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This may come as a surprise to many of local Cebuanos but we are famous throughout the Philippines and possibly the world for our world-class quality guitars that are durable and affordably priced. We have a long history of guitar making due to our traditional industry wherein most guitar manufacturers are family owned enterprises, which are passed on from one generation to another.
Aside from being popular with local tourist and Filipino expats who purchase them as gifts when they return abroad, the guitars are also popular with foreign tourists who purchase them as souvenir items. The center of the guitar making industry is in Lapu-Lapu City, which also makes ukuleles, banjos, and mandolins. The guitar-making industry in Lapu-Lapu City started when the Spanish friars assigned in Cebu needed to repair the guitars they were using. Instead of waiting for the guitars to arrive from Mexico (which would take a year or more by ship), they commissioned the townspeople of Opon village in Mactan Island to make new guitars and repair the existing guitars they had; thus began the guitar industry in Cebu.
Typical woods used for Cebu-made guitars are soft and hard woods like jackfruit, narra, black wood ebony and imported woods. Some guitars have simple designs while others have decorations of intricate designs or inlaid with shell crafts.
But what makes Cebu made guitars unique is the melodious tune produced by Cebu-made guitars is due to the exceptional craftsmanship and hard work put by local artisans in the guitars they make. So if you are a tourist visiting Cebu and want to have a high-quality guitar, buy locally made guitars and experience the unique guitar sound produced by the province’s guitar makers.
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