2017 Enrico Bottelli SP/CSAR

A 2017 classical guitar by Enrico Bottelli, with a lightweight spruce top and a three-piece, highly figured CSA rosewood back – No. 263, from his workshop "The Art Guitars" in Voghera, Italy.

In the videos above, Yenne Lee plays "Desperado" and Bread's "If" on this guitar.

In Enrico Bottelli's Words

"This instrument is similar in construction to the last guitar I sent you ("Twelve"), basically following the Hauser pattern with some of my personal modifications. I used a lighter piece of wood for the top in the attempt to have a bit more of quick and powerful resonance with less effort for the player. And doing this without losing sustain, or in the 'roundness' in the tonal quality. I used a 3 piece highly figured back, and a highly flamed Honduras mahogany neck. I wanted to let the beauty of the wood be protagonist."

As Good as It Looks

And what a stunning instrument this is – it sounds as good as it looks. Super-responsive and traditionally inspired, it has a wide range of tone colors, deep basses, a warm mid-range and clear, round, singing trebles, with plenty of power for any hall. The craftsmanship is precise, with refined inlay work in the rosette and purfling throughout. Breathtaking!

Read more: Orfeo Magazine No. 13 – Italia Special (with a feature on Enrico Bottelli)

Enrico Bottelli: Classical Guitar Maker of Voghera

Enrico Bottelli was born in Milan, Italy, in 1961. His first experience in lutherie came in 1981 under master luthier Carlo Raspagni; in 1982 he took Ervin Somogyi's steel-string course in Berkeley, California, and in 1988 he studied the Kasha system with Richard Schneider – the year he began to build classical guitars exclusively. Today he works in Voghera, south of Milan.

Learning from Romanillos and the Spanish Masters

The turning point came in 1994 and 1995, when he studied the traditional Spanish approach with José Luis Romanillos. That led him to the guitars of Antonio de Torres, Enrique García, Manuel Ramírez, Hermann Hauser I and David Rubio, which he has examined extensively. His work has been shown at exhibitions in Italy, Europe and the USA, and he was featured in Orfeo Magazine No. 13.