2017 Matthew Chaffin SP/MP

A 2017 classical guitar by Matthew Chaffin, with an Engelmann spruce top and flamed red maple back and sides from Michigan – a 640 mm guitar with an Esteso-style rosette.

In the video above, Andrea González Caballero plays Antonio Manjón's "Aire Vasco" on this guitar.

Engelmann Spruce and Flamed Red Maple

Matt braced the Engelmann spruce top with a seven-fan design similar to Torres. The rosette and head inlay feature a "square wave" motif, a favorite of Domingo Esteso, and the dramatic flamed red maple of the back, sides and head veneer – about ten years in Matt's stock – comes from a Michigan supplier.

Sound and Playability

Firm and refined yet open and charming, at times Hauser-like, it has great volume with balanced bass and treble. The 640 mm scale, smooth neck and easy action make it very easy to play, with all the power a concert player needs.

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.