Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Lapu-Lapu City: Trip to Alegre Guitars Factory



Back when I was still in elementary, I tried joining a music group in our school to learn how to play music with a guitar. However, after a couple of sessions, I decided to quit. Man, it was hard! I felt like I lacked coordination and some nutrients on my brain to pull it off altogether. Since then, it has just been a wishful thinking to be able to perform solo with mic and guitar. But even so, I still fancy guitars. 

Late last year, my friends and I went to Cebu for a vacation. Being music enthusiasts, we took time to stop by Alegre Guitars when the driver told us that it's one of the renowned guitar factories in the Queen City of the South.

It was very interesting to see how the beautiful guitars come alive. It takes a couple of hardworking Cebuanos to construct the guitars according to the specifications and design inspiration a customer wants. Apparently the guitar body's cover has different texture and sizes. Pictured above are just some of the ones we can choose from.

In this picture, we see that the men are starting to shape the guitar covers prior to passing them over to the next set of people who will eventually assemble them.

Now we see that these guys have assembled the body and the neck of the guitar, and are now ready to put the guitar's bridge, strings, frets, nuts, tuning keys, etc. altogether. Once done, someone does the coloring and varnishing  before it gets completed.

For those who love guitars, there are tons to choose from at Alegre Guitars. According to the salesmen I've asked there, toy guitars are priced at Php130, small adult guitars at Php700, and good professional guitars range from as little as Php1,700 to as expensive as Php65,000.

They also have such small guitars that can actually be played. With its looks and color, it will surely attract kids and kids at heart.

Going to Alegre Guitars was definitely not be a waste of time. Apart from seeing how the guitars are being constructed, we also saw several small items just for fun - they have various key chains, phone accessories, etc with the words "Cebu", "Mactan" and "Philippines", which are all great for pasalubong.

Cebu is the home of quality guitars and its craftsmen. Whether you want a guitar that's custom made or ready for purchasing, Alegre Guitars is definitely a place to visit. Adding it up on your half-day itinerary will surely be worth the experience.

Alegre Guitars Factory
Pajac Abuno, 6015, Lapu-Lapu City‎, Cebu, Philippines
63-32-5050706
Open Monday to Sunday, 8AM to 6PM

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