2019 Jochen Rothel CD/CY

Rothel guitars are built with a level of workmanship and attention to detail that is hard to surpass, and an elegant appearance that is near perfect, this guitar being a fantastic example. It has a cedar top which is extremely stiff and perfectly quarter-sawn, and the guitar is quite light in weight for its size and dimensions, especially so in this case since it's built with a gorgeous 3-piece cypress back. Although this wood combination is rarely seen, Jochen is in good company as makers such as Miguel Rodriguez, Jose Ramirez, Ignacio Fleta and others have made absolutely fantastic instruments with this combination. Along with the lightweight build, the guitar boasts huge volume and power but retains a lyrical, sweet and ultra-responsive tone. Body resonance on this new guitar is near Eb, so it has deep basses and dark trebles. Jochen is among those rare builders who can build with a deep body resonance like this and yet have no difficulties with wolf tones in the trebles. Due to its light build, it is very resonant with fast and direct sound output, absolutely a breeze to play and to generate multiple colors with great ease. Tuners are made by Klaus Scheller in Germany. Although used it is in excellent condition with only some minor wear in the finish. With a highly refined sound, excellent volume and sustain, this guitar has it all. We are proud to be representing the work of Jochen Rothel here in the USA.

Photos of this guitar being built

In our opinion, Jochen Rothel is one of the finest luthiers working out of Germany today. Having grown up in a woodworking family, his passion for guitar making began shortly after high school. His background and training started with an apprenticeship at Lakewood Guitars, and he went on to complete a "Gesellenbrief" and ultimately a "Meisterbrief" (German "Meister" degree awarded by the guild and the state) after training at the famous "Staatliche Geigenbauschule Mittenwald" in the upper Bavarian Alps. Additionally, he has attended the famous Romanillos course. His high level of experience is evident in the quality of his guitars.