Adrian Heinzelmann – German Luthier
Adrian Heinzelmann is regarded as one of the most talented German guitar makers of his generation. His instruments reflect great finesse and an aesthetic that unites Spanish tradition with the modern approach for which German luthiers are widely respected. Heinzelmann’s guitars are played by distinguished teachers, soloists and students, and have already demonstrated their quality in major European concert halls.
He grew up near Cologne and received guitar lessons from 2003 to 2008. In 2008 he began his training as a plucked instrument maker at the renowned instrument making school in Mittenwald.
In 2011 he was awarded the Dr. Auguste-Schaedel-Dantscher Foundation Prize for special achievements and completed his training as a plucked instrument maker in the same year. He then started his Bachelor of Arts in musical instrument making in Markneukirchen, specialising in plucked instruments.
In 2012 Heinzelmann won 1st prize at the guitar making competition in Luby (CZ) with his Simplicio model. One year later, in 2013, he became a self-employed guitar maker.
In 2014 he moved his workshop to Berlin. Two years later he received the German Musical Instrument Award 2016 in the concert guitar category for his Simplicio model, and successfully completed his Bachelor of Arts with the distinction “Best Musical Instrument”.
In 2017 he opened a new workshop in Berlin-Schöneberg together with Friederike Linscheid. In 2018 he passed the master craftsman’s examination.
The Craft
Classical guitar construction at concert level demands years of accumulated knowledge: how individual pieces of timber vibrate, how bracing patterns affect tonal balance, how small changes in geometry shift the character of an instrument. A finished concert guitar typically represents several hundred hours of hand work. Every decision — wood selection, arch height, brace dimensions — shapes what a player can do with the finished instrument.
