[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 27 (Wednesday, February 15, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S1217]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                RECOGNIZING PIMENTEL & SONS GUITARMAKERS

 Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. President, it is an honor to join musicians 
and music lovers in recognizing Albuquerque's Pimentel family for their 
65 years of building handcrafted instruments that are sought after by 
guitar players and collectors around the world.
  Pimentel & Sons is a successful family-owned small business that was 
started from scratch and has been sustained with innovation, hard work, 
and a commitment to excellence.
  As the ranking member on the Joint Economic Committee, I am proud to 
recognize successful entrepreneurs and small business owners like the 
Pimentels.
  Lorenzo Pimentel learned the craft of building guitars as a teenager 
in Ciudad Juarez. After marrying his wife, Josefina, Lorenzo moved his 
family to Albuquerque after falling in love with the Sandia Mountains. 
Over his lifetime, Lorenzo Pimentel accumulated an incredible list of 
accolades for his guitars.
  Four of Lorenzo's sons, Agustin, Ricardo, Roberto, and Victor, have 
continued their late father's work as master guitar makers in their own 
right. They have each played an integral role in shaping New Mexico's 
music scene for decades.
  Pimentel & Sons has earned the Hispanic Heritage Month Distinguished 
Honor Award, the Governor's Award for Excellence and Achievement in the 
Arts, and an invitation to the Smithsonian Institute's Festival of 
American Folklife.
  In 2009, Governor Bill Richardson signed a bill designating 
Pimentel's Sunrise model as the official State guitar of New Mexico.
  Generations of musicians have played and appreciated the world-
renowned Pimentel guitars that capture the spirit and culture of New 
Mexico.

                          ____________________