2009 Eric Sahlin CD/CSAR

Eric Sahlin built this cedar and CSA rosewood classical guitar in 2009 in his workshop near Spokane, Washington.

In the video above, Julio Reyes plays "Choro da Saudade" on this guitar.

Woods and Voice

The back and sides are aged, gorgeous Central/South American (CSA) rosewood; the soundboard is Western red cedar. It sounds bright and punchy, with real depth and an evenly balanced voice in every register; overall the tone is full-bodied yet extremely clear.

Craftsmanship and Mother-of-Pearl Details

Workmanship is phenomenal – to truly appreciate the perfection of the craftsmanship, it almost requires viewing with a microscope. Mother-of-pearl is used elegantly and minimally – in the headstock, rosette and tie-block – for a unique and beautiful look. Tuning machines are Rodgers.

A "Twist" for Comfort

A slight "twist" in the neck profile – a Sahlin signature – eases the strain on the left-hand wrist in the lower positions. The player can keep a straighter, less "bent" wrist even while barring; ergonomically, few designs we've seen are as well thought-out.

Read more: Orfeo Magazine No. 10 – West Coast Luthiers

Eric Sahlin: American Classical Guitar Maker

Eric Sahlin is one of the great American luthiers who has achieved world-class status, with a waiting list of over a decade and significant demand in the US, Europe and Japan. Born and raised in Spokane, Washington, he is self-taught and builds in Valleyford, just outside the city.

From UC Santa Barbara to a Full-Time Workshop

His first exposure to the classical guitar came in his teens, when his brother took up the instrument – and with it came the great guitar recordings on his brother's Musical Heritage Society LPs. At UC Santa Barbara, with its strong classical guitar program, Eric decided in 1975, his first year, to build a guitar of his own: a love of woodworking since early childhood and an interest in acoustical physics made it seem like a wonderful adventure. He studied the books, bought his first woods that spring and finished the guitar that summer. By the time a second one was done, his career was decided.

He set up shop building custom furniture while honing his guitar making on the side, and by 1978/79 he was building guitars full-time – helped by a chance connection with George Dauphinais of the Dauphin Company, a mail-order business that marketed Eric's 7-, 8- and 10-string guitars as a less expensive alternative to the multi-string instruments then on offer.

Lutes, Then Classical Guitars Only

In the early 1980s a lutenist friend asked Eric for a lute. He enjoyed the project so much that he studied these instruments in depth and built various lute models alongside his guitars. By the end of the decade, with the guitar market strengthening and his reputation established, he turned exclusively to his first love, the classical guitar.

Players and Design

Sahlin guitars have been played by Scott Tennant, Andrew York, Ottmar Liebert (flamenco), Carsten Pedersen and other top players worldwide. They are known for precise, restrained mother-of-pearl trim and for Eric's innovative "twisted" fingerboard, which he talked about when Orfeo Magazine visited his Spokane-area workshop for its West Coast issue (No. 10, 2017).