Dietmar Heubner is a German classical guitar maker in Berlin, a former Stuttgart cabinetmaker who builds traditional guitars with a bold, modern sound; GSI is his exclusive representative in the USA.
Dietmar Heubner at a Glance
- Training: cabinetmaker, Stuttgart, 1980s
- Workshops: southern Germany (nearly 30 years); Berlin since summer 2018
- Known for: traditional guitars with a bold, modern sound; mosaic rosettes; mirror-like French polish
- Construction: Spanish-style fan bracing; Austrian spruce or cedar tops; African rosewood and other fine woods
- In the USA: exclusively at GSI
From Cabinetmaker to Guitar Maker
Like so many of the world’s top luthiers of the past, Heubner started out as a cabinetmaker in Stuttgart in the 1980s but quickly turned to the construction of classical guitars. After nearly 30 years in southern Germany, he moved his workshop to Berlin in the summer of 2018, where he joined the “Berlin Luthiers” – a small community of colleagues and friends who find their collective a fertile ground for mutual inspiration, and who are remarkable for the diversity of their styles.
Traditional Guitars, Modern Sound
Heubner focuses on traditional guitars with a bold, modern sound that lets musicians create their own individual tone: a wide dynamic range, great balance, an abundance of tonal colors and maximal projection. He works largely with hand tools, braces his tops in the Spanish manner, and keeps refining his design – for our 2021 guitar he changed the strutting, built a new solera and reduced the doming of the top, for a larger, more mature sound. His aesthetic is understated yet extremely elegant: a rosette of tiny wood mosaics framed by two mosaics of connected diamonds, rosewood-veneered headstocks with high-end Scheller or Barnett tuners, and a mirror-like French polish. Recent guitars pair reddish “Bois de Rose” African rosewood with spruce, with back bars of Italian cypress.
Dietmar Heubner Guitars at GSI
Dietmar has built a series of guitars for GSI since 2020, and we follow each one on our blog with photos taken during construction. You’ll find guitars currently in stock by clicking the “Guitars In Stock” button in the header of this page as well as earlier examples in our Museum by clicking the “Guitars In Museum” button.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Dietmar Heubner?
A German classical guitar maker who trained as a cabinetmaker in Stuttgart and has worked in Berlin since 2018.
Where can I buy a Dietmar Heubner guitar in the USA?
GSI is his exclusive representative in the USA.
What do Heubner guitars sound like?
Bold and modern within a traditional design: wide dynamics, great balance, rich tonal colors and strong projection.
What is Heubner’s “Bois de Rose”?
His name for a very reddish African rosewood he uses for backs and sides.
