Menchero de Frutos classical guitar 1962 Madrid School close to Santos Hernandez

Description

Antique classical guitar by Menchero de Frutos, Madrid 1962.
I offer for sale this fine classical guitar of the great School of Madrid by a virtually undocumented maker - who is nonetheless very real. Menchero de Frutos is indeed missing from the excellent "
The Vihuela de Mano & The Spanish Guitar
" by J. Romanillos and M. Winspear and from other publications on the subject that come to mind. Yet, the instrument's making is very mature and closely related to the work of the late Santos Hernandez or Manuel de la Chica (although it is heavier-built). If I were to make an educated guess on this unknown maker's background, I would venture to say that this could be the work of somebody who was once an apprentice or journeyman in the "Viuda de Santos Hernandez"-workshop...
Unfortunately, even genealogy websites don't offer a clue on who this person was. But I found an elderly gentleman of the same name in "the tube"  - where he has his own chanel - playing piano and classical guitar. If Menchero de Frutos was in his early 20s in 1962, one could easily imagine that this musical gentleman and the mysterious maker are one and the same person. A lead which I will certainly pursue.
Although the instrument is very close in design and construction to the references stated above, it is also quite personal. I expected this to be a good guitar, but after restoring it, I must say that I am a bit surprised. One aspect in particular that strikes me: It does have the typical dominant, incisive basses that one expects in Madrid-School guitars from the first half of the 20th century, as well as excellent polyphonic qualities. But it also has what I often miss in guitars of this type: a really musical chanterelle.
All in all, this is a very good vintage classical guitar that offers great sound and perfect playabilty, and as such would work very well on stage and on record - for a fraction of the price of a Santos Hernandez in comparable shape.
Back and sides are made from what I believe to be a rather unusual piece of mahogany, displaying a very nice and subtle figure (see pictures); the original machines are likely to be Fusteros, although I must say that I have never seen this particular model before. The wooden golpéador is made from a sawn flamed horse-chestnut veneer. No cracks whatsoever, all-original finish.
Some technical data:
Total length: 977 mm
Body length: 490 mm
Vibrating string length: 650 mm (+ 2 mm of compensation)
Max. body width: 364,5 mm
Max. body depth: 98 mm
Neck width at upper nut: 50,5 mm
String spacing (6/1) at the bridge: 58 mm
String heigth: 4 mm above fret 12 on the bass side, 3 mm on the treble side
Weight: 1480 g (strings included)