Tobias Braun is a German-born classical guitar maker who works in Gaaden, in the Vienna Woods of Austria. Trained in four courses with José Luis Romanillos, he builds guitars after the old Spanish masters – especially Santos Hernández and Manuel Ramírez – often in rare woods such as satinwood.
At a Glance
- Born: 1960, Holzminden, Germany; grew up in Perchtoldsdorf, near Vienna
- Workshop: Gaaden, near Vienna, Austria (since 1998)
- Trained: Four courses with José Luis Romanillos (1984–1992); Master Craftsman, Vienna, 1989
- Known for: Santos and Ramírez models, a small tornavoz, satinwood and heat-treated maple
- Teaching: Annual course at Ottenschlag Castle on the 1937 Hauser I (since 2012)
From Journalism to Guitar Making
Tobias Braun was born in Holzminden on the Weser, Germany, in 1960, and the following year his family moved to Perchtoldsdorf, a suburb of Vienna. After school, in 1980, he began studying German and journalism, but it was not the path he wanted – within a few years he was on his way to a career in guitar making.
In 1983 he worked his way, self-taught, through the building of his first classical guitar. A year later he took his first guitar-making course with the great José Luis Romanillos, learning in three short weeks what many take years of apprenticeship to acquire. A second course followed in Aalst, Belgium, in the spring of 1988, and in 1989 he both received his Master Craftsman's Certificate in Vienna and attended a third course with Romanillos in Córdoba, Spain.
Working with Romanillos
The association continued after Tobias became a professional. In 1990 he helped translate Romanillos' book "Antonio de Torres, Guitar Maker – His Life and Work" into German (published by Bochinsky); in 1992 he attended his fourth and last course as a pupil in Córdoba; and in 1993 – after a week-long training course at Gibson in Nashville, Tennessee – he worked as Romanillos' assistant at his guitar-making course in Córdoba.
A Workshop in the Vienna Woods
Since 1998 Tobias has worked in Gaaden, in the Vienna Woods. He has lectured in Japan and Europe on "The Santos Hernández Guitar of Luise Walker", was a founding member of N.I.C.E. (Neufeldner Instrumentenbauer Congress und Erlebnistage), an association for the professional development of instrument makers, and since 2012 has taught an annual course at Ottenschlag Castle, Austria, where he passes on the construction details of the great 1937 Hauser I (ex Andrés Segovia) to a small group of students over two weeks.
Santos, Ramírez and Rare Woods
His guitars are informed by the great masters of the past, most notably Santos Hernández and Manuel Ramírez, whose guitars he has also copied in detail. He is fond of the tornavoz found in some of those older guitars and uses a modified form of it with great success. His love of exotic woods makes him one of the few makers since Enrique García and Francisco Simplicio in the 1920s to work with satinwood, and he has made a series of maple guitars that are heat-treated during construction to give them an aged look and sound. Tobias has sold guitars through GSI since 2000.
Tobias Braun in Orfeo Magazine
Orfeo Magazine No. 17 – The Viennese Guitar
Tobias Braun is one of the makers featured in this issue on the Viennese guitar.
Film: Wooden Soul
Wooden Soul – a short film by Carlo Hofmann on Vimeo.
Tobias Braun Guitars at GSI
Many Tobias Braun 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
Who is Tobias Braun?
A German-born classical guitar maker, born in 1960, who has worked in Gaaden near Vienna, Austria, since 1998 and trained with José Luis Romanillos.
What is special about Tobias Braun's guitars?
They follow Santos Hernández and Manuel Ramírez, often with a small tornavoz, and many use rare woods such as satinwood.
