Edgar Mönch – 1964

Description

The Guitar Builder Edgar Mönch, born in Leipzig on the 29th October of 1907, descended from a family of musicians. The mother, Russian, was a pianist, the father was a violinist and kapellmeister. He spent his childhood in Russia, attended school there and afterwards studied engineering at the technical university of Danzig (translator’s note: today: Gdansk, Poland). He then worked as a technical interpreter at the Stoka Plant in Prague. Furthermore, he studied the violin there at the conservatory. He got around to guitar making as a German prisoner of war in an English camp. There he met a violin maker from Breslau (TN: today: Wroclaw, Poland), who showed him, how to build a guitar. From 1947 when he was released from war imprisonment up to his death this was the profession he worked in. He brought his knowledge to perfection via studies in Spain with the befriended guitar maker Marcelo Barbero in Madrid. Edgar Mönch’s manual skilfulness and his perfectionism brought him global appreciation. He was fanatic in his work and self-critical as can be rarely seen. A Stradivari of Guitar Building. He eagerly gave his knowledge forward to his pupils and from his workshop came good guitar builders like John Larrivée, Kolya Panhuyzen, Ken Bowen and Josph Kurek. Edgar Mönch died two months after his son’s death at the 16th of February 1977. Segovia, Julian Bream, John Williams, Vincente Gomez and many more guitar players around the world played and play a Mönch Guitar.
This guitar was built in 1964 in Munich has a very fine spruce top. The back and sides are made of Indian rosewood. The tuning machines are made by Landstorfer. The guitar has nor cracks or repairs and is in remarkable condition. A hardshell case is included.