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Heikki Rousu - 2025 No. 486 10-string

Heikki Rousu - 2025 No. 486 10-string

Details

Luthier:  Heikki Rousu
Construction Year: 2025
Top: Spruce
Back and Sides: Bocote
Soundboard Finish: French polish
Body Finish: French polish
Air Body Frequency: F # / G
Scale (mm): 650
Weight (g): 1695
Tuner: Pegheads
Strings: Knobloch - EDC 34.0
Condition: New
Case: Hiscox Pro II

Overview

Heikki Rousu’s 10-string guitar No. 486 (2025) features a spruce top, bocote sides, and a three-piece back with a central cocobolo stripe. Its cedar neck with a flamed maple centre strip adds visual elegance. With natural tone, long sustain and balanced resonance, it retains a classical character across all ten strings.

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Video overview

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Can This 200-Year-Old Guitar Beat Modern Instruments? Soroka, Bruna, Lovadina, Sipe | WGM #180
Heikki Rousu 2025 No. 486 10-string Classical Guitar Review

More details about the guitar

About the luthier

This 10-string guitar was built by Swedish luthier Heikki Rousu, who has been crafting classical and plucked instruments since 1990. With a portfolio that spans guitars, lutes, mandolins, bouzoukis and more, Heikki has built nearly 400 instruments for musicians in Sweden and abroad. His guitars reflect both a strong traditional foundation and a deep sensitivity to musical ergonomics, developed over decades of personal playing and ongoing refinement. By keeping one of his own instruments always close at hand, he ensures his building approach is continuously informed by real-world musical practice.

About the guitar

Completed in 2025, Guitar No. 486 is a traditional 10-string model that offers both elegant construction and remarkable sonic presence. The top is made from spruce, paired with a stunning three-piece back in figured bocote with a central cocobolo strip, both visually bold and tonally rich. The sides are also crafted from bocote, while the neck is made of cedar with a striking central insert of flamed maple, giving the instrument a beautiful sense of structural symmetry and visual contrast.

Tonally, the guitar offers a remarkably natural and coherent sound for a 10-string instrument. It avoids the exotic over-resonance sometimes found in extended-range guitars and instead retains a pure classical character. Sustain is notably long, and the overall resonance is lush and immersive, supported by an air-body frequency around F♯/G. The additional strings open up expanded harmonic possibilities while maintaining a balanced tonal identity. With its French polish, peghead tuners, and a scale of 650 mm, this instrument combines responsive performance with refined aesthetic detail.

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  • Classical Guitars

    The classical guitar, with its soft nylon strings and characteristic timbre, has become a symbol of chamber music, Spanish tradition, and concert repertoire. Its modern form was shaped by Antonio de Torres in the 19th century, setting the standard for the body, fan bracing, and the 65-centimeter scale length that are still used today. Instruments in this category open up a rich palette from the refined Romantic miniatures of Tárrega to the majestic concertos of Rodrigo. Here you will find guitars that preserve historical continuity and at the same time inspire new interpretations.
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  • Luthier: Antonius Müller
    Construction Year: 2013
    Construction Type: Double-Top Guitars
    Top: Cedar
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    Condition: Very good
  • Luthier: Jakob Lebisch
    Construction Year: 2022
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    Top: Cedar
    Back and Sides: Indian rosewood
    Soundboard Finish: French polish
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    Air Body Frequency: E / F
    Weight (g): 1240
    Tuner: Klaus Scheller
    Condition: Excellent
  • Luthier: Daniele Marrabello
    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
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    Tuner: Kris Barnett
    Condition: New
  • Construction Year: 2026
    Construction Type: Double-Top Guitars
    Top: Cedar
    Back and Sides: Indian rosewood
    Soundboard Finish: French polish
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  • Luthier: Adrien Savary-Freestone
    Construction Year: 2020
    Construction Type: Traditional
    Top: Spruce
    Back and Sides: Indian rosewood
    Soundboard Finish: French polish
    Body Finish: French polish
    Air Body Frequency: G sharp / A
    Weight (g): 1230
    Tuner: Perona
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  • Luthier: Jose Marques
    Construction Year: 2026
    Construction Type: Lattice
    Top: Spruce
    Back and Sides: Indian rosewood
    Soundboard Finish: Nitrocellulose
    Body Finish: Polyurethane
    Air Body Frequency: F / F sharp
    Weight (g): 1730
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    Condition: New
  • Luthier: Hermann Hauser II
    Luthier: Rare Guitars
    Construction Year: 1976
    Construction Type: Traditional
    Top: Spruce
    Back and Sides: Indian rosewood
    Soundboard Finish: Lacquer
    Body Finish: Lacquer
    Air Body Frequency: G sharp / A
    Weight (g): 1530
    Tuner: Landstorfer
    Condition: Excellent
  • Luthier: Richard Jacob Weissgerber
    Construction Year: 1940
    Construction Type: Traditional
    Top: Spruce
    Back and Sides: Flamed Maple
    Soundboard Finish: French polish
    Body Finish: French polish
    Air Body Frequency: F sharp / G
    Weight (g): 1250
    Tuner: Antique
    Condition: Very good
  • Construction Year: 1970
    Construction Type: Traditional
    Top: Spruce
    Back and Sides: Indian rosewood
    Soundboard Finish: Lacquer
    Body Finish: Lacquer
    Air Body Frequency: F sharp / G
    Weight (g): 1610
    Tuner: Fustero
    Condition: Excellent
  • Luthier: Stephan Connor
    Construction Year: 2024
    Construction Type: Lattice
    Top: Spruce
    Back and Sides: Other-woods
    Soundboard Finish: Lacquer
    Body Finish: Lacquer
    Air Body Frequency: G sharp
    Weight (g): 1765
    Tuner: Sloane
    Condition: Excellent

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Frequently Asked Questions About Classical Guitars

How do I choose the right classical guitar for my level?

Choosing the right classical guitar depends on your playing level, musical goals, and budget. Beginners benefit from studio-model guitars from renowned workshops, while advanced players and professionals often choose a handmade master guitar. We are happy to advise you personally and can send detailed sound samples and videos on request.

What is the difference between a master guitar and a studio guitar?

Master guitars are built entirely by hand in the workshop of a single luthier, using only high-quality, well-aged tonewoods. Studio guitars are made in small series, often under the supervision of the master luthier, and offer excellent value for students and ambitious amateur players.

Can I try a classical guitar at home for 14 days?

Yes — every guitar you purchase from us comes with a 14-day home approval period. This complimentary trial applies worldwide to all orders, whether you are in Germany, Europe, the USA, Asia or anywhere else. We ship your instrument fully insured in a high-quality case so you can play it under your own acoustic conditions. If the guitar is not the right one for you, simply send it back and receive a full refund of the purchase price.

Can I try a classical guitar before purchasing?

Absolutely. You are warmly invited to visit our showroom in Karlsruhe, Germany, and test the instruments at your leisure. We are happy to schedule a personal appointment. If a visit is not possible, we send detailed videos and sound samples, and offer extensive consultation by phone or video call.

What payment methods and financing options do you offer?

We accept bank transfer, PayPal, major credit cards, and Klarna. For high-value instruments, we offer individual installment plans on request. Please contact us directly — we will find a suitable solution for every budget.

How do I properly care for my classical guitar?

A classical guitar requires constant humidity between 45 and 55 percent. Store the instrument in its case with a humidifier, avoid direct sunlight and large temperature fluctuations. Change the strings regularly and clean the guitar with a soft microfiber cloth.

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