2014 Hans van den Berg CD/IN

A 2014 classical guitar by Hans van den Berg, with a cedar top and Indian rosewood back and sides, made in Meyerton, South Africa.

In the video above, Jon Mendle plays Lew Richmond's Prelude 1 on this guitar.

After Daniel Friederich

The soundboard design follows Daniel Friederich closely, and the sides are doubled – mahogany inside, Indian rosewood outside – for improved sustain. The sound is silky, textured and rich, and clear in every register.

A South African Look

African blackwood with kiaat inlays on the head, figured kiaat purfling and tie block, and a kiaat, ebony and maple rosette with abalone dots give the guitar a style that is distinctly his. It is powerful and easy to play.

Photos of this guitar taken just after completion

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.