Although born in Sweden, luthier Tobias Berg has followed the craft of guitar making through Canada, England, and the US. He finally settled in Germany where he has been a full-time guitar builder for many years.
Materials on this instrument are gorgeous - soundboard is a lovely set of spruce, and for the back and sides... Tobias used a stunning set of European walnut (also for the head veneer), which has a golden-like, shimmery glow to it. This wood has become Tobias' favorite wood to work with, so we couldn't resist but have him build one for us! The sound of the guitar is as elegant as its appearance. It has a rich and velvety quality across all registers, with very sturdy, powerful basses and smooth and creamy trebles. The guitar has a noticeably nice response, particularly in the trebles where the notes just seem to "pop" with the slightest touch of the right hand.
As we've said many times about this makers work, the guitar has a unique and bold aesthetic - the headshape, rosette and bridge reveal a fondness for traditional Japanese architecture which Tobias admires for its understated elegance in its usage of perfect lines and sharp edges. He has seamlessly and delicately integrated elements of this into his unique and beautiful design. It also features his double-sided construction method. Tobias has been perfecting this method in his own guitars for some time now, and we have been very pleased with several of these that have come through our doors. To see more on the technique, see our blog post for the full story. For tone, the double-sides give the guitar a deeper, almost "cathedral-like" presence to the sound, a quality we've only heard before in modern Friederich guitars. Tobias also reinforces the neck with an ebony strip (unlike many makers of the Madrid school, Tobias' is invisible from the outside) which enhances sustain noticeably. Overall, this is a fantastic concert guitar by all standards, with a bold and beautiful sound, and a unique and classy look.
Photos of this guitar being built.
