The Lumanog name is synonymous with Philippine made acoustic guitars. As far as I can remember, when someone in the family wanted an acoustic guitar the reply is always to “get a Lumanog” coz “it’s the best”.
And since the family hails from Pampanga, everyone knows where the best of the best Lumanog guitars can be found - at the hub of guitar and music instrument shops all bearing the name Lumanog in San Anton, Guagua, Pampanga.
Authentic Lumanog acoustic guitars at ROMY LUMANOG guitar shop in
San Anton town, Guagua, Pampanga. Philippines.
Thus, when it was my turn to get my first acoustic guitar - as soon as we changed Apo Ando’s $100 gift into pesos - we rushed straight to San Anton in Guagua, me and my cousin haggled the hell out of the C.B. Lumanog music shop.
My first acoustic guitar was a classical guitar with nylon strings - it had a spruce top and rosewood fingerboard. This guitar served me well, and I player her a lot, she ushered me into the world of music. 3 months into playing the guitar, I was in the school Banduria - and my Apo was actually able to watch the banduria’s recital with me proudly plucking his gift guitar. Ah, the good old days.
Anyhoo, back to the Lumanog guitar thing. Since I was quite determined to get a local guitar that I can have lying around the house - a guitar I can pick up anytime to just strum out melodies and ideas buzzing in my head - I decided to trek to Sta Mesa Manila and get one.
But heck, I checked out five shops and the quality of the “Lumanog” acoustic guitars there were simply horrendous. These are the plywood type guitars painted blue and red no different to those hawked on the streets. Their best guitars, with the nice wood tops, were not as bad but were not good either - really messy worksmanship on the outside and inside. No Sta. Mesa “Lumanog” acoustic guitars for me.
The perfect opportunity to score an authentic Lumanog guitar presented itself when we headed to Lubao for the annual family reunion. On the way back to Manila, since it was a Sunday and the traffic was heavy, I thought why not pass by San Anton see if the shops are open - and what guitars they have.
CB Lumanog shop was closed (I always bought my acoustic guitars from CB Lumanog - 3 of them), but ROMY Lumanog’s shop was open - and Romy Lumanog himself was in the house.
I immediately asked for their best guitar available. He handed me a cutaway guitar with Langka wood and rosewood fingerboard - the action felt right, the sound was OK, the workmanship was ok (not close to perfect but was ok - clean enough, good enough). He showed me a couple more guitars but I went back to the first one he showed me, so I decided to take it - for P3,000 only ($60-$70)!
Btw, this Romy Lumanog acoustic guitar had a GIBSON mark on the headstock! As much as non-Lumanog guys are ripping off the Lumanog name, this real Lumanog is ripping off the Gibson mark, too. Oh well.
The next day I immediately took the guitar to the recording studio in Makati to find out what it sounds like as captured by quality microphones. Hmmm, not bad. Not bad at all. The sound is not big, the resonance leaves a lot ot be desired, but it is not boomy and twangy either - the tone is quite balanced across the strings. Hmmm, seems like this guitar wont just be lying around the house.
So there, something about Lumanog acoustic guitars - hand made in San Anton, Guagua, Pampanga, Philippines.
tags: Philippine guitars, Philippine acoustic guitar, Philippine luthier, Lumanog, Lumanog guitar, Guagua, Pampanga
About Gerry: .
May 19th, 2007 at 11:14 am
I found the same article in this url:
http://philmusic.com/main/content/view/116/1/
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:25 am
can i buy a guitar?
February 9th, 2008 at 7:10 am
I have a Lumanog Mandolin “Supersonic” looks very old. Would like to learn when built the orgin of this what looks to be a rare mandolin by Lumanog. Has two “f” sound holes in what looks like a cedar top, the body and neck looks natural mahogany with pen strip hand painted or inlay band on top joint between cedar and body, white banding on body sides top and bottom “Ivory”? body is not plywood, Appears to hand made with an age of 50 years or more. If anyone knows about this instrument please email a reply. Allan, Florida, USA
February 29th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
meron ba kayong acoustic bass na for sale? at magkano?
March 10th, 2008 at 8:03 am
hello.. im the daughter of Mr. Alfredo Lumanog Bansil.. just wanna ask, have you already read about the news “NBI SEIZES P400,000 FAKE LUMANOG GUITARS’??.. It tells about that “RUBEN LUMANOG” was the original one & no one even if you are included in the clan of LUMANOG will ever put up a business “LUMANOG’ beyond his knowledge.. That’s what the news telling.. So how can you react/comment about that??.. He is such a BIG ASSHOLE, right?? the news is also in the net.. pls find time to write your reaction/comments because this is for all of us.. Thank you very much and God Bless!
April 21st, 2008 at 8:19 pm
Amabel, im a lumanog too.. it’s so sad to know about those fakes guitars. i really runs in our family where almost all of my cousins are good in playing the guitar. Anyway, im from cebu not in pampanga.
May 27th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
any tips on how a noob can get a decent guitar in the philippines? I live in Baguio, and don’t really play, but I want to start out on the right foot with a decent axe, not a plywood beater. I am also worried about getting ripped off. is lumanog a good name in the PIs? Also, I play lefty… grabe..
June 8th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
i want to buy acoustic guitar for my bestfriend,its a gift! so i want it to be special,actually i’m here in abroad(uae) i prepared to buy in your good store,she really love to play guitar.please send me a complete detail for my option,and i wish its for delivery because its not possible for me to pick up the thing.i will wait for your good reply,thank you! can i get the mobile number?
June 11th, 2008 at 2:52 am
omg i love these guitars. that lighter blue one up there i want it so bad but these are so far away!! anyone know what the price range is and where i can get one??!?! like in the united states haha.
July 2nd, 2008 at 10:01 pm
hi! ms,amabel. i am a student of pup and we are doing a research work regarding the staying power of lumanog guitars. i just want to ask if you could help me and my group mates? thank you very much
July 15th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
As far as I know the only way to buy one is in the Philippines or I have seen a few online like on ebay. I am from the States too and just bought a nice Lumanog in pampanga during a trip to the Philippines. It is really beautiful and plays better than my $500 Takamine. It was 8000 pesos which was about $160 dollars at the time. So cheap. Everyone there thought it was expensive and they were laughing at me, but I was laughing too because I practically stole this amazing guitar from a master luthier!
July 16th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
saan saa san anton guagua makikita best guitars,whats the name of the store?..thank you..
July 23rd, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Basta pagdating mo ng San Anton tabi-tabi na yung mga guitar shops dun. Romy Lumanog yung store na pinuntahan namin at pinagbilhan ng guitar na featured dito. Good luck with it.
July 25th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
I just got a CB Lumanog Electric bass which appears Hand made with a dimple in the center of each of the fret markers Interesting instrument is requires some attention.
Stefan
July 29th, 2008 at 11:31 am
electric bass and electric guitars are not the forte of CB Lumanog. Good luck with your bass guitar though, the BOTTOM LINE is always up to the player.
August 24th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
what’s happenin’ guys! i’m Jay…FilAm cat from Jax(i lived a chunk of my life in P.I., long story)…My first guitar was a Lumanog… i don’t know where it’s from or who made it but i remember the name on the head stock…all i know is my dad bought it from pampanga… this guitar is concert-style and has a plywood top(and body) but surprisingly, it kinda sounded good(that’s how i remember it)…i remember jamming to led zeppelin and pink floyd stuff and some opm stuff with it… guitar made me who i am today… now i’m part-time studio musician/guitar tech in jacksonville, fl that work with some noteworthy artists and own a few high-end guitars(D28’s,D18’s,j-45,Hummingbirds’s…i’m a gearwhore!)… TO the Lumanogs… Thanks guys for starting the fire!… if only i still have that guitar…
August 31st, 2008 at 10:44 am
hi!!
napadaan lang . . just tryin to find some info. abt this lumanog guitars . . sikat tlga ung lumanog guitars ang kaso ang naka2 dismaya pati guitara pinipirata na . . last year bumili ako ng gitara sa sta ana manila pero d xa ganun katibay buti nalng na raid na daw ung mga fake dun. . . pero kahit ganun willing parin ako bumili ng lumanog guitar . . .
more powers sa original lumanog guitars!!
September 18th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
wala ba silang shop dito sa manila?
September 18th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
balak ko ng bumili sa may v. mapa eh. san ba pde dun?
September 23rd, 2008 at 9:00 pm
1,200 guitar L/R?
September 23rd, 2008 at 11:11 pm
kong pwede makabili tapus isang regalo kayo na ang magmail dito and bayad.
October 17th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
sometime in 1993, i bought a guitar at Joshua Music Store at San Anton, Guagua, Pampanga. The disappointing thing is that it gives a “buzz” sound (sasapik, in local kapampangan parlance) whenever I strike the No. 6 (lower E) string. When I returned it for repair, i was terribly dissapointed when “Mr. Joshua” himself (he’s somewhere in Europe now) loosened the strings and gave a “first aid” on my guitar by putting a “palito ng posporo” on the saddle para daw hindi na sumapek. My good God, talking about “quality”. I just hope that the Lumanog Family will finally get their acts together and establish a QUALITY GUITAR MANUFACTURING company in the level of the “MARTINS” of AMERICA. I also would like to hope that the Philippine Government will assist this guitar making industry. So much for now. Your comments are welcome (good or bad), you can reach me at memorandum40@yahoo.com (zardoz of pampanga…+639296720186)
November 5th, 2008 at 8:34 am
hi sir,
tanong ko lang po kung magkano ung mga binebenta nyong BASS GUITAR?.
December 17th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
i just wanna know the price of your best eukelele?