agreed, and thus, after handing her a cheque for one million pesetas, this treasured guitar was then owned and cared for by Plácido Arango Arias.

His son, Paco Arango, who is a filmmaker, entrepreneur and was initially a recording artist with Sony Records, and, like his father, a philanthropist, is now wishing to use this treasure, which his father bought in the 1970s, for a very important project – Casa Aladina. As Paco Arango explains:

Since then, this unique instrument has remained in my possession, carefully preserved in impeccable condition. Now, I have decided to donate La Inédita to the Fundación Aladina, my children’s cancer foundation celebrating its 20th anniversary, in an auction at Bonhams. All proceeds will go to children with cancer in marvellous unique day care center (www.casaaladina.org).

The online auction begins this afternoon Monday 19 May 2025 at 2pm and will remain open for bidding until on 28 May 2025!

To register a bid, visit the website of Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr

© Thérèse Wassily Saba 2025