This guitar uses a very old set of CSA rosewood for the back and sides that Tobias bought in the late 1990s from a German colleague who had just stopped building guitars. Tobias really liked the tap tone of the wood and was very careful to pair it with a well-selected top (in this case, cedar) to produce yet another exceptional guitar. However the inspired moment to finally use this piece of precious material only came when a few months ago Tobias had been listening to the radio while working. He heard a story about a woman who had been traveling after an apprenticeship, sleeping in a "thousand star hotel" (outside, under a clear night sky). Tobias recalled his time at guitar making school in Canada in 1996 where he spent many of those summer nights watching the stars and northern lights. This piece of wood had several small "knots" throughout and Tobias decided to fill them with differently sized, but small and circular mother-of-pearl inlays to add "stars" to the beautifully textured back (and one in the head veneer). The result is unique, very beautiful and of course tastefully done.
The sound of the guitar is as elegant as its appearance. It has a rich and velvety quality across all registers, with very sturdy, powerful basses and smooth and creamy trebles. As we've said many times about this makers work, the guitar has a unique and bold aesthetic - the headshape, rosette and bridge reveal a fondness for traditional Japanese architecture which Tobias admires for its understated elegance in its usage of perfect lines and sharp edges. He has seamlessly and delicately integrated elements of this into his unique and beautiful design.
It also features his double-sided construction method. Tobias has been perfecting this method in his own guitars for some time now, and we have been very pleased with several of these that have come through our doors. To see more on the technique, see our blog post for the full story. For tone, the double-sides give the guitar a deeper, almost "cathedral-like" presence to the sound, a quality we've only heard before in modern Friederich guitars. Overall, this is a fantastic concert guitar by all standards, with a bold and beautiful sound, and a unique and classy look.
Luthier Bio: Tobias Berg
