Thomas Fredholm is a Swedish guitar maker based in Göteborg (Gothenburg), Sweden. His powerful, responsive classical guitars caused a stir at the 2007 Iserlohn guitar festival and have been played by David Russell, John Dearman of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, Mattias Jacobsson and Andy Summers.
Thomas Fredholm at a Glance
- Workshop: Göteborg (Gothenburg), Sweden
- Started: 1980s, with steel-string acoustic guitars
- Influences: Granada; Jonathan Hinves (student of Antonio Marín Montero)
- Builds: classical guitars, including double tops and 7-strings; steel-string guitars after early C.F. Martins
- Players: David Russell, John Dearman, Mattias Jacobsson, Andy Summers, Steve Earle
- Featured in: Orfeo Magazine No. 19, The Guitar in Scandinavia
From a Martin Steel-String to the Classical Guitar
Thomas Fredholm has been making instruments for several decades, all beginning with an infatuation with a Martin steel-string guitar. He built steel-string acoustic guitars in the 1980s and then turned to the classical guitar, which was his main focus for some twenty years. His classical guitars have been played by several famous artists, including David Russell, Mattias Jacobsson and even Andy Summers (of The Police).
Granada and the Spanish Tradition
Largely self-taught in the traditional Spanish way of building, Thomas spent time in Granada, the home of so many great guitar makers, and found an important contact in the English luthier Jonathan Hinves, who had studied with Antonio Marín Montero.
The Fredholm Buzz at Iserlohn
At the 2007 Iserlohn guitar festival in Germany, the buzz among players and teachers was about Fredholm. Several players ordered guitars based on the instrument he was showing there, including David Russell and John Dearman, who ordered a 6-string and a 7-string; he played the Fredholm 7-string with the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet for years, in hundreds of concerts and on the 2015 album "New Renaissance".
The Fredholm Sound
Fredholm guitars are typical of a modern instrument: powerful, responsive and deep, with a quick, punchy attack, and they are easily capable of concert use. Alongside traditional, lightly braced spruce guitars, Thomas has also built double-top classical guitars. In recent years he has returned to the steel-string guitar as well, with instruments inspired by early C.F. Martin guitars, played by artists such as Steve Earle and Zac Brown.
Thomas Fredholm in Orfeo Magazine
Orfeo Magazine No. 19 – The Guitar in Scandinavia
Thomas Fredholm is one of the Scandinavian makers featured in this issue.
Thomas Fredholm Guitars at GSI
Several Thomas Fredholm guitars have passed through our doors, including two that belonged to John Dearman. 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 does Thomas Fredholm build his guitars?
In Göteborg (Gothenburg), Sweden.
Who has played Thomas Fredholm guitars?
David Russell, John Dearman of the LAGQ, Mattias Jacobsson and Andy Summers, among others.
Does Thomas Fredholm build double-top guitars?
Yes – besides traditional spruce and cedar guitars, he has built double-top classical guitars.
Does Thomas Fredholm also build steel-string guitars?
Yes – he started with steel-strings in the 1980s and has returned to them in recent years, with guitars inspired by early C.F. Martin instruments.
