2015 Matthew Chaffin CD/IN

A 2015 classical guitar by Matthew Chaffin, with a cedar top and Indian rosewood back and sides – his first cedar guitar for GSI, based on Domingo Esteso and in excellent condition.

In the video above, 15-year-old Olivia Chiang plays Bach's Chaconne on this guitar.

Matt Chaffin's First Cedar Guitar for GSI

This guitar is largely based on Domingo Esteso's designs, most evident in the plantilla, internal structure and fan bracing. As our first cedar Chaffin, it adds richness and overtones to the voice of his spruce model.

Sound and Condition

Firm and refined, clean and stable – at times Hauser-like – but open and charming and willing to be pushed, with excellent balance at any volume and a very comfortable neck. Although used, it has no cracks or damage, and Matt himself touched up the French polish to remove the previous owner's wear. Photos taken just after completion.

Matthew Chaffin: A Michigan Maker in the Spanish Tradition

Matthew Chaffin is an American classical guitar maker based in Orion, Michigan, a fourth-generation woodworker in a family line that began with his great-grandfather's fine furniture. For more than two decades he has studied the construction methods of the great Spanish makers – above all Antonio de Torres, Santos Hernández and Domingo Esteso – and he builds his guitars entirely by hand, often with turn-of-the-century tools he restores himself.

Light, Responsive and Lyrical

His aim is a lightweight, responsive and lyrical guitar with a classic, understated look – firm and refined in sound, at times reminiscent of a Hauser, yet open and charming and happy to be pushed hard, with excellent balance between bass and treble and a smooth, comfortable neck. GSI is his only dealer in the USA.