Hans van den Berg – 2021 Torres FE17

Description

Hans van den Berg was born in Orkney, South Africa, on March 1st, 1960. He always loved working with wood, mainly involving furniture, but it wasn’t until later in life that his sister, a classical guitar teacher, introduced him to a book about guitar making, which to him seemed the ultimate in woodworking: bringing the material back to life in the form of a musical instrument.

He threw himself into luthiery and built his first guitar in 1996. He studied the work of the masters from books and built various instruments based on the work of Jose Romanillos for his spruce guitars and Daniel Friederich for his cedar guitars, with a focus on improving upon traditional methods. Abri Jordaan, a leading South African guitar teacher, helped him better understand the player’s needs in terms of feel and sound. In 2007 he built a workshop next to his house in Meyerton, South Africa, where he now works full time.

This lovely guitar comes straight from Hans’ workshop and displays wonderful craftsmanship. It is a replica of the guitar built by Antonio de Torres in 1864, during his first epoch, and referenced as the FE 17. Its lightweight spruce top, smaller body, and slightly shorter scale make it particularly ergonomic and easy to play. The luxuriant marquetry and stunning flamed maple back and sides also give it an elegant and authentic look. With a singing first string and vigorous brilliant basses, it projects easily and the tone color range is impressive. Honestly, this guitar sounds much bigger than it is.