Enrico Bottelli

Erico Bottelli – Masterful Guitars from Italy

My instruments are meticulously crafted in my workshop and are part of an extremely limited production that aims for the highest quality in all four main aspects of guitar making: workmanship, aesthetics and adornments, material selection & processing (French polished shellac), and sound and playability.

All of these aspects are maintained at the same uncompromising level through great care, time, and patience that I invest in each individual instrument. This becomes evident upon close examination of every instrument. The carefully selected spruce for the soundboard comes from the European Alps, while backs and sides are mostly made from Brazilian rosewood or high-quality Indian rosewood. Necks are crafted from Central American mahogany or Cedrela, and fingerboards from African or Indian black and quartered ebony.

All woods are stored in open air for at least 5 years after purchase, though I rarely use woods with less than 10 years of seasoning. The wood selection for each instrument is made personally, considering both aesthetic aspects and physical properties, while also taking into account the customer’s preferences for sound, playability, and appearance.

All braces glued onto the soundboard are strength-tested through a bending test. Animal hide hot glue is used for the entire instrument to ensure optimal transmission of vibrations.

All adornments (mosaic rosettes, bindings, purflings) are personally designed and realized in my workshop, using only natural solid woods (no dyed woods). The utmost care is taken for every part and detail of the instrument (headstock, bindings & inlays, neck profile, heel shape, bridge). The inner, concealed part of the instrument receives the same degree of craftsmanship and finishing as the external part, being polished with extra-fine sandpaper for optimal wave reflection.

Special attention is given to the instrument’s intonation with a compensated saddle and nut. The entire instrument’s finish is shellac, the best choice for both beauty and sound.

I use only top-tier accessories, Sloane, Alessi, or Rodgers tuners, and Hiscox or Ika cases. Each instrument is a unique piece that distinguishes itself from the others, in an ongoing effort to enhance beauty and elegance and strive for tonal perfection. The instruments are guaranteed against craftsmanship and material defects with proper care and maintenance.