Jakob Biehler is a German classical and flamenco guitar maker, trained in Klingenthal and Markneukirchen, who won First Prize in the flamenco category at the 2026 Antonio Marín Montero Guitar Making Competition in Granada.
At a Glance
- Nationality: German
- Training: plucked string instrument maker, Klingenthal (national skills champion); Bachelor’s in Musical Instrument Making, Markneukirchen (with distinction)
- Workshops: Stefan Schottmüller, Angela Waltner, Fritz and Johannes Ober (Munich), lute maker Günter Mark
- Methods: mainly hand tools, long-seasoned woods, hot hide glue, French polish (shellac)
- Influences: the Madrid school – Manuel Ramírez, Santos Hernández and Marcelo Barbero – plus a background in acoustics, materials science and mechanical engineering
- Chief inspiration: a 1944 flamenco guitar from the Santos Hernández workshop, completed by Marcelo Barbero
- Award: First Prize, flamenco, ninth Antonio Marín Montero competition, Granada 2026
- Guitars: classical and flamenco
A Childhood Surrounded by Craft
Jakob Biehler grew up in the German countryside, surrounded by craftsmanship and art. His father is a ceramicist, and the ceramics workshop is among Jakob’s earliest memories. One of his grandfathers was the painter Sepp Biehler (1907–1973); the other was a precision mechanic with a real gift for inventing and repairing all kinds of things. Both influences still shape his work today.
Training in Klingenthal and Markneukirchen
It was his guitar teacher, the luthier Stefan Schottmüller, who first introduced Jakob to guitar making – he built his first electric guitars in 2011, and Stefan has remained an important mentor ever since. After starting out in mechanical engineering at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Jakob trained as a plucked string instrument maker in Klingenthal, graduating as Germany’s national skills champion, and then earned a Bachelor’s degree in Musical Instrument Making in Markneukirchen with distinction.
Along the way he worked in the workshops of Stefan Schottmüller, Angela Waltner, Fritz and Johannes Ober, and the lute maker Günter Mark, building everything from the baroque lute to the electric guitar. Today Jakob specializes in classical and flamenco guitars.
Tradition and Science
Jakob sees himself as a maker of tools – guitars as aesthetic tools that unite function and beauty. He works mainly with hand tools and carefully selected woods seasoned for years, assembles his guitars with hot hide glue and finishes them in French polish (shellac). For Jakob, tradition is not a dogma but the foundation of a contemporary way of working: he is fascinated that certain materials and techniques have kept their value for centuries and, in many respects, remain unsurpassed.
His work draws on two sources. One is the Madrid school of guitar making – Manuel Ramírez, Santos Hernández and Marcelo Barbero. The other is his scientific background: musical acoustics, materials science and mechanical engineering all feed into his building, as does the study of historical instruments. In the end, though, what matters to him is the finished guitar – playing it, understanding its strengths and weaknesses, and learning from each one for the next.
First Prize in Granada
In 2026, Jakob was awarded First Prize for his flamenco guitar at the prestigious ninth Antonio Marín Montero Guitar Making Competition, held in Granada, Spain in July/August 2026.
Many Jakob Biehler guitars have passed through our doors over the years. 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
Where was Jakob Biehler trained?
He trained as a plucked string instrument maker in Klingenthal, Germany, then earned a Bachelor’s degree in Musical Instrument Making in Markneukirchen, with time in the workshops of Stefan Schottmüller, Angela Waltner, Fritz and Johannes Ober, and Günter Mark.
What prize has Jakob Biehler won?
First Prize in the flamenco category at the ninth Antonio Marín Montero Guitar Making Competition in Granada, Spain, in 2026.
How does Jakob Biehler build his guitars?
Mainly by hand, with woods seasoned for years, hot hide glue and a French polish (shellac) finish, drawing on the Madrid school of Manuel Ramírez, Santos Hernández and Marcelo Barbero as well as his background in acoustics and engineering.
What inspires his flamenco guitars?
Above all a 1944 flamenco guitar from the workshop of the widow of Santos Hernández, completed by Marcelo Barbero, which he studied in detail in the Ober workshop in Munich.
