The Synthesis Doubletop unites modern double-top construction with the tonal ideals of the Spanish concert tradition. It is a concert guitar with high responsiveness and a wide dynamic range whose voice stays rooted in the traditional sound. You can choose it with a cedar top or a spruce top.
This guide explains what makes the Synthesis different from the other double tops in our line, how the two versions sound and who it is for.
How the Synthesis Doubletop Is Built
The soundboard is a double top with a core of Nomex, a very light honeycomb material, between two wooden layers. What sets the Synthesis apart is that both layers are made of the same wood. In the cedar version the outer and inner layers are cedar. In the spruce version both are spruce. This matched-wood configuration gives a voice that feels organic and connected, with high responsiveness and an even tone across the instrument.
The back and sides are Indian rosewood with a nitrocellulose finish. Nitrocellulose is thinner and more acoustically transparent than modern polyurethane finishes. It reduces damping while still protecting the wood, which supports the guitar's resonance and clarity. The Synthesis has Der Jung tuners and Knobloch EDC 34.0 strings, a 650 mm scale and a 52 mm nut.
The Synthesis Doubletop Cedar
The cedar version has a wide dynamic range and a substantial volume that stays centred in a warm, vocal character. It excels in projection and sustain, with a direct, assertive treble that answers with very little input. It is easy to activate and gives immediate feedback, which makes it highly playable at every dynamic level. It is a concert-ready instrument, capable of refined lyrical phrasing and commanding presence, with a focused tone and a fluid articulation.
The Synthesis Doubletop Spruce
The spruce version has a crisp, articulate voice with a fast response and remarkable transparency. It offers excellent projection, tonal separation and dynamic range while staying light and structurally sound. It carries a strong reference to the traditional concert guitar and sits at a midpoint between modern responsiveness and classical elegance.
The trebles are brilliant, clear and defined, with a note separation that brings out the structure of complex repertoire. Every detail of your articulation reaches the audience clearly. The midrange has a slightly pronounced presence, which adds volume and supports a full, singing tone across all registers.
Cedar or Spruce?
Choose cedar for warmth, a vocal character and a direct treble that responds to the lightest touch. Choose spruce for transparency, brilliant trebles and a sound with a strong reference to the traditional concert guitar. Our article on spruce versus cedar explains the general differences, and our double-top guide explains the construction.
How the Synthesis Differs From Our Other Double Tops
The double tops in our line are voiced in different ways. The Creation Doubletop combines an inner cedar layer with fan bracing and wenge back and sides. The Recital Contemporary pairs its double top with lattice bracing and a soundport. The Legacy Doubletop follows the modern German double-top ideal in a full French polish. The Synthesis uses the same wood inside and outside, around a Nomex core, and is voiced towards the Spanish concert tradition.
Scale Length
The Synthesis is available with the full 650 mm scale and a 52 mm nut. If you need a double top with a shorter scale, the Creation and the Legacy are available with 64 cm, and our guide to classical guitar scale length helps you choose.
Who the Synthesis Doubletop Is For
The Synthesis is a refined, versatile concert instrument for players who want the responsiveness and volume of a double top and a voice that stays classical. It suits soloists who play complex, polyphonic repertoire as well as players whose music lives in long, singing lines.
Set Up in Karlsruhe
Siccas Luthiers is our own line of classical guitars, founded by the brothers Mirco and Manuel Sicca, whose late father Mario Sicca was a soloist, a professor at the Stuttgart Musikhochschule, a luthier and a collector. The models are developed in-house by a team of experienced luthiers and players. Each Siccas Luthiers guitar undergoes a careful setup and final inspection in our workshop in Karlsruhe before being shipped to our customers. You are welcome to try the guitars in our showroom in Karlsruhe.
The Other Models in the Line
Siccas Luthiers currently has eight models. Besides the Synthesis Doubletop these are the Origin Lattice, Recital Traditional, Recital Contemporary, Halo Traditional, Creation Doubletop, Legacy Doubletop and the Continuum Lattice. Our overview of Siccas Luthiers guitars explains the idea behind the line, and our guide to fan-braced, double-top and lattice guitars sets out how the three ways of building a soundboard differ.
