2008 Tobias Berg SP/AR

This 2008 Tobias Berg is a classical guitar with a spruce top and African rosewood back and sides, built in Germany to celebrate his 50th instrument.

Tobias Berg's 50th Guitar

This particular guitar was built to celebrate the completion of his fiftieth instrument since setting up shop on his own. For this special instrument, Tobias used his finest-quality materials, including a beautiful set of African rosewood for the back and sides. There are some striking elements in the design, including sapwood highlights in the head veneer and tie block and a beautiful set of Rodgers tuners, and he also did additional inlay work in the rosette. The final result is a beautiful and charming instrument from this maker.

Sound

Like all his guitars, it is lightweight and so very comfortable and fun to play, with a beautiful, liquid tone and incredible balance. The spruce top has fantastic clarity, with a rich, woody texture to the sound. Classical guitarists were quickly taking notice of his work, among them concert artist Scott Tennant, who bought one of his guitars.

Tobias Berg: From Sweden to Germany

Tobias Berg was born in 1972 in Helsingborg, Sweden, and grew up in the fishing village of Viken. After building his first classical guitar in 1995, he set out to learn the art and craft of guitar making, with courses and diplomas in Canada, England and the USA and time spent with top luthiers including Robert Ruck and Jeffrey Elliott. In 1998 he settled in Germany, where he worked for six years at Lakewood Guitars before earning the German master title (Meister) in Mittenwald in 2004 and opening his own workshop. Today he works in Kirchhain-Anzefahr, in Hesse.

Light, Compact Guitars with Double Sides

Tobias builds traditional, lightweight guitars with a slightly compact body, in the spirit of the Spanish makers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and since 2011 he has built them with double sides - a practice known from Madrid builders and from Daniel Friederich, whom he holds in very high esteem. His headstock, rosette and bridge designs reflect a fondness for traditional Japanese architecture. GSI has been working with Tobias since 2005, when he sent us his 20th guitar; in 2026 he built his 50th guitar for us.