The charming town of Paracho (Paaar-AAAH-cho), less than half a day's drive from Lake Chapala, is said to be the guitar-making capital of the entire western hemisphere. In Mexico, Paracho is synonymous with guitar and the town is known as "The Guitar Capital of Mexico," yet it is also a town of workshops creating wooden furniture and accessories.

Nestled along Mexico's volcanic axis in the neighboring state of Michoacán, Paracho has been the center of Mexico's stringed musical instrument making for generations. All over Mexico, the musicians are playing guitars, standing basses, gittarones  (walking basses), vihuelas (mariachi guitars) and requintos (guitars used to accompany vocalists) that were crafted in Paracho.

Guitar making and its related industries are the economic life force of the town. It's been estimated that 1,500-2,000 guitar makers work among the approximately 25,000 souls living in this small mountain town. That's more craftsmen working in the trade than in the whole of the United States.