I inherited this guitar from a close friend who picked it up at at a garage sale as it was on my lap every time I was over at his house. Not sure what it is but this is a special instrument that seems to have aged beautifully. The action is as good as any guitar I've played and the sound although not as rich as my Manuel Contreras is outstanding. Not all copies may be as special but the one I have definitely defies its modest price. The short of it is if you run across one it's well worth checking it out.