Luthiers from Around the World

The modern French name for luthier goes back to lute making. In the German-speaking world, the makers of stringed instruments were called violin makers, as violin was the generic term for various stringed instruments. However, violin makers also occasionally made plucked instruments such as lutes, mandolins, harps, guitars and hurdy-gurdies. Clear demarcations between the instrument makers were created later and regionally by professional associations. The craft of luthiers is usually divided into two main categories: Makers of stringed instruments that are plucked or bowed, and makers of stringed instruments that are bowed. Since stringed instruments require a bow, there is a sub-type in the second category known as a bow maker or archetier. Two important luthiers of the early 19th century who are associated with the development of the modern classical guitar are Louis Panormo and Georg Staufer. Antonio Torres Jurado is credited with developing the shape of the classical guitar that is still in use today. Christian Frederick Martin from Germany developed a form that evolved into the modern steel-stringed acoustic guitar.

Chiara Frisio: Italian Luthier from Milan

Chiara Frisio: Italian Luthier from Milan

Chiara Frisio is one of Italy's most compelling emerging luthiers — a Milanese maker whose workshop brings together the rigour of historical instrument building and the warmth of the traditional...

Chiara Frisio: Italian Luthier from Milan

Chiara Frisio is one of Italy's most compelling emerging luthiers — a Milanese maker whose workshop brings together the rigour of historical instrument building and the warmth of the traditional...

Gernot Wagner: Pioneer of the Double-Top Classical Guitar

Gernot Wagner: Pioneer of the Double-Top Classi...

Few names in contemporary classical guitar making carry the weight of Gernot Wagner. Based in Frankfurt, Germany, Wagner is widely recognised as one of the co-inventors of the double-top soundboard...

Gernot Wagner: Pioneer of the Double-Top Classi...

Few names in contemporary classical guitar making carry the weight of Gernot Wagner. Based in Frankfurt, Germany, Wagner is widely recognised as one of the co-inventors of the double-top soundboard...

Francisco Barba: Master of the Sevillian Flamenco Guitar

Francisco Barba: Master of the Sevillian Flamen...

Among the great luthiers who have shaped the sound of flamenco guitar in the modern era, Francisco Barba stands as one of the most respected voices to emerge from Seville....

Francisco Barba: Master of the Sevillian Flamen...

Among the great luthiers who have shaped the sound of flamenco guitar in the modern era, Francisco Barba stands as one of the most respected voices to emerge from Seville....

Teodoro Pérez: Madrid Guitar Maker of the Classical Tradition

Teodoro Pérez: Madrid Guitar Maker of the Class...

Teodoro Pérez is one of the most respected classical guitar makers working in the Madrid tradition today. Born in 1952 in the province of Soria in central Spain, he grew...

Teodoro Pérez: Madrid Guitar Maker of the Class...

Teodoro Pérez is one of the most respected classical guitar makers working in the Madrid tradition today. Born in 1952 in the province of Soria in central Spain, he grew...

Saeid Aboutalebian – Iranian-Born Luthier in Barcelona

Saeid Aboutalebian – Iranian-Born Luthier in Ba...

Saeid Aboutalebian belongs to a generation of luthiers who have carried their deep roots in traditional instrument making into the demanding world of concert classical guitar. Born in Isfahan, Iran,...

Saeid Aboutalebian – Iranian-Born Luthier in Ba...

Saeid Aboutalebian belongs to a generation of luthiers who have carried their deep roots in traditional instrument making into the demanding world of concert classical guitar. Born in Isfahan, Iran,...

René Lacote: The Stradivarius of the Guitar

René Lacote: The Stradivarius of the Guitar

In the golden age of the Romantic guitar, one name stood above all others in Paris: René François Lacôte. Born in 1785 and active until his death in 1871, Lacôte...

René Lacote: The Stradivarius of the Guitar

In the golden age of the Romantic guitar, one name stood above all others in Paris: René François Lacôte. Born in 1785 and active until his death in 1871, Lacôte...

Youri Soroka: French-Ukrainian Luthier

Youri Soroka: French-Ukrainian Luthier

Youri Soroka is one of the most compelling stories in contemporary classical guitar making. A French-Ukrainian luthier working from Orléat in the Puy-de-Dôme region of France, he arrived at instrument...

Youri Soroka: French-Ukrainian Luthier

Youri Soroka is one of the most compelling stories in contemporary classical guitar making. A French-Ukrainian luthier working from Orléat in the Puy-de-Dôme region of France, he arrived at instrument...

Simon Marty: Australia's Radical Guitar Engineer

Simon Marty: Australia's Radical Guitar Engineer

Simon Marty occupies a singular position in the world of classical guitar making. A Sydney-based luthier with a doctorate in electrical engineering, he approached the centuries-old craft not as a...

Simon Marty: Australia's Radical Guitar Engineer

Simon Marty occupies a singular position in the world of classical guitar making. A Sydney-based luthier with a doctorate in electrical engineering, he approached the centuries-old craft not as a...

Antonio Picado: Master Luthier from Berga

Antonio Picado: Master Luthier from Berga

Among the classical guitar makers who emerged from the rich Catalan lutherie tradition, Antonio Picado Cardoso stands out as a craftsman who combined rigorous artisanal training, deep respect for Spanish...

Antonio Picado: Master Luthier from Berga

Among the classical guitar makers who emerged from the rich Catalan lutherie tradition, Antonio Picado Cardoso stands out as a craftsman who combined rigorous artisanal training, deep respect for Spanish...

Luigi Locatto: Italian Master Luthier

Luigi Locatto: Italian Master Luthier

Luigi Locatto is one of Italy's most respected classical guitar makers — a luthier, guitarist, and scholar whose instruments carry the unmistakable voice of the great Spanish tradition into the...

Luigi Locatto: Italian Master Luthier

Luigi Locatto is one of Italy's most respected classical guitar makers — a luthier, guitarist, and scholar whose instruments carry the unmistakable voice of the great Spanish tradition into the...

Ana Espinosa Rodriguez: Granada Luthier

Ana Espinosa Rodriguez: Granada Luthier

Ana Espinosa Rodriguez is one of the most compelling voices in contemporary classical guitar making — a Granada-based luthier whose instruments combine the tonal warmth of the Spanish tradition with...

Ana Espinosa Rodriguez: Granada Luthier

Ana Espinosa Rodriguez is one of the most compelling voices in contemporary classical guitar making — a Granada-based luthier whose instruments combine the tonal warmth of the Spanish tradition with...

Darío García: Young Granada Luthier Building on a Great Tradition

Darío García: Young Granada Luthier Building on...

At a time when the classical guitar world looks increasingly to a handful of established names, Darío García represents something genuinely rare: a young maker from Granada, still in his...

Darío García: Young Granada Luthier Building on...

At a time when the classical guitar world looks increasingly to a handful of established names, Darío García represents something genuinely rare: a young maker from Granada, still in his...

Where Guitars Speak Louder Than Words

  • Luthier: Jialan Chen
    Construction Year: 2026
    Construction Type: Traditional
    Top: Spruce / Cedar
    Back and Sides: Wenge
    Soundboard Finish: French polish
    Body Finish: French polish
    Air Body Frequency: G / G sharp
    Weight (g): 1595
    Tuner: Alessi
    Condition: New
  • Luthier: Lucio Antonio Carbone
    Construction Year: 2026
    Construction Type: Traditional
    Top: Spruce
    Back and Sides: Indian rosewood
    Soundboard Finish: French polish
    Body Finish: French polish
    Air Body Frequency: F / F sharp
    Weight (g): 1400
    Tuner: Alessi
    Condition: Mint
  • Luthier: Andreas Kirschner
    Construction Year: 2016
    Construction Type: Traditional
    Top: Cedar
    Back and Sides: Indian rosewood
    Soundboard Finish: French polish
    Body Finish: French polish
    Air Body Frequency: F sharp
    Weight (g): 1450
    Tuner: Gotoh
    Condition: Excellent
  • Luthier: Richard Jacob Weissgerber
    Construction Year: 1944
    Construction Type: Traditional
    Top: Spruce
    Back and Sides: Indian rosewood
    Soundboard Finish: French polish
    Body Finish: French polish
    Air Body Frequency: A
    Weight (g): 1185
    Tuner: Rubner
    Condition: Very good
  • Luthier: Richard Jacob Weissgerber
    Construction Year: 1936
    Construction Type: Traditional
    Top: Spruce
    Back and Sides: Cherry
    Soundboard Finish: French polish
    Body Finish: French polish
    Air Body Frequency: G / G sharp
    Weight (g): 1175
    Tuner: Rubner
    Condition: Very good
  • Luthier: Zbigniew Gnatek
    Construction Year: 2023
    Construction Type: Lattice
    Top: Cedar
    Back and Sides: Madagascar rosewood
    Soundboard Finish: Nitrocellulose
    Body Finish: Polyurethane
    Air Body Frequency: G
    Weight (g): 1760
    Tuner: Pagos
    Condition: Excellent
  • Construction Year: 2025
    Construction Type: Double-Top Guitars
    Top: Spruce
    Back and Sides: Indian rosewood
    Soundboard Finish: Lacquer
    Body Finish: Lacquer
    Air Body Frequency: F
    Weight (g): 1500
    Tuner: Kris Barnett
    Condition: Mint
  • Construction Year: 2025
    Construction Type: Traditional
    Top: Spruce
    Back and Sides: Flamed Maple
    Soundboard Finish: French polish
    Body Finish: French polish
    Air Body Frequency: G sharp / A
    Weight (g): 1550
    Tuner: Fustero
    Condition: New

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