Leonardo Buendia of Buendia Guitars is one of many luthiers who have apprenticed with the great Ervin Somogyi. All the apprentices of Somogyi have a specific style, but you can see the base reference as Somogyi. I haven’t yet created a posting on Somogyi, but this is probably forthcoming in the future. His work has a long history and probably a short single post won’t do him justice.
I am attracted to Leonardo’s work by his workmanship and attention to design details. The inlays are tastefully done, not over the top, and I very much like the designs, colours, and shapes he uses. The headstock design is stunning. Too often, I have seen great guitars with ugly headstocks. His headstocks are executed to perfection and are beautifully designed.
Coming from the Somogyi camp, his guitars most likely have that trademark tone — and with it — the pricing. It isn’t yet in the stratosphere of Somogyi, but unattainable for most (base is $12K). That’s less than Kostal and Matsuda, but probably on the rise.
Shown below is one of his Jumbo guitars. I love the color scheme of the inlays — the rich orange/red/yellow that complements the darker back side woods and the fretboard. The high-aspect ratio inlay rectangles add to the geometric beauty. And the slightly asymmetric triangular headstock is simple yet elegant. Overall, this is a stunning guitar which I am sure is equally stunning in tonal delivery.
