Ober/Blöchinger guitars were built in Munich in the early 1990s by Fritz Ober and Edmund Blöchinger, two Bavarian makers who shared a workshop at the time and went on to become two of the most respected German guitar makers of their generation. Their guitars follow the traditional style of Antonio de Torres and Hermann Hauser I, and their labels carry both names.
Ober/Blöchinger at a Glance
- Workshop: Munich, Germany (shared in the early 1990s)
- Makers: Fritz Ober (1955–2020) and Edmund Blöchinger (b. 1958)
- Training: both with Helmut Buchsteiner in Upper Bavaria
- Style: the Torres/Hauser I tradition
- Label: "Fritz Ober – Edmund Blöchinger – München", with month and year, signed
Two Pupils of Helmut Buchsteiner
Fritz Ober was born in 1955 in Rosenheim and grew up in Uebersee am Chiemsee, where he learned to play the guitar and built his first instruments for himself. He apprenticed with Helmut Buchsteiner – at the time the only known luthier in Upper Bavaria besides Hauser II – and after the two-year apprenticeship opened his own workshop in Munich.
Edmund Blöchinger was born in 1958 in a small town about 30 miles outside Munich. He first apprenticed as a cabinetmaker, and in 1982 began his guitar-making apprenticeship, also with Helmut Buchsteiner. In 1987 he discovered José Luis Romanillos' book on Torres, and two years later took part in the Romanillos master class in Córdoba, Spain.
A Shared Workshop in Munich
In the early 1990s Fritz and Edmund worked side by side in a shared Munich workshop, and the guitars they made there were labeled with both names – "Fritz Ober – Edmund Blöchinger – München" – and the month and year, signed by Fritz and, on some, by Edmund as well. Built in the traditional style drawing largely on Torres and Hauser I, they have an "old-world" sound – loose, open and warm – that is at the same time bold and clear.
Two Independent Careers
Both makers went on to illustrious careers of their own. Fritz Ober built in Munich until his death in 2020, devoted to the Torres/Hauser I tradition, and GSI was his exclusive US dealer during his lifetime. Edmund Blöchinger works alone in Dorfen, near Munich; since the mid-1990s he has built for the Romero family, and GSI is the only dealer of his guitars in the world. His son Florian Blöchinger has followed him into guitar making.
Hauser III, Blöchinger and Ober in Orfeo Magazine
Orfeo Magazine No. 4 features three master luthiers – Hermann Hauser III, Edmund Blöchinger and Fritz Ober – with interviews and a gallery of their work.
Ober/Blöchinger Guitars at GSI
A few Ober/Blöchinger guitars have passed through our doors over the years. You'll find earlier examples in our Museum by clicking the "Guitars In Museum" button in the header of this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who made Ober/Blöchinger guitars?
Fritz Ober and Edmund Blöchinger, working together in a shared workshop in Munich in the early 1990s.
Where did Fritz Ober and Edmund Blöchinger learn guitar making?
Both trained with Helmut Buchsteiner in Upper Bavaria.
What happened after the shared workshop?
Each built under his own name: Fritz Ober in Munich until his death in 2020, Edmund Blöchinger in Dorfen, near Munich.
