Francisco Núñez (luthier)
Francisco Núñez Rodríguez (1841–1919) was a Spanish luthier who settled in Argentina and founded the renowned guitar workshop Casa Núñez.
Born in Santa María de Tebra, Pontevedra, Spain, Núñez moved to Buenos Aires in 1858. In his early years in Argentina he worked as a baker before turning to woodworking and discovering a passion for luthiery. He learned the craft in the workshop of Ramírez, the father-in-law of guitarist Gaspar Sagreras.
In 1870, Núñez started a guitar-making workshop with his brother and a partner. The trio soon left the business, and Núñez continued on his own.
A 1894 trip to Europe brought back modern machinery that allowed large-scale production. His workshop was located at the former Cuyo Street 726 in Buenos Aires (today Sarmiento Street 1628) and became a landmark for guitarists and enthusiasts.
Under Núñez, Casa Núñez produced about 1,000 guitars per week, with prices around 300–400 pesos. Núñez personally built only 20–30 guitars per year, but those pieces were highly valued, sometimes more than those of famed luthier Antonio de Torres Jurado.
In 1910 he declined an offer of 400,000 pesos for the company. By 1916 the business collapsed due to mismanagement by relatives, leaving Núñez financially ruined. He died in poverty in Buenos Aires in 1919.
Núñez’s guitars were played by well-known musicians such as Juan Alais, Pedro M. Quijano, Julio S. Sagreras, and Juan Valler. Casa Núñez attracted many intellectuals, artists, and politicians. One of his guitars won international awards, and El País described him in 1900 as a meritorious industrialist who combined technical excellence with artistic spirit. Casa Núñez continued operating until 2024.
This page was last edited on 28 January 2026, at 16:33 (CET).