The Place Where I build Guitars
My small workshop is located in the Franconian Switzerland (Northern Bavaria), in the market town of Egloffstein.
This is where I design and build my guitars as unique, one-of-a-kind pieces..
All steps of the process are carried out without computer-controlled milling machines. This allows me to craft each component individually and tailor it to the specific guitar.
From Idea to Guitar
The work on a guitar begins with the vision of its future sound and appearance. Initial sketches and drawings are created. The selection of tonewood is a crucial next step. Sometimes, the wood itself inspires me for a guitar. In such cases, I let the wood guide me and develop my ideas starting from the material.
The neck, with its Spanish heel, is one of the first components of the future guitar that I craft. However, I leave enough room to adjust the neck profile at the end.
The guitar top receives special attention. After the soundhole rosette is inlaid, the soundboard is braced. These spruce braces are then shaped and carved until the soundboard achieves its optimal resonance.
The soundboard and neck are then glued together, giving a glimpse of what the finished instrument will look like.
I shape the guitar sides using a bending press and by hand with a traditional bending iron. The back receives its curved braces, and once all the parts are prepared, the side assembly is glued to the top. Finally, the back is attached, completing the “box.” This is always a very special moment.
Now there are still many finishing touches to be done. The channel for the binding needs to be routed, and the binding has to be glued in. The fretboard is glued on, fretted, and leveled, the bridge is adjusted, and of course, everything must be properly cleaned and sanded.
After applying the finish and allowing it to cure, the tuners and nut are attached, and the bridge is glued on. Now, the pickup is installed.
Once the strings are put on, the guitar can resonate for the first time and reveal what it has to offer. And over the years, it will only get better.