Barcelona is also written in the form of a musical score. A complex and varied score, which travels from the high, almost strident notes, to the most melodic and acoustic passages. In recent years, this Barcelona score has become one of the great references on the international scene. From large venues like the Estadi Olímpic —a stage that international artists have made a regular stop on their tours, such as Bad Bunny, Rosalía or Bruce Springsteen— to festivals that mark the musical calendar, such as Primavera Sound or Cruïlla, Barcelona has consolidated itself as a city with a musical intensity and level difficult to match.
But the image of a city transformed into a global stage is only one side of the Barcelona score. The other side —more discreet, less visible, but equally necessary— is played every week in small and medium-sized venues and clubs that sustain local talent and the local scene. Spaces that, without making noise —despite betting on music—, keep the city's pulse alive.
In the heart of Consell de Cent, one of these musical refuges is hidden. If it weren't for a large illuminated illustration of a wooden guitar announcing the entrance, Aclam Club could go completely unnoticed among the buildings of the Eixample. But this discretion is part of its charm.
The detail of the guitar is a clue to what is really hidden: after a long corridor, you arrive at a room of more than a thousand square meters where more than 300 electric guitars share space with classic motorcycles from brands like Bultaco, Ossa or Montesa and with an extensive collection of analog photography made up of Nikon, Canon or Leica cameras. At first glance, they seem like objects from different worlds. But all of them explain the same fascination for design, craftsmanship, and objects that have survived the passage of time.
The project was born precisely from these three passions of Jordi Canivell: music, motorcycles, and photography. The collection that today occupies a good part of the space is, in fact, the result of more than three decades of research, acquisitions, and restorations around these three passions. It all began in 1986 with the purchase of a Fender Stratocaster guitar. That first instrument marked the beginning of a collection that has not stopped growing since then.
Although the collection did, Aclam's story did not begin within the world of music. More than thirty years ago, the company was active in the field of graphic arts and recording studios. Over time, Canivell's passion for instruments gained weight, completely transforming the business project.
Thus, after decades of studying instruments, components, and construction systems, Canivell decided to make the leap from collector to creator. For years he worked on different instrument prototypes until, in 2021, he commercialized the first models of Canivell guitars. The main distinctive feature of these guitars is that they offer the possibility of interchanging pickups and combining different types of tops. A system that allows modifying the instrument and exploring a wide variety of sound configurations.
When a Bultaco becomes a guitar
As Aclam consolidated itself as a specialized store not only in guitars, but also in pedals and pedalboard systems, the need to share this passion beyond sales and exhibition also grew. The idea of a club dedicated to live music took shape until it was decided to expand the store space and connect it with the adjacent premises, which until then functioned as a parking lot.
The transformation required a comprehensive renovation especially aimed at guaranteeing the acoustic quality of the room. The works finished in 2019 and gave rise to the current Aclam Club: a hybrid space between a concert hall, cultural center, and meeting point for musicians, collectors, and fans. It is in this space where the essence and soul of the collection breathe, with objects that represent more than mere decoration: from Chesterfield sofas to vinyl records or exposed motorcycles, all breathe the same aesthetic.
This attention to detail is also reflected in some of the instruments that are part of the collection. Several of the guitars have been conceived as a direct homage to Bultaco motorcycles, drawing inspiration from their colors, lines, and design elements. Displayed alongside the models that inspired them, they establish a unique dialogue between two distinct disciplines but with a very Barcelona origin: since both elements have been designed and manufactured in the city —both Canivell guitars and Bultaco, a Catalan brand that disappeared in 1983—.
These guitars accompany the visitor along the corridor leading to the club, turning the entrance journey into a kind of exhibition tour. It is here that another of Jordi Canivell's passions appears: analog photography. The walls host a selection of images captured by the collector himself, many of them everyday scenes of New York that share the same vintage aesthetic that permeates the entire space.
In the room, Canivell's own creations coexist, however, with some of the great names in guitar history. Among the more than 300 instruments that make up the collection are examples from Fender, Gibson, Selmer, or Monteleone, as well as pieces built by renowned luthiers such as Antonio Torres, Enrique García, or Ignacio Fleta.
The result is an open and flexible room, with a capacity that can reach approximately 200 people depending on the format, but which is capable of adapting to different activities without losing identity. One day it can be adapted for an intimate concert by a musician like Jon Carin (legendary member of the band Pink Floyd); the next, a book presentation or a corporate event; and during the night, a composition workshop.
The eclecticism of the collection, therefore, is also manifested in the venue's programming, since at Aclam there is no single stylistic line nor the desire to limit itself to a single genre. Jazz, blues, soul, rock, folk, and flamenco coexist in a schedule that is committed to musical diversity. "We prefer not to limit ourselves to a single style," explains Marcel Cavallé, musician and programmer of the club. "The premise is clear: to bet on quality live music." This flexibility also defines the use of the space, which outside of musical programming is open to corporate events of all kinds, even without the need to be directly related to music.