2012 Hans van den Berg CD/IN

A 2012 classical guitar by Hans van den Berg, with a cedar top and Indian rosewood back and sides, decorated with South African boekenhout.

Boekenhout

The head veneer, purfling, tie block and rosette are made of a South African wood called boekenhout, whose texture recalls leopard or cheetah skin; African blackwood is used for the bindings, back strip and tail inlay.

A Friederich-Inspired Voice

The plantilla and bracing follow Daniel Friederich, and the doubled sides (mahogany inside, rosewood outside) add sustain. Silky, textured and rich, it is clear in every register, powerful, and very easy to play.

Hans van den Berg: Classical Guitar Maker in South Africa

Hans van den Berg was born in Orkney, South Africa, on March 1, 1960. A design draughtsman who loved woodworking, he discovered guitar making through a book given to him by his sister, a guitar teacher, and built his first guitar in 1996. In 2007 he built a workshop beside his house in Meyerton, and after 18 years of building in his spare time he became a full-time luthier.

Friederich and Romanillos Models

Hans built his early guitars after José Romanillos for spruce and Daniel Friederich for cedar, using Spanish construction throughout. Like Friederich he doubles the sides, laminating rosewood and kiaat, and since 2008 he has also built a popular double-top model. His look is his own, with exotic African woods inlaid in parallel grain.