What does a 2A guitar mean?

I´m often asked what a 2A guitar is and what the diference between a 2A and a 1A guitar is.

Literaly 2A means ´segunda´ or second as opposed to 1A which means primera or first/best.

In real life, 2A can mean a lot of things but it always means a cheaper guitar than a 1A guitar. It can be an apprentice guitar with the masters name on or it can be the master himself using some not so high grade wood he has lying around that he wouldnt use for his first grade model. It can be so many things that each case might be different, but in general, 2A guitars, we only make when we dont have enough clients for our top model guitars. Its a way of covering a cheaper market. Reaching clients that for different reasons dont want to pay what our top model costs.

In my own case, I dont buy wood for 2A guitars, but when I build one, I choose the wood that I find to be esthetically lower grade. A good example will be the 2A negra that I´m finishing now. The soundboard is german spruce, Very well quatersawn. Straight, tight grain and absolutely no runout. But it has some brown striping towards the edges. Top quality soundwise.

The back and sides are form different sources. The sides are left overs from 2 sets, where I´ve cracked the other part during bending. One of them I´ve had lying around for 6 – 7 years the other is recent. Lookwise they are almost identical, but they are from 2 different trees.

Besides that, 2A guitars from me have very simple ornamentation. A simple, but handmade rosette and less purfling on back and sides. Also, the French Polish is done a bit faster with less levelling between the layers.

Other times, my 2A guitars have been test guitars. I remember having made one which I finished with polyester lacquer on the back and sides and another, testing a bracing system